Smoking?

Just to reawaken this thread. 
I did  a 25 mile brake pad bedding run Sunday early.   Brakes much improved Brace?  Discs?  Pads ?  Stainless pipes? 
Which contributed the most  is anyone's guess, but I suspect the pads, as the other bits were OK anyway.  Still not excellent but generally adequate.
Gearchange much improved by a small tweek of the cross cable and copious application of a PTFE spray to change mechanism.  Gaiter now refuses to go back in place!
Engine light on again and still losing water.  About 100ml for this short trip - so virtually useless for touring.
BUT oil has not moved and there is no other indication of HG failure.  In truth how could a new multi layer HG fail immediately?
Mobile Mechanic Boss man booked on May 3rd.  (Hopefully not the bloke what came before!)  His comment about "never had any problems before"  was not helpful! 
I'll keep you posted.     

I'm new here and don't know the back story - if any.  You had a Cam Belt and Gasket job done by a Mobile Mechanic and it didn't go well?  
Now have problems you did not have before? My sympathies!  Any chance of saying who they are?

A different bloke is coming on Sunday 3rd May.  So I'll give him a chance until then.  After then I spill the good news or not!  

Any news from your man yet? Would like to hear what the outcome was.

Ooops. Never post on an unrefreshed page......

As a matter of curiosity have you looked in the vicinity of the heater valve?
I searched for a leak for quite some time that was probably smaller than yours but it turned out to be the heater.
Secondly I remember our Australian friend Cobber suggesting that a seal in the inlet manifold gasket can give rise to the white smoke from the exhaust. I think that gasket has a seal around a water gallery “somewhere” but can’t offer more than that I’m afraid.
Worth a thought perhaps?

GD - No further contact yet.  He's due a week Sunday so, maybe, he'll try next week?  Doesn't really do EMail and prefers data miners like FaceAche.

Delbourt -  Heater valve is a good call as it has always felt a bit "sticky".   No idea how it is exposed for viewing.  The inlet gasket is another point of contention.  It was on the list of jobs that I paid for but was not changed.  (Head was lifted with the manifold attached.)

First thing to say is that a leaking heater valve is unlikely to cause “smoke”. I don’t see how it could.
But to visually check the heater valve area for leaks just remove the driver’s side footwell panel then get your head down in the footwell and look across towards the other side of the car. The valve is operated by a cable from the control knob you should see that cable and its sleeve.

When mine failed it had “pink” crustaceans around the spindle I.e. solidified OAT residues.
Hope that helps.

Thanks for that.  Smoking has stopped for some reason?  It carried on for a few minutes up to the cooling fan operating.  So everything was hot. 
Must have been residual stuff from the head work - no idea.  
I'll follow your example and have a look.  Already eliminated leaks from the bleeding points.  Nothing new shown underneath.  Oil level not moved so no added coolant there from Gasket.
No leaks when cold. It becomes increasingly likely it is a loose hose not fitted properly??  

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Had a look at the valve and it looks fine - almost new.
 

This business with the slow coolant loss.  Have you filled it up every time you use it because it has lost some coolant every time you use it? 

The reason I ask is that mine did that.  I'd fill the tank to the internal max mark, drive it, check it and top it up again next time i used it, and so on.  Always the same amount.  So I tried leaving it.  A month later, the low coolant alarm hadn't triggered but, I checked, and after all those trips out, the level had dropped by the usual small amount.

I put this down to the system preferring to run just below MAX.  Years later, the car still runs with the coolant just below MAX.  If I top it up to MAX, the level drops to its preferred state.

Weird, but I gave up worrying about it long ago.

That's interesting and rather remarkable Bruce.  So, presumably, the max level is a touch too high and excess escapes out of the cap vent?  When it reaches a level it's happy with it no longer happens. 
It's possible but a bit dicey to test.  Keep driving until your alarm is triggered and hope you can stop quickly?  

I'll let the Mechanic check what he can on Sunday and see if he can find anything. So far everything I've checked, including bleed valves, heater, pipes has been fine.  So maybe................?
Still leaves the Engine Check light.

VinceR wrote:

That's interesting and rather remarkable Bruce.  So, presumably, the max level is a touch too high and excess escapes out of the cap vent?  When it reaches a level it's happy with it no longer happens. 
It's possible but a bit dicey to test.  Keep driving until your alarm is triggered and hope you can stop quickly?  

I'll let the Mechanic check what he can on Sunday and see if he can find anything. So far everything I've checked, including bleed valves, heater, pipes has been fine.  So maybe................?
Still leaves the Engine Check light.

My comment wasn't intended as a recommendation to fill below the max level.  It's more of an observation, which might not be unique to my car.

One test suggested to me when I was chasing water loss was to wrap white paper towels around the expansion tank cap and secure with rubber bands.
if the cap is leaking “steam”/vapour then the white towel should discolour with OAT product colour - usually pink in this case.

Might be worth a try?