FTO AUSTRALIA

Out and about today for a short trip and smelt coolant didn't think anything of it. Went out again a few hours later and could still smell coolant quite bad, still driving about 15 minutes later and tip box won't change gear anymore but still works in auto mode.

Upon inspection there is a slow drip behind the glovebox and I am guessing the tip ecu is copping some of the drips? Causing the problems.

Crawled home and car is leaking the same yucky fluid from right under the drivers floor onto the ground. Seems odd to me to be leaking suddenly in two places. Very worried I may of killed the tip ecu too, although it works. still randomly.

So off for repairs tomorrow, but where do I take it? Mechanic, radiator joint. Help has anyone copped all this before.

I think the outside leak could be the water pump which is bad because I just had the major service done less than a month ago.

Exact same thing happened to me except my coolant didnt leak that badly at first so the box was the first sign of trouble....spend days trying to figure it out...apparently there is a small drip thingy right over the tip ecu box? Go figure.

Any way had to clean it up, got some electric cleaner and sprayed it....left it to dry for a day and then hooked it back up and left it. Worked fine. Also since I'm in the Caribbean I don't need the heater matrix so I looped it back up inside the engine bay....less coolant that way plus now the A/C gets a lot colder

Anyway the ECU should be dead center in the car between the two foot wells. Just put a cloth over it for now and clean up the mess as best you can. You'll have to leave the cloth there for a while for any leftover coolant that will find its way out. Luckily the ECU points downwars to the coolant usually just effects the connectors and doesnt get into the box itself.

Good luck but you should be ok.

Won't need the heater for awhile here if at all. I will take the ECU out tomorrow and give it a clean and run this bypass I think till I can sort it out properly.

Dan,

Sounds like you heater core is stuffed.........

Water in one or both footwells? mist coming from aircon vents? disgusting old coolant smell?

I got Rik and Joe's to source one from one of their front-cuts and replace it for me. You have to remove the whole dashboard to get to it so I left it to the professionals. Was about $150 for the core and $200-$300 for a couple of days labour.

Apparently a radiator specialist can get one made up from better material for you but at an added expense. Was going to look into it but unfortunately time wasn't on my side.

Cheers

Chris

No mist but I can see it dripping into the passenger footwell. Under the car the same fluid is leaking and dropping from around the area directly under the pedals maybe a bit back. Argghh I'm thinking water pump there.

Ok update, I spent some time pulling all sorts of bits out of the car and have removed the tip ecu and given it a good clean and airing and it seems to be fine (phew) I am thinking I may relocate it to a safer place after all this.

Also in regards to the coolant dripping under the car itself, I was thinking could enough accumulate from the heater drip to actually get to the outside of the car through a small drain hole? I can't see where the outside leak is coming from at all and it seems to only happen after the motor has been on for well over 15 minutes.

I ran the car at idle for some time tonight and there were plenty of drips on the inside but nothing under the car.

Dan,

You may have a leak in your footwell somewhere or close to where the heater hose goes into through the firewall causing water to drop on the ground..............

Also, the leaking may not start for a while after you begin driving due to the thermostat not opening and circulating coolant through the heater until the car is warmed up. I have noticed with the climate control in the FTO that it will not start heating and blowing air until the heater core is warm enough.

Cheers

Chris

Yeah I wouldnt be surprised if they are related. Just top it up and monitor it.

Just got done moving the tip ecu out of harms way it is now almost directly under the stereo. We'll have to see about the rest.

Dr_Jones wrote:Ok update, I spent some time pulling all sorts of bits out of the car and have removed the tip ecu and given it a good clean and airing and it seems to be fine (phew) I am thinking I may relocate it to a safer place after all this.

Also in regards to the coolant dripping under the car itself, I was thinking could enough accumulate from the heater drip to actually get to the outside of the car through a small drain hole? I can't see where the outside leak is coming from at all and it seems to only happen after the motor has been on for well over 15 minutes.

I ran the car at idle for some time tonight and there were plenty of drips on the inside but nothing under the car.

Are you certain that the exterior leak was engine coolant ( was it green ).
you will get a water discharge from under your car from your airconditioning after 15 minutes of running.

It's not straight water. I just happened to have a friend with me and she just happened to have a cold so I borrowed some tissues (clean of course) Fluid on the inside was the same as the stuff on the outside.

I still wonder could enough build up inside to find it's way outside. I can't see anything in the service manual.

Dan,

May sound like a stupid idea..............

Is the overflow bottle for the radiator full?

When it gets full it dumps excess coolant on the ground down past the firewall on the passenger side.

Cheers

Chris

Not that either. I have bypassed the heater, and will road test it today and see what happens.

if it was coolant leaking - (e.g. from a leaking pipe), then wouldnt the car overheat from the drop in pressure ??

If enough had flowed out for sure but it was only a drip from the heater core, not a lot of pressure running through there.

I had a similar problem with a 1990 MR2. Took me weeks to find the problem. In the end the heater matrix was leaking.It caused both a leak inside and outside the car as it was flowing out of the air con drainage. Like the FTO it is a long job involving dashboard removal.By passing the matrix stopped the leak. In the end I placed some automotive leak stopper in the system and it solved the problem. May be worth a try first.