Missing coolant

Insayne · Apr 6, 2011

My coolant is slowly disappearing. I can't find an external leak and the oil looks fine. I'm thinking straight into the combustion chamber or into the exhaust. Could this cause a miss and a detonation issue?

5litrarag · Apr 6, 2011

probably leaking out the radiator someplace... like a slow leak that never makes a spot on the ground.

Insayne · Apr 6, 2011

It's possible but I see no traces of it anywhere

rz5.0 · Apr 6, 2011

check your plugs usually if its leaking the plug is pretty clean

5litrarag · Apr 6, 2011

Insayne said:
It's possible but I see no traces of it anywhere

Check the weep hole on the water pump? That little area right under the water neck? How about your coolant bottle? Pull it out and look at it, check for cracks.
After you put coolant in, make sure you hose everything down good, then take it on a drive and get it good and hot, then pull over pop the hood and start smelling around and see if you get that steaming coolant smell and try and spot it that way. I'd tend to think its the radiator though.... especially if its the original or one of the usual suspects for leaks, Fluidyne or Mishimoto.

Insayne · Apr 6, 2011

I don't know of it's original. I'll have to look around. Sat my gears are going in so I'll get it all cleaned up and filled.

toyman · Apr 7, 2011

Did this just start? Have you changed any of the rad hoses recently? If you have you may just be experiencing the displacement of air in the system. A small leak near the top of the rad may well evaporate before it gets to the ground. Am I correct in assuming that you see the level in the overflow bottle getting lower. Just remember that as the system cools coolant is drawn back from the reservoir.

F1atlander · Apr 7, 2011

take it to a shop and get a "block check" it usally around $50. and its a sure way to know if the head gasket or head is leaking.

Slykin · Apr 7, 2011

If it's a head gasket you should be able to smell anti-freeze in your exhaust and have a decent amount of white smoke out the tailpipes.

Insayne · Apr 7, 2011

Depending on the severity of the head leak. No smell or smoke but no cats and the car smells stupid rich. I have noticed the change over about 3 months. A friend of mine even did a chemical test through the radiator to check for a head leak a few months back but it was negative. I did have to re seal the timing cover seal as it took a nice wet shit on my chest on my way to work one day.