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Where's my coolant going?

lochenjons

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This isnt with my wheeler, its with my dd, an 87 caddy fleetwood. I'm going through roughly the entire coolant reservoir in about 30 miles or so. I can't see anything leaking out of anywhere (radiator, hoses, etc) and its not dripping anywhere. Also, it only leaks when the car is running. Could I be burning it? It steams as soon as I shut it off on the drivers side, still no drips or anything. No sign of wetness other than from oil leaks
 
nope

if the coolant is leaving the reservoir at that rate, it's a pretty safe bet that it's not going into the engine. your cooling system should be pressurized to about 17 pounds per square inch, and that's on top of the fifteen psi that's normal sea level air pressure. while the engine's warming up and running, the flow of coolant should be from the radiator into the reservoir, not the other way around.

It occurs to me that you might not be checking the reservoir until after the engine's off and cooling down. In which case the flow should be from the reservoir into the radiator. That would be a valid indicator that you're losing coolant in the cooling system itself (as opposed to the reservoir, the overflow tube or the return tube).

What you really need to do is to (1) do a compression check on the engine. If two adjacent cylinders show approximately equal readings and they're both more than about 10% lower in compression than any of the others, that's a head gasket; (2) do the compression check again, but this time, and stick about a tablespoon of 80-90 weight gear oil (or whatever the heaviest engine oil is that you've got on hand) into each of the spark plug holes, let it settle for a few minutes, then spin the engine briefly to distribute the oil evenly around the piston rings, and check your compression readings - if they show much higher pressure from what you got the first time, you've got bad piston rings; and (3) do a pressure check on the cooling system - here's how to rig up a cheap pressure tester: get a new radiator cap or at least one with a known good gasket, and no lever release action, and drill a hole through the center of it - pop in a rubber tire valve (make sure the hole and the valve match in diameter, the valves come in several sizes, so make sure you get the drill right), put the cap back on the radiator and pressurize it with an air pump - it should take up to about 18-20 psi; check the pressure right away with a tire guage; wait about 20 minutes and check it again, and if you want to be really sure, wait another 20 minutes and check it a third time - if the pressure drops significantly (i.e., to less than about 15 psi) between the first and second checks and there's little or no pressure the third time, then your pressure cap is faulty or there's an internal crack in the water jacket in the block or cylinder head.

If you can't figure it out, or it appears there's serious problems, take it to an honest mechanic to have your procedure double-checked (mechanics are like cars, some of 'em are really good, some of 'em are really bad, and most of 'em are average - you need a good one for real problem diagnosis).
 
The coolant resevoir is designed to catch overflow when the engine gets hot. Once the engine cools down if you have the proper radiator cap the coolant will flow back into the radiator. Do you have to add coolant at all?
 
If i let it go long enough I have to add to the radiator as well. And I think it must be going into the engine somewhat because if it gets really low, itll stumble a bit and be overheating when I shut it off. If I jsut fill it all up, it drives fine. But sometimes even after I've filled it up, itll steam a little when I shut it off
 
live with it

If you don't have the time and/or energy to do a diagnostic procedure designed to tell you exactly what's wrong and where, then you may as well just learn to live with the problem. Start carrying a bucket and a couple gallons of water with you everywhere you go.
 
I have the same problem in my blazer, its not my dd though. It lasts for about a month and then ill have to fill the radiator up with about a half a gallon. i checked all my hoses no leakes, checked my oil and it looks good. I cant seem to figure it out. I just keep filling it up. :confused:
 
Ok now I am starting to believe it isnt going to the engine either. The resivior was still half full and I shut it off and it starts steaming around where the intake duct (if thats what its called) goes to the grille. When its running the resivior bubbles like coolants going to the radiator or coming from radiator into the resivior
 
I would have said water pump do to it only leaking when running and little steam after but since its bubbling, not sure. Unless it bubbles because the engine is getting hot due to losing fluid. Check your water pump.
 
Bottom line ........................head gasket or cracked head/block. I know I haven't been back to CK5 for long, but I've been doing this kind of thing for 25 yr's. An engine is an engine.
 
UPDATE: So basically, i've done nothing and have just kept driving it. I'm planning on selling it, if it is a headgasket I could replace it, but I have no idea if something is caused it etc. Furthermore, if i were to keep the car, I'd just replace the whole engine - close to the same price and about the same difficulty (i've done it before so it seems easier).

Anyway, now it is no longer loosing coolant. However, it is still overheating just as bad, if not worse, than before. Does this mean anything?
 
NOw of course you will tell the un-suspecting buyer what he/she is getting into? Once you tell them the problem, get it in writing that it is sold as-is. HA HA HA
 

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