Last Lemming

I've been trying to figure out where I'm getting coolant loss and I'm not sure what to do next. Every time I drive the car, which amounts to about 15 mile journey. During this trip the car gets fully warmed up. I,ve been marking the top of the coolant reservoir after each trip and it seems to be dropping about an 1/8" each time. I can't seem to nail down where the loss is coming from, except for one clue as you will see below. Here are the things I've tested and the results:

1. Compression test. All results were even acros the cylinders

2. Pressure tested the system to 14 psi for 1 hour, it dropped 1/2 psi the first 5 minutes then held steady for one hour with no drips.

3. When the car is cold I start it and see no bubbles coming in the reservoir tank with the cap off.

4. All spark plugs plugs look normal

5. No white smoke under acceleration while fully warmed up and not at idle

6. I check the fluid after I park the car and it's never past the max fill line.

7. The car runs cool and has never over heated, though, once, after I had drained the coolant system and refilled it I did not bleed it correctly which led to the air in the system expanding causing the upper and lower radiator hoses to expand, hit the fans and burst. This happened right after I parked the car and cut the engine off.

8. Ther is no milk shake I. The oil or oil in the coolant.

9. Car run idles and runs great

10. Only one time I saw about a tablespoon of coolant by the frot drivers wheel and on the front sway bar just above the puddle.

11. I've tried a new radiator cap with no difference with results

So I'm basically I'm not sure what to check next. I heard there are test you can buy at the auto store to see if there are exhaust gases in the coolant.

jderimig

Does it keep dropping 1/8" if you don't top of the reservoir?

How long has it been doing this?

Last Lemming

It’s Ben doing it ever since the coolant lines burst and we’re replaced. And yes it keeps dropping every time.

jderimig

How long ago was that? How long ago was the coolant system bled? After bleeding mine it sometimes takes several sessions for the last few air pockets to get out and the coolant level drops while that process is happening.

Last Lemming

I don’t drive it that much so I think it’s been driven 7 -10 drives, I’m not sure how long specifically.

jderimig

I'd try another coolant system bleed, can't hurt. If you get air when your first crack the bleed screw, that will be a clue.

jvandyke

What coolant mix are you running? We were running straight water for a while and had weird coolant issues, ignoring the obvious until an ex Porsche mechanic took one look at it and said you're boiling your "coolant", should be at least a 60/40 mix. Issue solved. Straight water's boiling point, even under pressure isn't high enough apparently.
I've run cars all summer on straight water and never had issues, now I know.

Last Lemming

I'm running a premixed 50/50. But if I was boiling wouldn't I be running hot? I tried to bleed again tonite but as soon I I cracked the bleeder screw I got fluid, no air.

rufrob

Look at the heater hose at the back of the motor. The L shaped one with the heater valve. Mine was leaking into the bell housing, thus didn’t show on the ground.

jvandyke

Not necessarily showing hot on gauge, eventually of course but in our case we had coolant loss and level fluxuation, multi bleeding and head scratching, even bought a HG set and rechecked compression and leak down right before digging in, engine passed all tests so aborted HG R&R and then checked with someone smarter than me (not hard to find). The water was bubbly and steaming but I thought it was exhaust gasses getting pushed into the water jacket, nope, it was just boiling surprisingly easily. Since the move to an intelligent mix, all issues gone....I think.

Last Lemming

l did look at this, but no trace of coolant.