The disappearing coolant trick!

[Legendary]

WTF! Every two weeks or so my radiator is only 3/4 full! The car doesn't run hot so I really don't know it untill I check it. I don't see any leaks. The radiator and hoses are new. I did my h/c/i last year so I have new gaskets. I don't puff any white smoke and the car runs fine. Where is my coolant going?

 

[cmb91LX]

is the overflow tank in place?

 

[r6bullet]

Cheack your oil. If it smells like coolant than you found were it is going. Then you have to fiqure out why it is going. Go ahead and do a compression test to make sure your head gaskets are ok. You said they are new but that doesn't mean anything. Just check it

 

[Legendary]

The overflow tank is in place. The fluid in it is hardly touched because there isn't enough fluid in the radiator to engage the cap and open it up.

I'll check the oil when I get a chance. I was told my compression was good. I'll check again.

 

[cmb91LX]

no pin holes in radiator or hoses causing it to slowly drip out? No leaks anywhere?

 

[jerry beach]

Try looking on top of the timing chain cover right behind the water pump. I lose small amouts of coolant back there. I never have seen it leak out, but it leaves puddles down there when the engine is cold. If you look carefully, and use a little mirror, you will find there are holes back there. I have been meaning to plug mine with JB weld. I bought the stuff, but thats as far as I got. I know its a long shot, but it is a possibility.

 

[GREG91GT]

OUT THE TAILPIPES

 

[maverick0716]

What about your water pump? I know mine is weeping a little bit but I didn't know for the longest time. It never looked like it was leaking on the ground or anything but I would always have to fill the rad up a bit.

 

[Legendary]

Well I don't see any coolant puddling up on the motor. Everything stays dry.

How would coolant make it's way out the tail pipes? (forgive me if you're being sarcastic)

 

[hllon4whls]

They are saying that you are burning it through the motor. Just slowly.

 

[90mustangGT]

Mine does the same thing, I loose coolant but have no leaks and can't find where it is going. I'm thinking there is an internal leak and the engine is burning the coolant. Either the head gasket or intake gasket, maby even a possible cracked head, but if it was the head there would be other issues unless it was a very, very fine crack, I hope not.

JERRY BEACH and MAVERIC: Your probally leaking water out of the weep hole at the bottom of the pump between the impeller and pulley, this means the water pump is going out. JB Welding isn't the way to fix this. Mine did this and I put on a new WP.

 

[GREG91GT]

I have seen cars burn coolant but usualy there are other issues,somtimes you can have a small crack that wont leak until it gets very warm or hot and then the crack opens enough to leak.

 

[94_Teal_GT]

Crawl under the car on the driver side. Follow the timing chain cover up to where the waterpump attaches. You'll probably need a flashlight. I just found where my car has been losing coolant from for a very long time. It ONLY weeps(very slightly) when the engine is 1st started in the Morning for about 3-5mins until things start to heat up. Since I start my car and leave the driveway immediately it doesn't leave a puddle. It doesn't leave a puddle or any evidence anywhere.
I only found this leak when I started the car(1st start of the day) to move it into the driveway, then jacked it up to pull the front wheels. When the angle of the car was altered, coolant started running out of little pockets that it'd been puddling in for who knows how long. Upon further investigation, I traced it to a minute leak between the block and side of the timing cover. I retorqued the bolts and it seems to have stopped completely.

 

[GREG91GT]

i had a 93 lightning with a little i mean real little hole in one of the freeze plugs that leaked a little it was on the front of the passenger side head.

 

[rd]

302 engines seem to do this, no matter what. My 79, through 23 years of ownership, 265k miles, and 3 totally different engines, has always done some of this. Over a period of between a couple weeks and a couple months, it will loose up to a quart or so of coolant, with no visible leaks. It does not seem to matter if I drive it every day, 20k per year, or once a month, as I do now. My 82 Mustang does the same, but I have had a bunch of heater core and hose leaks. Not a problem on this car.

Both cars have the stock overflow tanks and radiator caps in place and working.

My guess is that it goes out the head bolts, heater hose connections, and evaporates from the overflow,etc. My Windstar, and two Explorers don't seem to use anywhere near as much.

If you have no visible leaks, you could put a pressure test on the system, but otherwise, if it runs ok, and does not overheat, don't worry about it.

 

[89rdgt]

not to long ago i had a cool trick leak too. My coolant hose that goes to the tb to warm it up had a small pin hoel in it. I would loose coolant slowly and never see where it was going. The really weird part was that it would only leak when reved up quickly.

If you can get your hands on a cooling system pressure checker i would do that its the best way you can find a leak internal or external. Good luck

 

[super302]

Ya, mine does the same shtt, it does it very slooooooooowly though.

 

[scorp69]

check or replace the hoses that connect to the heater core. i had a leak there b/c(i forget) i the hoses were old, or i didn't secure the hoses well enough. this is with a bypassed heater core. also on my other stang, i hear what sounds like coolant leaking on the heater core hoses, but i don't see coolant on the floor. it may just be going to the head or headers and evaporating before hitting the ground. i'm gonna replace them asap.

 

[Ray III]

engines do NOT have a "history" of eating coolant... they should consume almost no coolant over their lifetime. Very much possible for a pinhole leak to develop in radiator or heater core that stays plugged 99.9% of the time, but every once in awhile lets some coolant out...