Engine Coolant just DISAPPEARS! Help someone!
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Joined: Jan 2002
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From: Alabama
Engine Coolant just DISAPPEARS! Help someone!
Ok, heres the problem. I checked my engine coolant recently and it was completely empty. This surprised me, because the temp guage never rised. Anyhow, I filled it up and then drive 300 miles to my family's house. I checked the coolant....and its bone dry. SO I filled it up again. I drove my car around for 2 days, for only about 40miles total or so. Its almost empty again. What is wrong? I know it could either be a crack in the radiator, or a bag head gasket, or maybe Im just leaking the stuff. I dont think its either of the 3. Any suggestions, comments?
Bluegr*** Performance
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,532
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From: North Kentuckarolinay
1. is there a puddle on the ground after you park it somewhere for a while? leaking.
2. is there white smoke coming out of the exhaust? burning.
3. check your oil. does it look like chocolate milk? head gasket.
4. you may have leaked somewhere in the past. maybe during service - your cap was not installed correctly and the pressure blew you coolant out. this would explain why you fill it and you don't see any in the over flow. it is all in the system. just keep filling it to the line. eventually - it should stay there, or you have a problem.
check the ground under your car for puddles, exhaust for smoke, and oil. that's all i can say from a basic approach.
2. is there white smoke coming out of the exhaust? burning.
3. check your oil. does it look like chocolate milk? head gasket.
4. you may have leaked somewhere in the past. maybe during service - your cap was not installed correctly and the pressure blew you coolant out. this would explain why you fill it and you don't see any in the over flow. it is all in the system. just keep filling it to the line. eventually - it should stay there, or you have a problem.
check the ground under your car for puddles, exhaust for smoke, and oil. that's all i can say from a basic approach.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 12
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From: Seattle
Coolant loss
Sorry to hear about your trouble. The coolant must be going somwhere... If your car has the factory red coolant it should leave a bright pink crusty resedue in the leak area that should be fairly easy to spot. If the coolant level is dropping that fast, look around with a flashlight in these areas.
Turn the steering wheel all the way to the right and shut the car off. there is a plastic cover just above the lower subframe rail. Pull this toward you slightly and look for pink or dark brown resedue on the front of the engine. This would indicate a leak at the water pump or lower radiator hose connection to the thermostat housing.
Look at the drivers side of the engine and top of the transmission.
this might indicate coolant loss in the center valley of the engine or a head gasket leak.
Check your oil dipstick to see if your engine oil looks like a chocolate milkshake after driving for a while. This would indicate a definate head gasket leak.
Have somone rev up the engine while you observe the tailpipe. If you see white smoke that smells somwhat sweet, again headgasket leak.
Finally, dont let your coolant level drop too far. Overheating of this engine can cause future valve guide seal problems (oil consumption.)
Hope this helps
Turn the steering wheel all the way to the right and shut the car off. there is a plastic cover just above the lower subframe rail. Pull this toward you slightly and look for pink or dark brown resedue on the front of the engine. This would indicate a leak at the water pump or lower radiator hose connection to the thermostat housing.
Look at the drivers side of the engine and top of the transmission.
this might indicate coolant loss in the center valley of the engine or a head gasket leak.
Check your oil dipstick to see if your engine oil looks like a chocolate milkshake after driving for a while. This would indicate a definate head gasket leak.
Have somone rev up the engine while you observe the tailpipe. If you see white smoke that smells somwhat sweet, again headgasket leak.
Finally, dont let your coolant level drop too far. Overheating of this engine can cause future valve guide seal problems (oil consumption.)
Hope this helps
Thread Starter
Rookie
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 69
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From: Alabama
Weird......
at first, it was disappearing at a very quick rate......like if i filled it up and drove for 30miles plus, it would be gone. Anyhow, I did this like 3 times. So, I filled it up one more time, before a long 350mile drive. I got to my destination, and it was still full? It didnt go anywhere this time????? Was the problem fixed somehow by itself, or the refiling process? Who knows.....cars are weird; they have a mind of their own!
Lead Lap
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 770
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From: woodinville WA
completely empty
It sounds like you really mean that the overflow reservoir is completely empty, not the entire system..???
If that is the case what you are seeing is somewhat normal.
If the entire system was entremely low then the overflow reservoir would definitely be empty. Refilling the reservoir and then driving it would result in the fluid in the reservoir being sucked into the system as the car cooled from the previous use.
Fill it up again, same thing.
Until the entire system is filled and then the reservoir will remain at the hot line when the engine is hot and the "cold" line when the engine has completely cooled.
If that is the case what you are seeing is somewhat normal.
If the entire system was entremely low then the overflow reservoir would definitely be empty. Refilling the reservoir and then driving it would result in the fluid in the reservoir being sucked into the system as the car cooled from the previous use.
Fill it up again, same thing.
Until the entire system is filled and then the reservoir will remain at the hot line when the engine is hot and the "cold" line when the engine has completely cooled.
Bluegr*** Performance
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,532
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From: North Kentuckarolinay
4. you may have leaked somewhere in the past. maybe during service - your cap was not installed correctly and the pressure blew you coolant out. this would explain why you fill it and you don't see any in the over flow. it is all in the system. just keep filling it to the line. eventually - it should stay there, or you have a problem.
Check your fluid levels periodically-I do it monthly. Her mustang (3.8) is toasted now. I blew it up yesterday. (I did refill the antifreeze.) You'll probably be okay though because you never overheated like she did - probably didn't go too long. The same thing happened to my accord, I had it serviced. I got home and saw steam from under the hood. The radiator cap was sideways. There was fluid everywhere and the overflow was empty. I filled it twice, before it got back to normal.
Think I'm going to drop a 5.0 in the mustang.
AJ
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: SF Bay Area
Hey I don't know if this will help, but my Tahoe has a defective intake manifold gasket. The coolant will leak out around this gasket. I don't know if the Lexus has a similiar gasket around the intake manifold, but I would suggest checking the area around the gasket to see if there is moisture. Hope this helps!
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