Dissappearing coolant leak

Michael Mattix

SCCoA Member
Guys,
I need some further advice because I have exhausted all the options through the searches of past experiences with coolant leaks. Here is the story:
Today at work I pull up and shut her down. Take a couple of minutes and gather my things and start to walk away from the car after arming the alarm. All of a sudden I notice a puddle of coolant creeping down in front of the front left tire (down hill). I lean down to the ground and see a stream (not dripping) coming to the ground from the K member (I think that's what you guys call it). So, I pop the hood and find coolant everywhere. On the fan, on the aircleaner box, etc. It got slung everywhere. Not too much time to look at it now, got to badge in to work. So, as I am diligently working during the day, I am searching through the archives of sccoa and found some options to look for tonight when I get home. So, I fill up the overflow tank with some normal tap water because it was empty and I needed to get her home (I know it's "bad", but after I fix the leak I'll get it flushed). So I get home, leave her running, bring out the 500 watt halogen light and then shut her off to look for (what's going to be obvious, right?) the leak. Nothing. I didn't get it. So, after the kids go to bed, I jack her up. I look at all the possible leaking areas (or so I think all of them): timing cover, water pump (and weep hole which I assume is on the top), upper and lower radiator hoses, overflow hose, thermostat gasket, etc. There was coolant on almost all of the aforementioned places because of the fan and the belts slinging it everywhere, so that didn't really help. I tightened every coolant hose I could reach on the bottom and the top. So, my next plan of attack is to get the system pressure tested. Any further suggestions? Thanks.
 
Sounds like your on the right track. I had a leak in my car that wouldn't show till I had it pressure tested. I had to put 18lbs on it to get it to show up.
 
I went throught the very same thing that you are going through. My XR7 would leak coolant only when it ran. I would pull up at Columbus State (or anywhere) and look under it and see coolant dripping from the K member. So one day I jacked it up to take a look to try to find the leak. There was coolant eveywhere under the motor and I couldn't find a leak. Then a couple days later the VMM said I was low on coolant so I filled the reserve box back up. To this very day it hasn't leaked or lost any coolant so I have not worried about it. That and I dont drive it anymore.

I would say to wipe everything clean (on top and bottom), have it jacked up on stands and have someone start it wile you are under it. Wile it is running watch for any leaking mostly around the weep hole of the water pump as it is probably leaking onto the pulley and the pulley is throwing the coolant everywhere.

Good Luck!
Shane
 
headgasket monster

I've had a headgasket blow and leak both into the cylinder and outside the block. Check to see if you have any bubbles in your antifreeze reserve after you run it for a few mins.


Chris
 
Mike - I'd try to eliminate a couple of possible causes. First I'd take the main sepentine belt off and check the water pump. Just rotate the pulley, it should feel kinda sticky to turn (not tight or loose). If it spins real easy or you feel any play then that's your problem. Second with the engine running really inspect the top & bottom tank on the radiator, to see if the coolant is leaking along one of the crimped joints - because it can take a while for it to run along those joint before spilling or getting sucked-off by the fan. You might even try putting on the a/c at idle, so the low speed fan comes on - that might accellerate the small leak, by having some fan suction. Last of all you may have a pin hole in one of the hoses, so closely look at the area where the most coolant leaked. You mentioned the air box, so maybe the top rad hose has a pin hole facing that way. Last time this happened to me it was the short rubber bend on the heater hose behind the compressor. When it got hot it sprayed coolant all over the padding under the hood, which then dripped everywhere. You'll probably have to sqeeze each hose when the motor is hot in order to check them out.
Good Luck.
 
Well, guys, I could find no leak. So, I took her to my local (trusted) speed shop. They looked at it for free and their guess is that it is the radiator. Since my original was busted at 28k (under warranty), I figure that is probably accurate. And for right at 200 bucks, that is an easy fix on the same weekend I'm going to do plugs/wires/idler pullies/etc. While I'm at it, I think I'm going to replace the lower heater hose. It looks bad. After the radiator got in tonight and the box looked amazingly big, it turns out that it's the wrong part.....surprise (not!). So, after I get the right part, I'll let this board know if that fixed it.
 
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