Mysterious coolant loss
03-31-2003, 03:50 PM
#1
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Mysterious coolant loss
The antifreeze in our '84 disappears at the rate of about 1 quart every 3-4 weeks. There are never any spots on the driveway nor does the exhaust indicate a leak. However, the engine is running strong but very rich again and the mpg is way down ( under 20 ) Once the engine has cooled down I get a large pressure bleed off by either opening the reservoir cap or the bleed screw on the flange bolted to the head.
03-31-2003, 04:03 PM
#2
Burning Brakes
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I had the same problem, and it turned out to be a crack in the hose running from the head to the heater valve. It would only leak when I was driving at higher RPMs, so I couldn't find it just idling and snooping around. I could smell it after a drive, though. Is there any sweet antifreeze smell anywhere in the engine area?
04-01-2003, 04:37 PM
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The other possibility is that you are overfilling the recovery tank. I ran through the exact same problems with my 83. I could never figure out where the antifreeze was going. One day I filled it up about 3 inches below the fill line. I've never lost any antifreeze since.
