Head gasket blown again?

[5907]

My 1995 E280 seems to be losing coolant from somewhere, the level drops a little after a drive but there are no noticeable leaks or puddles under the car.

The engine is running fine; no excessive smoke for this time of year, starts on the button and doesn't misfire or splutter. There's no mayo under the oil filler cap or the coolant expansion tank.

The head gasket was done 40k miles ago (in 2002) by a Mercedes main dealer at a cost of almost £1k. The car has now done 137k.

Could it have blown again?

 

[television]

The water pumps can leak, and in the beginning there is only a small water loss, feel underneath the pump after a run

 

[5907]

The water pumps can leak, and in the beginning there is only a small water loss, feel underneath the pump after a run

Thanks Malcolm; I did think of this and there was a kind of dark patch on the back of the water pump, but it looked a bit like old oil to me rather than coolant.

I could be wrong though and will check it again right after a drive.

 

[wireman]

In my experience with higher mileage vehicles water pumps are the most common cause of coolant loss.

They leak at the gland which has to allow shaft rotation and stop coolant escaping, when its hot the lost coolant usualy evaporates and you cant find any trace of a leak, check it before the first start in the morning, there is a small drain hole on the underside of the pumps nose feel around that for the odd drop.