Where is my coolant going? Please help.
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Where is my coolant going? Please help.
I have an AP1 - an '03, and what is happening is it's losing the reserve container's coolant fluid constantly.
Every 3 weeks, I have to refill the coolant reserve container's coolant level from the "MIN" line level to the "MAX" level. How am I losing coolant, and what could the problem be???
I have checked for leaks and see none - not from the reserve container, or the top cap, or the lines to the radiator. And no fluid under my car in the mornings.
The car has 63k miles on it, and NEVER did this before, except for the last few months. I've had the car since 36k miles. I use Generic 50/50 coolant fluid, and live in NC right now where the weather is cool now.
Bad radiator? Bad lines? Please help - I don't know cooling systems.
Thanks a lot!
Ry
Every 3 weeks, I have to refill the coolant reserve container's coolant level from the "MIN" line level to the "MAX" level. How am I losing coolant, and what could the problem be???
I have checked for leaks and see none - not from the reserve container, or the top cap, or the lines to the radiator. And no fluid under my car in the mornings.
The car has 63k miles on it, and NEVER did this before, except for the last few months. I've had the car since 36k miles. I use Generic 50/50 coolant fluid, and live in NC right now where the weather is cool now.
Bad radiator? Bad lines? Please help - I don't know cooling systems.
Thanks a lot!
Ry
#3
you have to pressure test it only way really to find out. you will hear it when you do. if you have no leaks then it's prob the cap. it would only leak from there when hot anyway. or could have blown a headgasket but i doubt that. have you checked your oil for coolant?
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Originally Posted by drhess06259,Oct 29 2009, 03:38 PM
you have to pressure test it only way really to find out. you will hear it when you do. if you have no leaks then it's prob the cap. it would only leak from there when hot anyway. or could have blown a headgasket but i doubt that. have you checked your oil for coolant?
How would I go about a "pressure test"???
... and what other signs are a blown headgasket??? I don't have any coolant in my oil I believe, but my s2k does burn a little oil.
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Originally Posted by Fusiondynamics,Oct 29 2009, 03:37 PM
Check to see if you have any leaks. I had the same thing but found out that my radiator was cracking and started leaking more.
#6
to do a pressure test you need a pressure test kit, you can prob get it online or at a local store or have a local radiator shop do it for you.
the cap i am talking about is the rad cap. they brake all the time a leak fluid when hot. wont do it cold only hot..... new cap is about 10-15 bucks might just replace it out of piece of mind.
other signs of blown headgasket, is loss in power, oil in your coolant, coolant in your oil pan, car would smoke, or exhaust would smell "sweet". open up your oil cap(where you put the oil in the engine) and smell there.
btw new radiator is about 100 bucks.... used is a little cheaper
the cap i am talking about is the rad cap. they brake all the time a leak fluid when hot. wont do it cold only hot..... new cap is about 10-15 bucks might just replace it out of piece of mind.
other signs of blown headgasket, is loss in power, oil in your coolant, coolant in your oil pan, car would smoke, or exhaust would smell "sweet". open up your oil cap(where you put the oil in the engine) and smell there.
btw new radiator is about 100 bucks.... used is a little cheaper
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Originally Posted by drhess06259,Oct 29 2009, 04:25 PM
other signs of blown headgasket, is loss in power, oil in your coolant, coolant in your oil pan, car would smoke, or exhaust would smell "sweet". open up your oil cap(where you put the oil in the engine) and smell there.
I don't believe it is a blown head-gasket, but would it smoke constently? My s2k sometimes will smoke when idleing... like today, I noticed a little poof of gray smoke coming out of the exhaust at a stop light. And I don't think it was condensation.
I believe it's an inline pro 3mm headgasket installed by previous owner when car was boosted incredibly high - like 440whp or some crap. Never had the money because of my payments to install stock head gasket.
...but ...
Whould this all be related to the coolant I keep losing in my coolant container???
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Originally Posted by Ralleh,Oct 29 2009, 05:23 PM
Yipes...that might be a HG after all. Hopefully not, but at the very least you're running 9:1 compression on an NA motor which would be pretty crappy.
I just had this discussion 2 years ago in this forum about the 3mm headgasket. We came to a conclusion that in this case, I had surprising power results up against competition with the gasket and claimed to be down on power, yes, but still very quick... much quicker than you'd think with that gasket.
Not sure if the car was tuned to match up with it or what, but the previous owner, a Honda tech, did all the work and removal of the turbo.
I know it sucks, and I know I've never seen the best of my car, but it's still amazing with it for some reason. If this is the headgasket, too bad I'm broke. If it isn't or I can deal with it just a few months more, I can get it done in January. Hope no damage gets done... not sure what to do here... just keep refilling it, then change the gasket?
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Originally Posted by Ralleh,Oct 29 2009, 05:23 PM
Yipes...that might be a HG after all. Hopefully not, but at the very least you're running 9:1 compression on an NA motor which would be pretty crappy.
I look around it and see what looks to be something wet seeping through the cracks of the edges around the head gasket...
NOT soaking WET BUT, looks like something wet has been there, ya know?
Where as the rest of the engine is clean and silver... looks dirty around the edges of the gasket too, but nowhere else. Maybe leaking through since I see spots around gasket. Will it hurt to keep driving? Just refill coolant every few weeks??