coolant loss

Bit of an odd one on our van at the moment running is fine and temperture is good and expantion tank is not changing level by much if anything but it is losing water we came back from a day out and stopped to get some dinner and we noticed that there was a puddle under the front of the van sort of under the rad got home 3 miles away went in and ate dinner went back out to check on leak and had a smaller puddle this time but couldn't see anything dripping and have been putting in a couple of litres of water twice a day (comuting 13 miles each way) so seems to lose it when cooling but the puddle has not been back since the second puddle on the first day it did it. Any ideas?

Yeah, think you might have a leak

Me too. Doubt it's a specific Hijet thing, just a hose on the way out, the rad, or one of the metal rails between the rad hoses and the hoses further back.

The clip on the bottom rad hose on mine was rusty, lost its springyness, used to leak a bit now and again, worth squeezing it with pliers see if its still springy?

Make sure you have a replacement clip to hand though in case it's rusted through.

Rad is jubilee clipped on as broke the spring clips when it was changed and I have been under it and looked at the repair I made when this one sprung a leak and it was all bone dry, I did mean to pressurise the system when it was cold over the weekend but did other stuff instead of looking for drips I see enough of them during the week

Found it the second rail in on the drivers side was split very slightly at the top behind the plastic mount for the fan so I assume it was drying off as it dribbled down, so it's soldered up now just keep my fingers crossed that it holds like the other repair further down.

Good chance it will last, but not overly difficult to replace the rail - even with some copper tube.

I had a go at a recore on a old heater matrix the metel work bit is a doddle but I found that the plastic chambers wouldn't seal back up when the crimps were undone they just don't go back tight enough or even enough. I fancy making a replacement rad but don't have the bits to salvage from.