Hi. I’ve just bought two minis in the last month and been completely ripped off 😢 I bought the first one a convertible 06 plate mini one convertible. I paid £900 for it. It’s going to scrap tomorrow for £150. Then my dad bought me a Mini Cooper same year 06 plate it seems it has the same issues but is a lot better condition and 20k less miles. I’m hoping to keep the cooper. It keeps losing battery if I don’t use it for a day or two and it started blowing cold air so I got a friends fella to come and start it. They added coolant and got it going. But the battery had got completely flat 3 days later of me not starting it. So I’ve got a new battery which I’m going to fit in the morning and I’ve bought some of that steel steel. I’ve watched the video on steel seems website and it says it’s probably a good idea to drain the system of other coolants would you recommend that and do you have a video of how to do that? Thank you in advance. And bloody minis. Ya gotta love them. I’ve bought two in the last month and been robbed both times. I need to get one at least working I’m an end of life carer and need my car to visit my clients.
Hi mark,i have still a lot of air in my coolantsystem by cold star it likes a waterfall.i think the head.my coolantwater is not dirty.do you think steel seal can helped? Or bars leak? Bydewee its a mini r50 2002
My neighbours 2014 Ford KA is loosing the coolant straight into the engine oil, the oil level is 3 inches above full, is it safe to use in this situation.
I have used this product on my car. Car never had any head gasket issues was a strong motor I put this stuff into the radiator 30000 kms and today it’s on 750000 kms on the clock still driving my car without head gasket blown up still hasn’t had any issues with the cooling system very high mileage car still drives like new
Hello mate. I suspect my bmw 3 series 66 plates head gasket had blown or is blowing. White smoke n water cones from exhaust when I put water in. Do you recon this product could save me a new engine ! N do the job?
My car loose about 1L coolent for driving around 20miles, because the air bubble push the coolent out from the radiator. Do you think this headgasket condition can be solved by using this product? Or it is too serious and need to head gasket replacement. It is a honda engine. Thanks😊
Could you please provide what you used to test head gasket failure? I got oil in the coolant reservoir of my e46 and need to find out if it's the gasket or cooler.
The kit we use is called a block tester and can be found on Amazon here www.amazon.co.uk/Block-Tester-Bt-500-Combustion-Leak/dp/B06VVBSFTF/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1V9K40AVAP6M1&keywords=head+gasket+test+kit&qid=1684097717&sprefix=head+gasket+%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-6
Hi mate my mechanic put this in over a year ago as i was losing coolant- done tests and couldnt find anything wrong but just loses coolant worked perfectly for a year no issues But my car is losing coolant again mechanic said sell it while i can but can i use the steel seal again ?
hello mate recently had my headgasket done on my mg zs 120 got a rough cold start misfire and a slow dropping coolant level assuming coolant is slighly weeping into the cylinder would you say this is worth a try need to last me to the end of the year but after the recent 500 quid investment i do not want to spend the same again as its over 100k miles and just not worth it thanks
Hello Mark! I have a 2006 Toyota Avalon 3.5 L V6 with a blown head gasket the car has over 300-plus thousand miles oil was in my spark plug coil packs and water was coming out my tailpipe very very bad. Do you think this will help my Avalon I've already ordered it through Amazon I will receive it tomorrow
Hi Mark. I have a slight weep of coolant into banks 5 and 6. I tried k seal and its improved it significantly, but there's still a misfire. Would you say that steel seal is a superior product and worth a try?
I have never found k seal to be very good at all at head gasket repair. It's better for radiator and thermostat leaks so definitely worth giving steel seal a try
@Mark's Wheels thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I'll do as you advise, thanks. Ironically, k seal worked a treat on a radiator previously with another car, so I'll try the steal seel. Many thanks
Hi mark, do you have to do a coolant flush first or is it fine putting it with very low coolant in the reservoir bottle says you don’t what it to just sit in the reservoir Thank you
PLEASE NOTE TO ANYONE WANTING TO TRY THIS METHOD. 1) PLEASE READ INSTRUCTIONS AND FOLLOW EXACTLY AS IT SAYS ON THE BOTTLE IF YOU DONT IT WILL NOT WORK. 2) THE WORSE THE SYMPTOMS OF HEAD GASKET THE LESS LIKLEY IT IS TO WORK.. ID SAY THE GOLF IN THE VIDEO IS A 5/10 IN HOW BAD IT IS. IVE SEEN IT WORK ON MUCH WORSE ON THIS. IF YOUR CAR IS CHUCKING COOLANT FROM THE RADITOR CAP/ EXPANSION BOTTLE. AND WONT KEEP FLUID DOWN. YOUR CHANCES ARE SLIM. BUT IM MY OPINION IS WORTH A GO. 3) ***THIS IS NOT A PERMANENT FIX ITS LAST CHANCE OPTION I WOULDN'T DO IT ON A CAR WORTH A COUPLE OF GRAND. UNLESS ITS YOUR ONLY OPTION IT CAN CLOG UP THE SYSTEM. GOOD LUCK
Thanks for your comment Tyler. I agree you shouldn't expect it to be a permanent fix but both my k series powered midget and my golf are still going strong a year later 💪
@@MarksWheels fair play! Glad to here that. Must admit I'm surprised but glad to here that! Any issues with heater core? No hot air? Just out of interest
@@tylert6573 it won't ever clog a heater core. It is Sodium silicate, liquid glass, a chemical reaction takes place near the failed part of the gasket near the combustion chamber or the crack in the head/block surface, the temp around this area causes the liquid to change to a solid. The rest of the coolant system never gets to a temp where this conversion would happen. This can be a permanant fix if you leave the same coolant in it will keep doing fixes as things age on the gasket. Do not use if you have oil mixing with water, liquid glass can kill an engine if it mixes with oil.
Hi Mark, I’ve just been told by ford my 69 plate transit custom needs a new head gasket at £4500 fitted!!! Only took it in as it had coolant over temp warning light come up. Thought it would be a thermostat or sensor issue. They said the mucky (orange) water in the coolant reservoir was 100% head gasket. Feel a bit deflated as I only got the van 4 months ago from a verified decent garage/dealer. Any advice would be massively appreciated. Thanks 👍
Thanks for the quick reply 👍. They’re calling me back tomorrow, big boss wasn’t in earlier today. Was just weighing up the other/steel seal options if no joy from them.
Vw’s normally blow head gaskets around 150k I used to have a ton of VWs lol I’m a big foreign guy them Vw’s are super easy to do head’s gaskets on. Just make sure you send the head to the machine shop to have it checked and resurfaced if they don’t find anything wrong with it as in cracks … get new blots too !! I believe that head gets torque down to 172 ft lbs. if I’m not mistaken lol it’s beer 22 years senses I’ve worked on those lol 1.8 block with a 2.0 head. Same blocks as the MKll. The five speed transmission from the mark 2 still bolt up to that MKIII
@@MarksWheels hi mark just had a new heater matrix fitted also new water pump & radiator also a thermostat. will steal seal block these & leave me with no heater again thanks.
If you use the copper kind I would remove thermostat and maybe flush afterwards. It does work but can clog radiator heater core. No the end of the world to unclog .
Hi mark. I was wondering if you or maybe any of your subs coumd te me why the cooling period is so important? Ive just does the whole run up to temp stuff with this in my e90 Bmw and im waiting for it to cool. Im hoping to be able to tow my caravan with it a little later today if it works, but its taking an age to cool down. Lost 27 degrees in an hour. Still needs to lose another 50 or so degrees to be back down to ambient temp and wondered is really necessary for it to get down to ambient air temps? Thankyou
@@MarksWheels hi mate thanks for the reply. So what temperature is cool enough before you can start using the car as normal again? It says to cool the engine again after you gone through the process. So does that mean stone cold or can you just leave it a few hours which wont be cold but it will be alot colder. If that makes sense 🤣
@@MarksWheels IT WORKED!! Amazing! That meant we were able to have a few days away in the caravan too. Towed it great no problems at all. No steam and a dry exhaust! Thanks for the advice.
Hey mark thanks for making the video, how did the repair hold up ? Did it last ? I just did a similar test on my E39 and the fluid turned from blue to yellow so I’m in the same boat.
About to give this a bash on my 1.9 XUD peugeot 306. Problem I have is massive back pressure in the coolant system. Scared it'll blow a hose off during this process and lose all the Steel Seal goodness. Website suggests in this sort of case to half fill coolant system with coolant and Steel Seal and run with expansion tank cap off. Will the coolant circulate properly in this state? ie without it being bled etc? Any thoughts and guidance appreciated.
It shold still circulate fine with the cap off. Just make sure the engine is totally cold when putting steel seal in. We tried a hot engine and the stuff just cures instantly!
@@MarksWheels Thank you kindly for taking the time to reply. Gave it a go earlier tonight and it was touch and go. Once the coolant system was half filled (306 xud having a 9 litre coolant capacity, so 4.5 litres poured in) with the Steel Seal poured in, I started the engine. Coolant level didn't seem to move for an eternity. Temp gauge was up and down like a yo yo. Heater going on and off. Eventually it started burping and moving. But no real gauge on how long car was up to temp due to the erratic needle. Fingers crossed it's worked. Will top it up and try to bleed it all tomorrow once cooled.
@@johnnymacf1 Not so far. Back pressure is too high in the coolant system that it doesn't seem to be taking hold. I'd have to start removing injectors to identify the leak and that's out of my wheelhouse.
I just read not to use if I have water in my oil? I'll be sad if I can't fix my gasket as I can't afford the gasket replacement repair. I'm an aged female pensioner.
@@willsteenson1604 be careful! You must flush the cooling system, and change oil and filter. Then once the SS has been put in and tested for success, you MUST flush again and change oil and filter again. It will NOT work with red coolant. It's only okay with blue. I CONTACTED the company and they sent 3 emails with specific instructions. Noone should be using it without following this advice.
Hi Mark. Quick question for a novice. So I have a Mini One 53 plate. I presume I pour SS this in the coolant bottle? Silly question but I want to make sure I’m pouring it in the correct area first. Thank you. Sam.
Hi Sam. If your car has a coolant reservoir then yes, pour it in. If it is an expansion bottle, it would probably be best to pour it directly into the radiator
What is the difference between a coolant bottle and an expansion bottle? My Audi needs this. The mechanic failed to diagnose the head gasket even though it was losing so much coolant, pouring out with white smoke and misfiring. It sounded weirdly different when I started it this time which prompted me to take off the oil cap. Looks like coffee, not oil. I'm assuming head gasket. I just need to know if there's a thing called an expansion bottle in my Quattro A4. I will get that blue fluid and test it first before buying SS.
Hey, Did you flush the coolant and use distilled water before pouring the steel seal or just poured the steel seal into the coolant you already had in the car?
@@MarksWheels so it’s not necessary to dump the coolant out put distilled water and dump the bottle in then flush it again then add the coolant again? Did you flush it out after you noticed the fix ?
Nice save! Have you ever experienced heater matrix getting blocked etc? My 93 has blown back into bottle for years that stops when warm, was thinking of giving this a shot as I've started losing some coolant from time to time
I had a blocked heater matrix on my old Peugeot 309. I took the matrix hoses off of the engine and raised them up. poured cilit bang in and left for an hour. Flushed the matrix out with water and all this sludge came out. Heater never works so good after that!
@@markferris3674no it doesn't as long as you use the weaker version. If you use the strong one you need to remove the thermostat first. We took off the lead to the spark plug which was misfiring too, and put it back on after 10 minutes. It helps with pressure which can muck everything up and cause you to waste your money on the bottle.
@@MarksWheels ah nice I have a t4 that takes slthe same g12. I mailed Steal seal about g12 and they said to use plain water, not sure if thats the best idea as boiling point and all. I may dilute it slightly with coolant first..
I've used it over 2 years ago. Just followed the directions. Still driving the same car today. I'm a believer.
Thanks for watching
Used this on my volvo d5 and it worked. Saved me shit loads of money, this stuff is awesome.
Glad it worked for you
I used it on my sister Peugeot 106 automatic 1.4 and its in now nearly 2 years and all good
Thanks for watching
I used it on a Chevrolet Kalos and it worked a treat . Was £42 though !!
Still cheaper than a head gasket! Thanks for watching
That definitely stayed blue the 1st and 2nd time 👍🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼🙌🏼
Thanks for watching
Its great stuff, I have used it in 2 seperate Citroen Saxo's and they both still going strong
Thanks for watching
Is it still okay! My head gasket is gone, same symptoms..
Yeah. Used it in three of my own cars now and still going strong
Hi. I’ve just bought two minis in the last month and been completely ripped off 😢 I bought the first one a convertible 06 plate mini one convertible. I paid £900 for it. It’s going to scrap tomorrow for £150. Then my dad bought me a Mini Cooper same year 06 plate it seems it has the same issues but is a lot better condition and 20k less miles. I’m hoping to keep the cooper. It keeps losing battery if I don’t use it for a day or two and it started blowing cold air so I got a friends fella to come and start it. They added coolant and got it going. But the battery had got completely flat 3 days later of me not starting it. So I’ve got a new battery which I’m going to fit in the morning and I’ve bought some of that steel steel. I’ve watched the video on steel seems website and it says it’s probably a good idea to drain the system of other coolants would you recommend that and do you have a video of how to do that? Thank you in advance.
And bloody minis. Ya gotta love them. I’ve bought two in the last month and been robbed both times. I need to get one at least working I’m an end of life carer and need my car to visit my clients.
Thanks for watching
Thanks for this ; going to try this with my bongo !
Should work a treat! Thanks for watching
Did it work on your bongo as I have one losing water from radiator?
@barberalucia7311 If you have a leak from the rad I would recommend k seal. I don't think steel seal will do much for a leaking component
@@MarksWheels I don't think it's a leak from radiator more likely intake manifold but small slow water loss
Did it work I have a 97 bongo with slow waterloss
Hi mark,i have still a lot of air in my coolantsystem by cold star it likes a waterfall.i think the head.my coolantwater is not dirty.do you think steel seal can helped? Or bars leak?
Bydewee its a mini r50 2002
Not sure it would tbh. I'd first check it's bled ok. Shouldn't be any air In the system
Can i take an hour drive right after adding the steel seal?is that going to make the seal better or what?
I think it would be better to follow the instructions and wait for half hour first
My neighbours 2014 Ford KA is loosing the coolant straight into the engine oil, the oil level is 3 inches above full, is it safe to use in this situation.
Probably best to get the level closer to the correct level or, even better change the oil first.
I was wondering that myself. Thanks! Do I do oil change first or after using SS and cooling down?
@@jahill7965 personally I'd do it after
Does it matter if you put the fluid in the bottom of the sniff test bottle or does it need to be at the top
Needs to be in the top
How about the heat? Also, what is the long term status??
Heater works fine. I'll be doing a 2 year follow-up video on my MG Midget soon.
I have used this product on my car. Car never had any head gasket issues was a strong motor I put this stuff into the radiator 30000 kms and today it’s on 750000 kms on the clock still driving my car without head gasket blown up still hasn’t had any issues with the cooling system very high mileage car still drives like new
Thanks for watching
@@MarksWheels no worries I highly recommend this product
Hello mate. I suspect my bmw 3 series 66 plates head gasket had blown or is blowing. White smoke n water cones from exhaust when I put water in. Do you recon this product could save me a new engine ! N do the job?
Be worth a try. £40 is cheaper than an engine
Was it a permanent fix? Or how long does it last?
I've used it in three of my cars now and they are all still going strong
My car loose about 1L coolent for driving around 20miles, because the air bubble push the coolent out from the radiator. Do you think this headgasket condition can be solved by using this product? Or it is too serious and need to head gasket replacement. It is a honda engine. Thanks😊
I'd check it is definitely your head gasket that has failed but if it is then yes, it should work
Could you please provide what you used to test head gasket failure? I got oil in the coolant reservoir of my e46 and need to find out if it's the gasket or cooler.
The kit we use is called a block tester and can be found on Amazon here www.amazon.co.uk/Block-Tester-Bt-500-Combustion-Leak/dp/B06VVBSFTF/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1V9K40AVAP6M1&keywords=head+gasket+test+kit&qid=1684097717&sprefix=head+gasket+%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-6
@@MarksWheels thank you very much!
Hi mate my mechanic put this in over a year ago as i was losing coolant- done tests and couldnt find anything wrong but just loses coolant worked perfectly for a year no issues
But my car is losing coolant again mechanic said sell it while i can but can i use the steel seal again ?
I wouldn't Dave. Using too much of it might block something. I'd find out where it's leaking from
hello mate recently had my headgasket done on my mg zs 120 got a rough cold start misfire and a slow dropping coolant level assuming coolant is slighly weeping into the cylinder would you say this is worth a try need to last me to the end of the year but after the recent 500 quid investment i do not want to spend the same again as its over 100k miles and just not worth it
thanks
I'd be checking for obvious signs of leks first and maybe do a co sniff test to confirm HG failure then it would be worth a go
Hello Mark! I have a 2006 Toyota Avalon 3.5 L V6 with a blown head gasket the car has over 300-plus thousand miles oil was in my spark plug coil packs and water was coming out my tailpipe very very bad. Do you think this will help my Avalon I've already ordered it through Amazon I will receive it tomorrow
It's definately worth a go. Let us know how you get on
I get exhaust fumes in the reservoir bottle on my 1.6 tdci mondeo. Mechanic said 1600 head gasket repair needed. Do you reckon this will help?
Definitely worth a try
Hi. Did you drained out all coolant before using gasket fluid ? Or just topped up at level , mixing with rest of coolant ?
Mix it with the existing coolant.
Hi Mark I've used k seal couple years ago apparently have the same pblm again so can i use seel steal in top of k seal?
I have found that K seal is better at repairing leaks in pipes or components, whereas Steel Seal is better for head gasket failure.
Hey mark do i bwed to have my heating core and thermostate removed before i put in car???
I never have done
Was there any water or coolant before you put the steel fix?
Yes there was still oil and coolant in the engine
Why didn't you show exhaust so we could see if white smoke was coming put after fix? Seems a obvious thing to do to.prove it.
Good question Dale. It's because there was still steam in the exhaust from the left over coolant. Don't worry, it cleared after a good blat.
@@MarksWheels right. I'll give it ago
Will it clog the thermostat
If you follow the instructions, no
Hi Mark. I have a slight weep of coolant into banks 5 and 6. I tried k seal and its improved it significantly, but there's still a misfire.
Would you say that steel seal is a superior product and worth a try?
I have never found k seal to be very good at all at head gasket repair. It's better for radiator and thermostat leaks so definitely worth giving steel seal a try
@Mark's Wheels thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I'll do as you advise, thanks. Ironically, k seal worked a treat on a radiator previously with another car, so I'll try the steal seel.
Many thanks
@@tripled8807 No problem. Thanks for watching
Hi mark, do you have to do a coolant flush first or is it fine putting it with very low coolant in the reservoir bottle says you don’t what it to just sit in the reservoir
Thank you
No need to do a coolant flush first. The water pump will take it around the system
I just purchase right away how many ML can I use in 1.6 Mini?
Just pour it all in
PLEASE NOTE TO ANYONE WANTING TO TRY THIS METHOD.
1) PLEASE READ INSTRUCTIONS AND FOLLOW EXACTLY AS IT SAYS ON THE BOTTLE IF YOU DONT IT WILL NOT WORK.
2) THE WORSE THE SYMPTOMS OF HEAD GASKET THE LESS LIKLEY IT IS TO WORK..
ID SAY THE GOLF IN THE VIDEO IS A 5/10 IN HOW BAD IT IS. IVE SEEN IT WORK ON MUCH WORSE ON THIS.
IF YOUR CAR IS CHUCKING COOLANT FROM THE RADITOR CAP/ EXPANSION BOTTLE. AND WONT KEEP FLUID DOWN. YOUR CHANCES ARE SLIM. BUT IM MY OPINION IS WORTH A GO.
3) ***THIS IS NOT A PERMANENT FIX ITS LAST CHANCE OPTION I WOULDN'T DO IT ON A CAR WORTH A COUPLE OF GRAND. UNLESS ITS YOUR ONLY OPTION IT CAN CLOG UP THE SYSTEM.
GOOD LUCK
Thanks for your comment Tyler. I agree you shouldn't expect it to be a permanent fix but both my k series powered midget and my golf are still going strong a year later 💪
@@MarksWheels fair play! Glad to here that. Must admit I'm surprised but glad to here that!
Any issues with heater core? No hot air? Just out of interest
@@tylert6573 No, heater works brilliantly!
@@tylert6573 it won't ever clog a heater core. It is Sodium silicate, liquid glass, a chemical reaction takes place near the failed part of the gasket near the combustion chamber or the crack in the head/block surface, the temp around this area causes the liquid to change to a solid. The rest of the coolant system never gets to a temp where this conversion would happen.
This can be a permanant fix if you leave the same coolant in it will keep doing fixes as things age on the gasket.
Do not use if you have oil mixing with water, liquid glass can kill an engine if it mixes with oil.
I have water in my oil. Does that mean I should not use this?
Hi Mark, I’ve just been told by ford my 69 plate transit custom needs a new head gasket at £4500 fitted!!!
Only took it in as it had coolant over temp warning light come up.
Thought it would be a thermostat or sensor issue.
They said the mucky (orange) water in the coolant reservoir was 100% head gasket.
Feel a bit deflated as I only got the van 4 months ago from a verified decent garage/dealer.
Any advice would be massively appreciated.
Thanks 👍
Speak to the dealer first. Try and get some goodwill
Thanks for the quick reply 👍.
They’re calling me back tomorrow, big boss wasn’t in earlier today.
Was just weighing up the other/steel seal options if no joy from them.
Vw’s normally blow head gaskets around 150k I used to have a ton of VWs lol I’m a big foreign guy them Vw’s are super easy to do head’s gaskets on. Just make sure you send the head to the machine shop to have it checked and resurfaced if they don’t find anything wrong with it as in cracks … get new blots too !! I believe that head gets torque down to 172 ft lbs. if I’m not mistaken lol it’s beer 22 years senses I’ve worked on those lol 1.8 block with a 2.0 head. Same blocks as the MKll. The five speed transmission from the mark 2 still bolt up to that MKIII
Thanks for commenting
@@chasingwaves11 stick arp head bolts in it’ll not have another hg issue again.
Ho does it actually fix it or just solve the problem for a few months?
Its been in the Golf and in my MG midget for well over a year now and seems to be holding up fine
@Mark's Wheels thanks for the reply...one last question...how many times do you think it can be used on the same head gasket?
@@roderickjones7479 Should work on the first try i would think
@Mark's Wheels cheers dude
@@MarksWheels hi mark just had a new heater matrix fitted also new water pump & radiator also a thermostat. will steal seal block these & leave me with no heater again thanks.
this can be the cooler back engine i have the some problem
Thanks for the tip
If you use the copper kind I would remove thermostat and maybe flush afterwards. It does work but can clog radiator heater core. No the end of the world to unclog .
Tha ks for watching Michael
Will it work with OAT coolant?
No idea to be honest. Probably best to contect the manufacturer
Isit still going strong?
Yep still going well. So is the midget I have also used it on
Hi mark. I was wondering if you or maybe any of your subs coumd te me why the cooling period is so important?
Ive just does the whole run up to temp stuff with this in my e90 Bmw and im waiting for it to cool. Im hoping to be able to tow my caravan with it a little later today if it works, but its taking an age to cool down. Lost 27 degrees in an hour. Still needs to lose another 50 or so degrees to be back down to ambient temp and wondered is really necessary for it to get down to ambient air temps? Thankyou
Hi Johnny. Its the way the liquid works. It thickens when heated. We trialed it in a hot engine and it didn't make it past the coolant reservoir
@@MarksWheels hi mate thanks for the reply. So what temperature is cool enough before you can start using the car as normal again? It says to cool the engine again after you gone through the process. So does that mean stone cold or can you just leave it a few hours which wont be cold but it will be alot colder. If that makes sense 🤣
@@johnnymacf1 I would say cooled down to ambient temperature if poss
@@MarksWheels nice one. Thanks Mark. Appreciate it.
@@MarksWheels IT WORKED!! Amazing! That meant we were able to have a few days away in the caravan too. Towed it great no problems at all. No steam and a dry exhaust!
Thanks for the advice.
Hey mark thanks for making the video, how did the repair hold up ? Did it last ? I just did a similar test on my E39 and the fluid turned from blue to yellow so I’m in the same boat.
Hi, Its been over a year now and still going strong. Been really please with the results on my Golf and also on my Midget
@@MarksWheels legend 👍 I’ll give it a go
They say the car should be bone cold after treatment . should cool for hours
If you can leave it for hours that would be best
About to give this a bash on my 1.9 XUD peugeot 306. Problem I have is massive back pressure in the coolant system. Scared it'll blow a hose off during this process and lose all the Steel Seal goodness. Website suggests in this sort of case to half fill coolant system with coolant and Steel Seal and run with expansion tank cap off. Will the coolant circulate properly in this state? ie without it being bled etc? Any thoughts and guidance appreciated.
It shold still circulate fine with the cap off. Just make sure the engine is totally cold when putting steel seal in. We tried a hot engine and the stuff just cures instantly!
@@MarksWheels Thank you kindly for taking the time to reply. Gave it a go earlier tonight and it was touch and go. Once the coolant system was half filled (306 xud having a 9 litre coolant capacity, so 4.5 litres poured in) with the Steel Seal poured in, I started the engine. Coolant level didn't seem to move for an eternity. Temp gauge was up and down like a yo yo. Heater going on and off. Eventually it started burping and moving. But no real gauge on how long car was up to temp due to the erratic needle. Fingers crossed it's worked. Will top it up and try to bleed it all tomorrow once cooled.
@@leekehrer good luck
@@leekehrer did it work mate?
@@johnnymacf1 Not so far. Back pressure is too high in the coolant system that it doesn't seem to be taking hold. I'd have to start removing injectors to identify the leak and that's out of my wheelhouse.
I just read not to use if I have water in my oil? I'll be sad if I can't fix my gasket as I can't afford the gasket replacement repair. I'm an aged female pensioner.
Water in your oil?
Yes
It'd be worth a try just for the cheaper cost than the head gasket replacement
i have it the other way round oil in the expansion tank will it work ? i will try steal seal tomorrow.. and let you know,,,,
@@willsteenson1604 be careful! You must flush the cooling system, and change oil and filter. Then once the SS has been put in and tested for success, you MUST flush again and change oil and filter again. It will NOT work with red coolant. It's only okay with blue. I CONTACTED the company and they sent 3 emails with specific instructions. Noone should be using it without following this advice.
Hi Mark. Quick question for a novice. So I have a Mini One 53 plate. I presume I pour SS this in the coolant bottle? Silly question but I want to make sure I’m pouring it in the correct area first. Thank you. Sam.
Hi Sam. If your car has a coolant reservoir then yes, pour it in. If it is an expansion bottle, it would probably be best to pour it directly into the radiator
@@MarksWheels it’s where I normally pour the coolant, so I’m ok pouring in there? Thanks Mark and sorry for sounding so stupid.
What is the difference between a coolant bottle and an expansion bottle? My Audi needs this. The mechanic failed to diagnose the head gasket even though it was losing so much coolant, pouring out with white smoke and misfiring. It sounded weirdly different when I started it this time which prompted me to take off the oil cap. Looks like coffee, not oil. I'm assuming head gasket. I just need to know if there's a thing called an expansion bottle in my Quattro A4. I will get that blue fluid and test it first before buying SS.
Hey, Did you flush the coolant and use distilled water before pouring the steel seal or just poured the steel seal into the coolant you already had in the car?
Straight into the existing coolant. Thanks for watching
@@MarksWheels so it’s not necessary to dump the coolant out put distilled water and dump the bottle in then flush it again then add the coolant again? Did you flush it out after you noticed the fix ?
@@zanixinaz Nope, no need to change the coolant and im still running with the same coolant now, 1 year later
Nice save! Have you ever experienced heater matrix getting blocked etc?
My 93 has blown back into bottle for years that stops when warm, was thinking of giving this a shot as I've started losing some coolant from time to time
I had a blocked heater matrix on my old Peugeot 309. I took the matrix hoses off of the engine and raised them up. poured cilit bang in and left for an hour. Flushed the matrix out with water and all this sludge came out. Heater never works so good after that!
@@MarksWheels that's what I'm afraid of, thanks!
@@MarksWheels I could isolate the heater matrix I suppose if I had the fittings
Will it clog uo the thermostat ?
@@markferris3674no it doesn't as long as you use the weaker version. If you use the strong one you need to remove the thermostat first. We took off the lead to the spark plug which was misfiring too, and put it back on after 10 minutes. It helps with pressure which can muck everything up and cause you to waste your money on the bottle.
bro how long did it last you? have u done any miles? :)
Done 600 miles in my k series midget and about 400 in the golf and is holding up well
@@MarksWheels I've used it in a diesel Jeep and I've done around 2000 miles since using Steel Seal and still working fine so far..
@@Faithinthedock good to hear!
Hey did you use it in g12 coolant? Thanks
Hi Jak. Yes I did
@@MarksWheels ah nice I have a t4 that takes slthe same g12. I mailed Steal seal about g12 and they said to use plain water, not sure if thats the best idea as boiling point and all. I may dilute it slightly with coolant first..
@@JakTonge Good shout. Best to be safe. You can always drain and refill with G12 after if nessercary.