Last month, I suddenly saw few drops of coolant on my garage floor. My Civic is a '95 with about 230,000 miles. Thread starter Jun 29, 2011 #1 Top it up with water and its fine, till it drops again. My engine is burning coolant. After maybe a month and a half, the coolant level has gone from "full" to just a 1/4 inch above "add". We just went thru this same situation here on our 1989 DL 240 wth a B230F engine. Borrow a pressure tester, and follow the simple instructions precisely. But I think it's more likely that you are slowly leaking some coolant somewhere. Earlier this year, I noticed the coolant overflow container was overfilled when the engine was hot, and the container was underfilled when it was cold. But in fact there are several places to look that are more likely than a leaky radiator. Sometimes you can spot a leak when the cooling system is under pressure. I went to a local AutoZone and rented a pressure tester for coolant system. This costs some money, but it’s really the better option if you want to keep your car running at its best. He said it held pressure for 20 minutes. Coolant level dropping in fiat 500. The coolant level is dropping slightly. Putting on a new radiator cap solved the problem. If there is a constant drop in the level, it indicates a malfunction. There’s a lot of other possibilities then a head gasket. …simple. Is there something else I should check? Brought it to a mechanic to check for leaks. Leaking or Blown Head Gasket A leaking or blown head gasket will cause water to leak into the areas of the block where it was not designed to go. Then a new radiator cap. You can usually tell a head gasket problem if you’re seeing a lot of steam come out the exhaust pipe, or if you find engine oil floating in the coolant reservoir. If replacing the radiator cap doesn’t solve the problem, you might consider getting the cooling system pressure tested again (assuming your mechanic did that before he installed a new radiator), but I’d be willing to wager money all you need is a new radiator cap. Head gasket is well down the list of possible causes. There was probably air trapped in the cooling system after the repair. There are several locations in your car’s cooling system where leaks tend to occur. © 1986-2021. I noticed the smell of coolant coming from under the hood a couple years ago, so I got the cooling system pressure tested and had the radiator replaced when it was found to be the problem. Check your owner’s manual to be sure. A new cap is in order anyway (they don’t come with the new radiator!). If the leak is very small it could take a long time to see any leakage (check everywhere). I had a coolant leak, apparently from new because always a slight smell when hot only, with no coolant visible anywhere. These rarely show a leak unless you do an overnite cold pressure test. Mine likes to be at the lower level on the bottle when cold. This should cease after the air is bled out ... if it continues and there are no external leaks, there is an issue [it has to be going somewhere] I am willing to bet you need a new radiator cap. Sometimes a slow leak isn’t enough to make a puddle, but you’ll lose coolant over time. I’m going to second rocketman and Whitey on this. Whenever I park up at work for the day, there is a very small residue of water under the car, so its obviously leaking from somewhere. There is no visible leak. You can have the coolant checked to see if there are exhaust gases in it. Hi guys, my 05 LR3 (78k) displayed check engine light. Just keep your hands away, because that coolant will be very hot! If you look all over the outside of your engine and can’t find anything, it could be a head gasket problem. Coolant Could Be Leaking “Internally” Within The Engine And Being Turned To Steam Where It Will Exit The Exhaust Tailpipe. A suddenly overheated engine is also another key tip-off that you may be facing a coolant leak. Messages 988 Location Cleveland. Coolant dropping. They fixed it and said there is no sign of leak. After I looked for weeks, I pressure tested the system and found a small split on the heater core hose (head to core) and now it’s fine. If the level is dropping over time then we recommend contact us at 888-863-0426 so that we may discuss our products and assist you in getting the best one for stopping the leak. The coolant tanks themselves have a tendency to develop hairline cracks underneath and around the point where the intake pipe fits. Use this sequence: replace radiator cap (when engine is COLD). '96 Honda Civic? Please advise. Low Coolant May Not Always Indicate a Leak in Your Radiator. Very easy to do it yourself, and the cap is pocket change cheap. I put a piece of cardboard under the car for 30 minutes and there was no leak. These locations include: These places are less likely to be leaking, but if you haven’t found the leak, they’re worth checking. Many people with older cars do this. They’ll pressure-test the cooling system and should be able to track down the reason for low coolant levels. Pressure tested but no sign of leak yet coolant still drops after being topped up. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled, Coolant level drops in reservoir with no visible sign of leak. The main reason behind the reduction of coolant level is leakage. My coolant keeps dropping, and every so often it flashes up on the dash to stop and check coolant. For step 2, find an auto parts store which has a tool lending program. If the gasket between the engine block and the head starts to leak, some coolant can end up in the cylinders, or in the engine’s oil system. Wet patch appears under car. I took the car to the mechanic (Honda shop) and they said that the radiator is leaking. A water pump can leak through the shaft seal only when the engine is running, and to varying amounts (leak rates). We tend to suspect the radiator first because that’s where the coolant goes in, right? You wrote that the shop already checked that…but remember they made one mistake, they may have made another, maybe pinched the hose and created a leak. Check those heater hoses, especially the one under the distributor. So he replaced the radiator cap in case that was the problem. Some clues to look for include: Be sure to run your hand along the underside of the radiator and the underside of all the radiator hoses. The problem is I have no leaks. Dropped pan and … Results 1 to 7 of 7 Thread: Coolant levels dropping but no leaks? Did you replace the water pump too? I’d have the cooling system pressurized and tested for holding pressure. I spent about 30 minutes tearing the plastic cladding off the bottom of the car (there's a billion clips and screws holding those on) hoping to find some trace of a leak or blowout. There's a faint hint of pancake syrup but no … Modern cars have an overflow reservoir that holds some extra coolant. Let us give an important warning: Never open a radiator or any part of the cooling system when the engine is hot. I refill maybe 1/10 or 2/10 of a litre twice a week. Some brands require special coolant, and using the wrong product can damage your car. I can only think of two reasons for this: 1) they did it wrong or 2) coolant is leaking into the engine. And previously I took off the engine plastic cover underneath. There are always minimum and maximum marks on the side of the reservoir to indicate the correct coolant level. "Why Is My Coolant Low But No Leaks?Watch more videos for more knowledgeCoolant loss with no visible leak? However, this is a rare problem, so it’s unlikely and should be diagnosed by a professional. I would test it and there would be no leak, but the coolant would somehow escape somewhere. I took the car back to the shop and they said that the hose was not properly installed. And it just took a while for all the air to purge out. Couldn’t find the drips 'cause it dripped onto the exhaust and evaporated. Hey Guys, its been a long time. There are really only three common causes for coolant leaks, although each type of leak has several possibilities, varying in severity. The system is designed so that if any coolant pushes past the radiator cap, it goes into the reservoir. Then when the engine cools, some coolant in the reservoir goes back into the engine. DISCLAIMER: fordownersclub.com is an independent Ford forum for owners of Ford vehicles. Here’s how it works: As the coolant circulates through the engine, some of it goes up into the cylinder head to cool that part of the engine. Coolant level dropping, but no leak? You may never see a small leak when the engine and coolant is hot because it evaporates immediately after it leaks. The car runs 100%, and its paid for My problem is I seem to be losing What causes coolant level to drop - just a leak? I have been driving for a week now and check the coolant routinely. I wonder if you have some problem with the hose leading from the radiator to the overflow reservoir. Both simple jobs. This is not a malfunction. Autozone is one which does. Wetness or pools of coolant anywhere in the engine compartment. I just had this issue a month or so ago, do the pressure test first, look for leaks. I also checked the oil level, and it has not changed and looks normal. No external leaks found. I noticed that the heat was not working while idling. The reservoir is not usually pressurized, but check to see if it’s leaking, or if the tubes that connect the reservoir to the radiator may be leaking. 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