MG ZR Diesel water loss.

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
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Mon 3 Nov 2003 20:12
MG ZR Diesel water loss. - bassbones
I have a MG ZR diesel turbo 101BHP,Registered in July 2002 with 22000 miles.The last couple of weeks it's been using water at the rate of about one litre every other day.I've taken it to my main dealer under the terms of the warranty however they tell me after 40mins of pressure testing that there is no leak on the system something I was able to tell them myself.They offered no other explanation or solution in the mean time I have a car which I need to fill with water more often than I do diesel!When I questioned the head gasket as advised by a local independant garage I was ridiculed by the dealer telling me they don't go & they have never had any problem with this range of diesel engine.My suggestion that I may actually have the first was not too well recieved & they refuse to discuss in any more detail.Has anybody else come across this problem & if so how can it be resolved.yours hopefully, Darren Samuel
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Mon 3 Nov 2003 21:18
MG ZR Diesel water loss. - Aprilia
Well, the water must be going somewhere!

Its easy to check the head gasket - just get local garage to wave the gas analyser probe over the coolant reservoir (cap off, of course) - it will detect any combustion gases, thus showing the head gasket to have failed. I don't think that there's ever been a range of engines made that didn't have the odd HG failure (Rover dealers should know this more than anyone!).
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Mon 3 Nov 2003 23:10
MG ZR Diesel water loss. - DL
Leave the car with them and refuse to collect it until it is diagnosed/repaired.

If you still get no joy, I suggest you contact MGR Customer Services.

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groups.msn.com/honestjohn - Pictures say a thousand words.....
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Tue 4 Nov 2003 00:17
MG ZR Diesel water loss. - Dynamic Dave
Are they pressure testing the engine cold or hot? Maybe the leak only occurs when engine components have expanded.
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Tue 4 Nov 2003 12:22
MG ZR Diesel water loss. - daryld
I saw an article last month in a car mag (one of the not so well known ones) whilst visiting WHSmith. I cannot remember the car mag title but it did have a story about one of their long-term-test Rover 75's (Diesel I think)suffering a total engine seizure after a coolant leak.

Not too surpringly Rover replace the engine immediately but they would not comment on what caused the coolant loss.

So beware. If I were you I would put my complaint in writing to Rover UK; or the next thing that will happen is that you will have an engine failure due to coolant loss and Rover will blame you for not having topped up the coolant properly!!! Or worse still the dealer will blag it that the coolant loss you complained of had no bearing on the engine seizure!!
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Tue 4 Nov 2003 14:50
MG ZR Diesel water loss. - Rov220sdi
the rover 75 diesel is a bmw engine though whereas in the mg zr/zs and 25/45 it is an L series rover engine. It is very true that these are extremely reliable and head gaskets going on them are hardly ever heard of but the coolant has to be going somewhere in your case. Try posting on mg-rover.org in the "ask guru's section" they know their stuff on the rover engines (and mg rovers customer service!!) and might be able to give you a few pointers.
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