Hi Andy..
I have had my R75 about 2 months and have done around 2000 miles.(Total 15,500 miles).
In that time I have added about half a litre of water/antifreeze mix.
The fins you talk about should just be covered with water/antifreeze when the engine is cold..
You will find the fins co-incide with the seam (see attached photo) that runs around the outside of the expansion tank...

Hope this helps you.

Simon

 

That’s way way too much!
If you open the cap you will see 2 steps one has max and one has min written on it! They are below the seam,
Or if you shine a torch on the left hand side of the coolant tank you will see min and max with a line written on the side of the tank and you can just about make out the coolant level.

 

Simon,

Thanks very much for that. So I take it the seam is the Max level then?

I seem to have lost about a litre in 3 weeks since I bought it. There is also mayo on the coolant cap but I can see from receipts that the previous owner (before garage) had HGF last year and got it fixed (at great expense) so I am hoping the mayo is just left over from this.

The loss of water does concern me though - I think I am going to get a compression test done.

Cheers

Andy

 

Hi Andy..
Yes the seam is the max level with a cold engine..
If you look at it with a hot engine then it will be higher up in the expansion tank due to errr . . Expansion.

I would be tempted to change the coolant in the expansion tank..
Buy a litre of antifreeze and mix to a 50/50 concentration
Then remove expansion tank cap (slowly with a rag over the cap if the engine is hot).
Clean the mayo from the cap..
Then blast the expansion tank with a fast running hose and try to clear out any mayo that you can see..
Next you will need to empty the expansion tank of water..A tube and the suck/spit method to drain..Hold the tube below the level of the expansion tank and it will self drain..Its mainly plain water after the hosepiping you have just done..
Next re fill to the seam with a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and water.
I suggested this method so that you dont need to drain the whole cooling system as it sounds like it has been recently done.
I would still go ahead with the pressure testing as you need to know ASAP if you have a claim with the garage that did the Head Gasket Replacement originally.

Good luck mate..

Please keep us posted with your progress.

Regards,

Simon

 

If you fill the coolant above the fins it will go down as it will escape through the pressure cap as it is overfilled. It should be about an inch below the fins, as Alex says, use a torch and shine inside the tank and you will see the min and max steps, which should be just submerged. If you look on the right hand side of the tank you will see the marks are written on the outside of the tank.

 

Does it really escape through the pressure cap, I knew on the early 75's that they had a extra tube for unwanted water, but never worked out what would happen now if some one over filled on the newer type coolant tank

Well at least I know now!

 

Well, I assume thats where it goes!

 

Thanks for your advice everyone it is really appreciated!

I do have that overflow pipe you mention alex. I am really hoping that is where the water has gone due to overfilling by the garage I bought from.

I checked it and it was just below the top of the fins when I got it - the water lost in the 3 weeks took it down to about 1-2 inches below top of fins.

I have really looked for the min and max markings with no joy so far but will have another look in line with your comments.

Cheers again.

Andy

 

My R75 (2004) doesn't say Min / Max on the expansion tank.

 

Doesn't it? Maybe the facelifts are different, My 75 has the shelf things inside the tank but also as you look at the car bonnet up, the min and max lines are also written on the outside of the tank on the side right side as you look straight at the car. Or if your sat in on the left.

 

Somthing tell me this at true but it gives you an idea.

 

That looks right, well done Alex very artistic!

 

Yep, that's a pretty good representation Alex . It always looks to me quite low when the water is actually on the max mark !

 

Have also had suffered similar problems with finding the min and max marks on my 75.

It's a great car but an real ***** must have been put incharge of designing the coolant tank.

Maybe an ex Rover engineer can answer this one but on every car I've owned (Fiesta, Rover 600, Mondeo, Focus) the coolant header tank was made of clear plastic with a clear min and max mark on the side.

Why did Rover choose black plastic and a stupid marking system.

Also whilst I'm at it, why do you have to be double jointed to change a head lamp bulb?

On my old 600 a bulb change could be done in the semi dark and take ~2 minutes. On my 75, I have to roll around on my back for 45 minutes and suffer cuts knuckles etc.

Two bits of really stupid design by YTS trainees on an otherwise perfect car!

 

Have also had suffered similar problems with finding the min and max marks on my 75.

It's a great car but an real ****ing ****wit must have been put incharge of designing the coolant tank.

Maybe an ex Rover engineer can answer this one but on every car I've owned (Fiesta, Rover 600, Mondeo, Focus) the coolant header tank was made of clear plastic with a clear min and max mark on the side.

Why did Rover choose black plastic and a stupid marking system.

Also whilst I'm at it, why do you have to be double jointed to change a head lamp bulb?

On my old 600 a bulb change could be done in the semi dark and take ~2 minutes. On my 75, I have to roll around on my back for 45 minutes and suffer cuts knuckles etc.

Two bits of really stupid design by YTS trainees on an otherwise perfect car!

They made the very first coolant tanks in black plastic to make the engine bay look more black and solid.

Then a year down the line they said this does make things hard so they changed it to the lighter plastic.

As for bulbs - this is what I think

Rover / BMW - I got a money making idea.

Mr Joe blogs can’t change the light bulbs, Hallfords won’t even think about changing a bulb on a 75, so they come running to us.

Yay we are making money!

 

I'm glad I read this thread cos I checked my level and found it to be just at the top of the fins (which is where I thought it should be) and a few cm's above the max so I undid the single bolt holding the tank in, removed it and poured some out............it's not usually that easy!!!

 

This has been a useful thread for me

The Rover handbook is very vague about the correct coolant level


Paul

 

Lastly i don't understand why 75 don't have a sensor in the coolant tank,so that there will be a warning light on the dash.

 

My 06 reg 05 facelift has level marks on right hand side of tank level can be seen clearly.

Mel75

 

Thanks everyone that is very useful.

Glad to know it is not just me! Checked again and cannot find any trace of min & max markings!

I will use your diagram as a guide Alex - Thanks!