Just replaced EGR cooler, now leaking coolant every trip, help?

[ol' smokey]

I have just successfully managed to replace the EGR cooler and connector pipe on my '07 2.0 170 quattro. Hurrah!

As you can imagine, doing this incurred a big loss of coolant (I had to remove the coolant manifold in order to gain clearance to fit the new pipe around the back of the engine).

I topped the tank back up again however after every run the coolant drops below min level and varying degrees of coolant can be seen dripping from the plastic tray under the engine.

The odd thing is, as far as I can see and feel, all connections that I disconnected in the process of fitting the EGR gubbins are dry.

My friend has theorised that as I neglected to bleed the coolant system, it is just needing topping up as air makes it's way back to the tank, and the drips are residual fluid left in the tray from when I did the job. I'm not so sure though, as the drips don't appear to be letting up, and I've probably put in 1 to 2 litres of fluid at least since the initial refill after the job which strikes me as being more than I would have needed to put in as a result of bleeding.

Has anyone got any further tips or ideas, i.e. where else it could be leaking from?

The only saving grace is that the engine remains at 90 degrees throughout all journeys so it is not overheating. That being said, I've not driven more than an hour at a time in it so far.

 

[Pie-eyedpiper]

Did you refit the U plastic clip fully in the thermostat housing at the rear of the block?
I unknowingly knocked mine off and list all my coolant in short time.
Did you join the 2 hoses together fully at the rear, and check for leaks?
I didn't need to remove much to get my cooler off. It's a faff, but manageable.

 

[ol' smokey]

I don't actually remember removing the plastic U clip, I wonder if that is the issue as I wouldn't have made any effort to replace it. Is it easy/obvious how to replace/secure this? I'm not necessarily losing all my coolant though, it just drops down to a certain level- this may be because I am managing to keep an eye on it and top it up though.

Two hoses at the rear we left connected to the manifold (upon googling, it appears this is what youre referring to as the thermostat?).

You're lucky, on my variant there is what I would call a 'medium' amount of gubbins in the way. I note on several other engine variants the EGR valve, cooler etc are all in easily accessed locations making this job a doddle. Luckily the cooler itself was easy to access.

 

[ol' smokey]

update- having looked at the coolant manifold online to see where the thermostat is, I had a feel around and couldnt locate it at all. In any case, the whole area was dry (sooty, but dry).

The leak appears to be coming from low down, under the main engine block toward the back.

I fear the only way for me to know will be to get it onto a ramp

 

[ol' smokey]

Got the car to the garage- looks like I forgot to get the o-ring fitted between the cooler manifold and the engine block. this will be a pig to refit, does anyone know whether the fuel pump is timed? Removing this will make life easier but I am told it is timed and therefore not to go near it. Garage seemed to think it wasn't though.

In either case I'm going to have to put in some more hours on the driveway!

 

[ol' smokey]

Just bumping this as I need to know how to proceed- even the garage doesn't know if it is timed :/

 

[Pie-eyedpiper]

Did you disturb anything under the block? I don't recall having to do anything under there.
Your leak might not be associated with what you have been doing.

Your engine is a BRD?
The only physical difference should be a slightly bigger turbo and the DPF on your exhaust. Does the DPF have extra pipework or something?