Where's my Coolant Going?

[AlabamaDan]

Something strange is happening with my Q. Everytime I check my coolant level it's a little low. BUT, I don't see it leaking anywhere at least there are no puddles on the ground. I also don't have any coolant in my oil. So where's it going?

[oldmako]

You could have a head gasket leak perhaps. If so it's being burned. Does your exhaust look at all white?? Have a homie follow you down the road while paying attention to your pipes.

Or a really slow leak on the outside of the engine is allowing it to cook off before you see evidence of a leak. Usually you can smell these first. Any odor with the hood up?

Dogs like to drink / huff antifreeze. Any suspicious mutts hanging around your crib and / or messing with your ride?? They will usually wait for the car to cool off a bit after you drive it because the hot rad cap burns their lips. A slow leak as you describe will just make them really sick, but if they snort a whole bunch they die off quick. These are easier to diagnose with all the doggie corpses and all. Some of the more highly developed breeds use turkey basters and / or siphon hoses. Be especially alert for dogs wearing hot mitts and sunglasses. The AF gives them bloodshot eyes.

Best of luck with your conundrum.

[Haitian_King]

Is it burning? Maybe a slight leak? I've seen pictures of coolant puddling under the plenum in that little valley there.

[Haitian_King]

You could have a head gasket leak perhaps. If so it's being burned. Does your exhaust look at all white?? Have a homie follow you down the road while paying attention to your pipes.

Or a really slow leak on the outside of the engine is allowing it to cook off before you see evidence of a leak. Usually you can smell these first. Any odor with the hood up?

Dogs like to drink / huff antifreeze. Any suspicious mutts hanging around your crib and / or messing with your ride?? They will usually wait for the car to cool off a bit after you drive it because the hot rad cap burns their lips. A slow leak as you describe will just make them really sick, but if they snort a whole bunch they die off quick. These are easier to diagnose with all the doggie corpses and all. Some of the more highly developed breeds use turkey basters and / or siphon hoses. Be especially alert for dogs wearing hot mitts and sunglasses. The AF gives them bloodshot eyes.

Best of luck with your conundrum.

LMAO!

[AlabamaDan]

I don't smell any coolant and spend quite a bit of time in stop and go traffic, sometimes with the window down. I"ll check under the plenum and around the heads.

[maxnix]

Get an LED flashlight and check the valley between your heads.

[AlabamaDan]

Never could find this leak. Looked under the plenum and it was dry. A little dirty, but doesn't look like coolant was leaking in there.

Last night I was talking with someone and looked down to see my temp needle almost all the way on "H"!!! :

I pulled over, let it sit for about two hours, filled it up with about 1.5 gallons of water. Happened again this morning on a short 10 minute drive. I did notice that there was some steam coming out from below the water pump - maybe. Somewhere on the front of the engine. I hope it hasn't caused some terminal problems letting it overheat that way.

[qship96]

With that much coolant leaking, it should be easy to find the source.....my bets are the waterpump itself or the underplenum hoses{ look carefully under the plenum, towards the back firewall area of engine,not just the front underplenum area.

[maxnix]

If it is not that obvious (how could it not be?), then check the Y hose under the plenum.
Modified by maxnix at 6:34 PM 9/17/2008

[Q45tech]

Remove cap and use a coolant pressure tester to see where the coolant is leaking without the distraction from engine running.

Owners without the proper test equipment make life difficult.

[paranoidjack]

You could have a head gasket leak perhaps. If so it's being burned. Does your exhaust look at all white?? Have a homie follow you down the road while paying attention to your pipes.

Or a really slow leak on the outside of the engine is allowing it to cook off before you see evidence of a leak. Usually you can smell these first. Any odor with the hood up?

Dogs like to drink / huff antifreeze. Any suspicious mutts hanging around your crib and / or messing with your ride?? They will usually wait for the car to cool off a bit after you drive it because the hot rad cap burns their lips. A slow leak as you describe will just make them really sick, but if they snort a whole bunch they die off quick. These are easier to diagnose with all the doggie corpses and all. Some of the more highly developed breeds use turkey basters and / or siphon hoses. Be especially alert for dogs wearing hot mitts and sunglasses. The AF gives them bloodshot eyes.

Best of luck with your conundrum.

Man, that cracked me up.

[goody90q45]

Owners without the proper test equipment make life difficult.

We're a mottley bunch, every last one of us.

[paranoidjack]

Get an LED flashlight and check the valley between your heads.

and ^^THAT^^ somehow sounds like an insult.

[Haitian_King]

Never could find this leak. Looked under the plenum and it was dry. A little dirty, but doesn't look like coolant was leaking in there.

Last night I was talking with someone and looked down to see my temp needle almost all the way on "H"!!! :

I pulled over, let it sit for about two hours, filled it up with about 1.5 gallons of water. Happened again this morning on a short 10 minute drive. I did notice that there was some steam coming out from below the water pump - maybe. Somewhere on the front of the engine. I hope it hasn't caused some terminal problems letting it overheat that way.

[Haitian_King]

Remove cap and use a coolant pressure tester to see where the coolant is leaking without the distraction from engine running.

Owners without the proper test equipment make life difficult.

Not very many purchase cars and the factory tools to go along with it. Most others have lives....

[Q45tech]

Almost every car made today [and those since 1920] has a radiator..............factory tool you gotta be kidding! Every competent shade tree mechanic much less a technican has a radiator pressure tester.

If you want to fix things you must have the tools.

http://www.arizonatools.com/to...rging/

Why you use a competent technican who charges money and has already purchased the tools he needs to diagnose problems.

[maxnix]

Why you use a competent technican who charges money and has already purchased the tools he needs to diagnose problems.

Must not shatter his self-observed superiority!