Diesel in the coolant reservoir

[Guzrik]

My 09 2,3mj Ducato came back from Italy yesterday, and spitted some liquid out of the coolant reservoir at arrival.
Inspection this morning learned coolant reservoir was brimmed with opaque liquid smelling like diesel.
My estimate is there was 1 liter extra in it.
Oil level is same as it was before Italy.

Anyone ever had this before?

 

[colnerov]

Hi, Has it got a coolant heated fuel filter?

Colin

 

[winchman]

Hi, Has it got a coolant heated fuel filter?

Colin

Was wondering how forgot about diesel heaters

 

[Guzrik]

Hi, Has it got a coolant heated fuel filter?

Colin

I only found one filter and that only has fuel lines, so I'm afraid no.

 

[jenki]

Is it an Auto by any chance? happened on a Renault 5 auto my mum owned there was an oil water intercooler which split.

 

[m_c]

I can't think of ever seeing a coolant/fuel heat exchanger on any van, but it could well be an option in the more northern EU countries.

If it's a conventional automatic, then it could be transmission fluid as it will likely have a heat exchanger built in to the radiator.

 

[julianf]

Some Audis (i know its not one) have a small flat plate heat exhanger some way from the filter. Its a cooler rather than a heater, i think, but the same general idea.

 

[julianf]

eg -

 

[Guzrik]

Is it an Auto by any chance? happened on a Renault 5 auto my mum owned there was an oil water intercooler which split.

Not an auto, I will look for a heatexchanger.

 

[reb78]

I was thinking the same as Julian has pictured. Not uncommon.

Whats the injection system in the head? Could a diesel passage leak into a coolant pathway if its cracked?

 

[Guzrik]

Afaik atm the two places fuel and coolant are close is at the rusty fuelpump (not sure yet it is hard to see) and indeed cilinderhead

Edit: similar pumps do not seem to have coolant connections.

 

[Erie Fred]

It came back from Italy......They will put Olive oil in everything....

 

[m_c]

I was thinking the same as Julian has pictured. Not uncommon.

Whats the injection system in the head? Could a diesel passage leak into a coolant pathway if its cracked?

Multijet is pretty standard light vehicle common rail, with no passages within the head.
Theoretically the head could crack/corrode around an injector and the injector also leak, but I'd be expecting a visible leak combined with that, so it's not likely to be a problem.

If it is diesel in the header tank, I'd be looking for some kind of optional heat exchanger.

 

[Guzrik]

Multijet is pretty standard light vehicle common rail, with no passages within the head.
Theoretically the head could crack/corrode around an injector and the injector also leak, but I'd be expecting a visible leak combined with that, so it's not likely to be a problem.

If it is diesel in the header tank, I'd be looking for some kind of optional heat exchanger.

It is diesel in the expansion vessel.
I want to agree with you, but I have it for five years now and I cannot find it yet.
I booked it in to the garage for further examination friday but if anyone has an idea would be welcome.
Of course I will report back here.

 

[reb78]

Multijet is pretty standard light vehicle common rail, with no passages within the head.
Theoretically the head could crack/corrode around an injector and the injector also leak, but I'd be expecting a visible leak combined with that, so it's not likely to be a problem.

If it is diesel in the header tank, I'd be looking for some kind of optional heat exchanger.

Agree. I just wondered if it was a silly head design like the TD5 land rover engine.

 

[T5 TDI]

Some VW's diesels have fuel channeled in the head. They have a fuel cooler too (to save the plastic fuel tank) but it's air cooled not water cooled.

 

[Guzrik]

It came back from Italy......They will put Olive oil in everything....

For now this, however very unlikely as well, seems to be the least unlikely theory.
My son and his five friends stayed in an airbnb and the neighbourhood wasn't very enthusiastic having such a big van parked and six youngsters living in their street.
No proof just very weak and poor theory, please read and forget; maybe an angry neighbour poured diesel in the headertank.

Ducato has been in the garage today.

It is my goto garage with all my cars for 27 years now, the owner is a very experienced mechanic and has six employees. They are a well equiped Bosch service center and do lots of light commercial vehicles as well as all modern cars, no showroom no reception just greasemonkeys, I regard them highly.

They couldn't find anything and discussed it with another company that does their overhauling, nothing.
Engine runs supersmooth no leaks or abnormalities.
They searched for any heatexchangers, dieselheater or heated filter, but there is nothing like that.

We agreed I will flush the cooling system with soda, refill with water and antifreeze, and then monitor the coolant vessel on a testdrive.

Will report back here.

 

[tom 748]

you can get tester kits for the water tank

 

[Guzrik]

you can get tester kits for the water tank

I know but several carmechanics identified it as clear diesel, there was almost one liter of it. No bubbles no smoke, no overpressure in the coolant system no loss of oil or coolant.
Cracked head seems unlikly at this point, happy days.

 

[Guzrik]

My sincere apologies to Italy, it wasn't you.

After two month and 2000km no diesel in the reservoir, exept for a very small amount which I thougth was some leftover residue.
But then for the first time, we ran it for half an hour at 140 km/h.

A laboratory did an hplc analysis and confirmed it is diesel.
I booked it in in another garage, a Ducato specialist this time.
He told me it is impossible too, so looking forward to his conclusion.