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I fill mine to full per the factory service manual. Low means just that - low, not normal cold. Normal cold is at the full mark.
Oh so it shouldn't fluctuate regardless of temp? Yikes. How am I going to explain this to the dealer? lol. I hope they are knowledgeable about he valley plate leak.
So went to the dealership to get some coolant and they are aware of the valley plate issue for the ISF. But they also told me that the coolant does run up the high line when hot and comes back down when cool. They also said if I don't see any pink around the fire wall then i should be okay.
Well, I'm going to top it off when the car has cooled down right at the high line. That should tell me that if it starts to go down in the next few weeks / months then there is no doubt its going somewhere (because its not on my garage floor).
FYI- Don't think its a head gasket issue. Checked my oil and it's not "milky".
Headgasket is least likely. Set at full cold and observe over time. I'll take some pics and put them up with cold and hot, so the difference is obvious. It should not change significantly over time unless you are talking years.
Headgasket is least likely. Set at full cold and observe over time. I'll take some pics and put them up with cold and hot, so the difference is obvious. It should not change significantly over time unless you are talking years.
Thank you so much. You've been really helpful. Been doing research on the F before I bought it and your posts have always been very informative.
I'm just thinking if they did the ELF they'd find the Valley plate issue as there would be pink everywhere. I don't see any pink in the fire wall either.
Here's the thing though. In the past it stays a little above low level when hot AND when cold.
I'm definitely keeping an eye on it but so far, no pink in the engine bay and temps seem fine.
cvt, I experienced the exact same thing in my car. No matter how much coolant I added, the level would always sit at low after a single trip. It was like this since 2014 and recently escallated--finally saw some pink on the driveway because the buildup was so bad. I just had the valley plate fix done. I've posted in the valley plate leak thread about my experience: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...y-plate-6.html. Since getting it back, the coolant level sits at full when cold and at optimal operating temps. Good luck!
Ok, so this morning I filled up the resivoir to full when cold. I'll monitor it and see if it starts to go down in the next few weeks..months.... Will keep everyone posted. Thanks again for all the replies. This is a great site.
Im trying to get the same angle as lobuxracer but I'm extremely clumsy and was afraid I'd drop my phone. lol
I just had the valley plate leak fix. Mine level was right under the low level since I had bought the car. I finally had them check the level and inspect for leaks and nothing. They topped it off and I went on my way. Then after driving it hard a couple nights later I had coolant all over the place. leaking out the back of the engine and down each side of the trans. Turned out to be valley plate. I think mine ended up being a slow leak and it allowed enough time for the coolant to dissipate. Then when topping it off it really triggered the valley plate leak.
Now lobuxracer's photos match what I have now hot and cold. I've been monitoring it everyday when cold to see if there is any level change. So far so good. I'll keep checking for sure as the whole Valley Plate thread has got me really paranoid...lol.
So been monitoring my coolant level (always checking before the 1st start of the day - cold). I topped off the resivoir back in August 13 and it has slowly been decreasing. Now on December 8th I’m at the low mark. See photos below. Just a little background I commute 30miles total a day for work 5 times a day and around 100miles in the weekends. Took a trip to San Fran and maybe went to the canyons once.
i already went to the dealer to get it checked and had them pressure check it. No signs of leaks. Is this just normal evaporation?
i have no overheating issues. No signs of leaks. What do you guys think?
Bought my car at the end of September. Coolant level exactly the same as where it was at the time. Previous owner also said he never had to add coolant during his ownership. It has had the valley plate leak repaired
So been monitoring my coolant level (always checking before the 1st start of the day - cold). I topped off the resivoir back in August 13 and it has slowly been decreasing. Now on December 8th I’m at the low mark. See photos below. Just a little background I commute 30miles total a day for work 5 times a day and around 100miles in the weekends. Took a trip to San Fran and maybe went to the canyons once.
i already went to the dealer to get it checked and had them pressure check it. No signs of leaks. Is this just normal evaporation?
i have no overheating issues. No signs of leaks. What do you guys think?
Aug 13 Dec 3
I'm in the same boat as you, mine gradually decreases and I've brought my car back to the dealership twice to check for the leak and they insisted there's no leak. I even made them do a pressure test + check with a borescope. No leaks found they said. But my coolant continues to gradually go down the same rate as yours, so I'm at a lost as well.
I can guarantee you that's The Valley leak plate. The dealership conducted the same exact procedures and gave me the same exact excuses. Until, I stopped topping it off and told them to check with mirrors like mentioned in The Valley leak plate thread. Viola! They eventually found pink residue. It took them almost a year to figure out. Good luck! Also, my ISF never showed signs of overheating at all. But yet, it suffered from all this.
I'm really hoping it's not the valley plate leak. If it is, I do still have an extended warranty through Mercury (they covered my water pump last year, a failed battery cell, and my nav screen). I topped it off again but I'm not sure what to tell my service adviser to check to see if it's a valley plate leak. The last time I had them check for it they did an "inspection" and found no leaks and did a pressure test.
Should I just be more specific and ask to check around the transmission / header area / rear of the engine or check with a borescope? I don't want to wait until there is a pink puddle on the floor of my garage.
Another theory is a leak in the actual reservoir / cap that would cause evaporation. In some instances I could hear "bubbling" near the cap, but that wouldn't hold a pressure test though right?
06-26-17, 12:46 PM
