Nick M, have they done a hydrocarbon test aka sniffer test ? any excess water coming from the AC drain ? does it smell more with the heater/fan on ?

Many thanks for your reply.



Yes, they have done pressure tests, sniffer tests, block tests etc. No smell from the heater.

Dye has also been added to the coolant.


Best Regards

 

Hi, have you been able to get your coolant loss sorted ?

We are still losing coolant and I am waiting for the dealer to respond.

Having dug around the internet, I am getting the feeling that these particular engines are not that good reliability wise. Honest John, goes onto say that he expects to see a high number of failures !

Best Regards
[/QUOTE]

Nope! our car only covers about 50 miles a week, I marked the level in pencil on the expansion tank when cold and for the first 3 weeks it dropped 1 mm per week, so 3 mm in just under 150 miles, prepared an email ready to send, then checked the level and it had not dropped for a week so left it till this week, (checking day has been Wednesday). Together with the other issues, no "lights on" indicator and no heater illumination from time to time, and the continuing saga of being warned by the infotainment that using the touch screen while driving can be distracting, despite never using the touch screen while driving except to clear the warning, sometimes several times on a short journey, although overall I like the Mokka owning it has turned pretty damn sour!


[/QUOTE]


Thanks for the reply, I am just hoping the dealer will come good, however no reply to my email from last week yet.
I checked the level yesterday and its not looking good, getting fed up with keep opening the bonnet and the smell of burning coolant !
I think the issue is, for the dealer to investigate further means dismantling bits of the engine, which then leads onto whos going to pay.



Best Regards

 

Its worth checking/replacing the cap. I had the same problem in my previous Insignia with gradual coolant loss and was recommended by another forum to try replacing the cap as the pressure relief can go faulty, i did just that and it solved the problem. For the Insignia it was only about £4.50 i remember.

 

I think the issue is, for the dealer to investigate further means dismantling bits of the engine, which then leads onto whos going to pay.

As you reported the problem before the warranty expired it should be covered, but like you I would be getting concerned that they might "forget"

 

Its worth checking/replacing the cap. I had the same problem in my previous Insignia with gradual coolant loss and was recommended by another forum to try replacing the cap as the pressure relief can go faulty, i did just that and it solved the problem. For the Insignia it was only about £4.50 i remember.

Presumably while the dealers have had their pressure testing kit out they did the cap as well.

 

Many Thanks for all the replies.Still, no news from the dealers.
They have never mentioned the pressure cap being tested, I might order one to try.

I am getting concerned that I might have been fobbed off for the last several months, I have been extremely pleasant to the dealer, but there come a point !

 

The Mokka has no tube on the overflow outlet and has a channel under it formed in the top of the expansion tank, I'd guess any coolant passing the cap, either from a faulty cap or over pressurising from head gasket failure would leave white residue in the channel?

 

Head gasket failing between cylinder and waterway is easy to spot, pressure forcing coolant out of overflow, bubbles in header tank while running, sniff test will find it easily. Head gasket failing badly between waterway and oil return will cause a build up of emulsion on the inside of the cam cover-underside of oil cap, but a slow leak between waterway and oil return is very difficult to spot, the moisture will just boil off, all engines get a small amount of moisture in the oil, combustion creates moisture, small amounts of combustion gases including water vapour blows past the rings into the oil, this boils off exactly the same way. All pressure testing kits I've ever used include cap testing adaptors so its normal to test the cap while doing the cooling system test.Pressure testing is only of value done cold, if done hot the pressure will fall because of cooling, but small head gasket leaks may only exist when hot due to expansion, so they fall through the net, hence dealer gives you a bottle of coolant and says keep your eye on it

Edited by: MokkTheWeek

 

Hi allService Manager has emailed today and offered to drive the car himself for a week and let us borrow a car whilst he does that.
Have accepted, just waiting for reply.
Did email some pictures of the current coolant level, which is about a 1cm above the bottom pipe of the expansion tank.

 

Sounds like a good plan to me, is he off on a European tour holiday?

 

Its not that old fred A14NET/NEL was released in 2008 early 1990s would be the X14XE (cambelt)and the later 2003twinportZ14XEP what are all N/A<div abp="1460">
<div abp="1461">As for water loss there is a pipe that crosses the front of the block held by 1 bolt the other end is a push fit into the oil cooler with a o-ring
<div abp="1461">
<div abp="1461">I cant see what the timing cover has to do with water loss unless a bolt has broken through a water way
<div abp="1461">
<div abp="1461">reliability wise there is noting major and considering how manyGM have made theres likely to be a few not so good ones
<div abp="1461">
<div abp="1461">
<div abp="1461">Back on topic do you have a visual coolant loss and what sort of quantity ? it could be some thing as simple as a bad radiator cap
<div abp="1461">
<div abp="1461">edit. I will re upload the missing pics

You seem to be confusing that the engine code means a different family of engine. This is not always the case. Apart from the latest 1.4L direct injection (these have their own problems) all 1.4L petrol engines (fitted to the Mokka) are derived from the original Family 0 engine. All are chain driven (camshaft) and yes a turbo was added + modification (twinport Euro 4,5,6 etc.).
The water pump is mounted to the side of the engine. A new water pump gasket seals to the timing chest but uses part of the timing chest gasket to seal to the engine. Yes that leaks! This appears to be a long standing problem with this engine.






Edited by: Fred7

 

The water pump is mounted to the side of the engine. A new water pump gasket seals to the timing chest but uses part of the timing chest gasket to seal to the engine. Yes that leaks! This appears to be a long standing problem with this engine.

Just been looking at a used Mokka 1.4 timing cover on Ebay. the water pump inlet comes through the timing cover, there is a coolant gasket on the inside of the timing cover, any leak at that point would let coolant into the inside of the cover to drain into the sump, impossible to see without removing the timing cover. no idea how likely a failure is, but certainly possible.

 

Hi all

Another update.

Service Manager called me yesterday and confirmed the he would use the car himself, for a week and we supply a car for us to use. Wont be for a couple of weeks.

Had a long conversation and he did confirm that the timing chest was the possible area of the leak. However he did say that as there is dye in the coolant, it would show on the dipstick under UV light. Which they have not seen at the last visit.

He also confirmed the turbo water cooled pipes were another suspect area, but again nowt is showing under UV.

I asked about the pressure cap and he said that this had been tested when they carried out the pressure test.

Best Regards

 

At least at the moment they are taking it seriously and not trying to fob you off!

 

At least at the moment they are taking it seriously and not trying to fob you off!

I agree, he does seem to want to get it sorted.

He lives a fair way from the dealership, around 140 miles each day.

Best Regards

 

The X14XE and Z14XEare a cambelt engine as I have had the same engine in 2 cars I have owned and ihave built a tuned engine, withVernier pulleys and custom ground kent cams, port, polished and flowed head<div abp="1390">
<div abp="1391">The twinport was designed to meet the euro4/5 spec that's whenthe 1.4went over to cam chain what's a different design, A14NET is a design as a turbo engine its vastly differently
<div abp="1391">
<div abp="1391">Anyhoo. there is no water in the oil or oil in the water, the gaskets have been modified over time, with the amount of the cam chain engines out there from the 1.0 up to the 1.8 there would be no end of complaints if the issue existed in any real number
<div abp="1391">
<div abp="1391">regarding engine modelnumbers they are linked to the age and/or euro spec there are plenty of references on the net inc wiki's
<div abp="1391">
<div abp="1391">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Family_0_engine1st genengines are small displacement up to 1.2 the Z series are euro4/5 specengines
<div abp="1391">
<div abp="1391">The early 1.4 (X14XE) was a GM Family 1 and has a cambelt, I owned a 54 plate corsa (facelift) with a Z14XE (fly by wire)
<div abp="1391">
<div abp="1391">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Family_1_engine
<div abp="1391">
<div abp="1391">

The X14XE and Z14XE are no relation to the present B14NET. As you have said both X14XE and Z14XE are cambelt Family 1 engines. The B14NET is a direct descendant of the Family 0 (1996) engine.
The twinport is a second generation of the Family 0 engine. The 1.4L (Family 0) engine did not "went over" to chain. All Family 0 engines are chain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Family_0_engine
"Originally debuting as either a 1.0 Lstraight-3or 1.2 Lstraight-4; a 1.4 L I4 variant was added with the introduction of the second generation, replacing the 1.4 LFamily 1engine."

I have recently rebuilt a 2005 Z12XEP engine. Yes not 1.4L but it is exactly the same engine, with a few updates (turbo, a few modifications, software) as the Mokka X 1.4L standing on our drive.
Family 0 engines are from 1996 (I thought 1995) time for a change.











Edited by: Fred7

 

Just to give you all an update.

The dealership replaced the Turbo Coolant Pipes. The service manager then tested for 500 miles.

No charge was made for the work.

We have now had our car back for a week. No burning smell and the coolant is remaining stable.

So hopefully, she is finally repaired. Fair play to the dealership, I would dare say that many dealerships wouldnt have wanted to know.

 

About time we heard a glowing report about a Vauxhall dealer, really pleased for you!

 

Can you tell us what dealer managed to cure this?

 

Can you tell us what dealer managed to cure this?

Local dealer in Poole Dorset (Eden Group)

 

This topic makes interesting reading. Just before Christmas on a freezing morning I had no heating in my Mokka Auto 15 plate. I remember something similar happening to a car I had years ago so checked the Coolant and it was low. Topped it up and heating then a few weeks ago a similar thing happened to the extent that last week I was topping it up every other day. Took it to my Vauxhall Dealer Wednesday and they diagnosed Turbocharger Coolant pipe leaking. They had to order a part but got it back today. 6 weeks of warranty left so no charge. Hope that's the end of it.

 

Dripping water/coolant

Hi all, have just arrived home from work to a burning smell as I pulled up outside the house...noticed a drip of water (not oil) coming from roughly underneath where the rear view drivers mirror is (ish) in the car....Any thoughts?




Post merged.

 

That is roughly the area where the air con condensate drips if your coolant level is OK that's probably what it is, but wouldn't account for a burning smell.

 

Never noticed it before and am paranoid now with the car as had the water pump changed just 2 months ago

 

Yes as said probably air con, burning smell a different matter, needs to go on ramp for a good look round