Coolant Leak (again) + Oil low (burning?) = ¿HELP?
03-02-2002, 04:46 PM
#1
Three Wheelin'
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Coolant Leak (again) + Oil low (burning?) = ¿HELP?
I don't know if all my problems have to do with one another honestly, I'm just trying to figure out what Is going on. Sorry if this is long, but I am fairly clueless in relation to a lot of things so I'm just trying to explain it all and understand what I can. Thanks 
I just got a new radiator last week. Why? After a 100mile trip the next morning I found coolant under the car, turns out I had a cracked plastic side piece on it, and the thermoswitch went out as well. Coolant was leaking, now it is fixed.
This week, after another 100 mile trip I find coolant under the car again. This time its coming from further back from the front, the back bolts of the skid plate has the drips, instead of the front. I will take it to my mechanic for that. Anyone have any idea where its leaking from now?
Also! Last time when I found the front leak from the radiator, after filling it up to drive it to my mechanic I get a low-oil warning light upon start up. I fill up some oil and its all good. This time, after filling up the cooling system to drive the car temporarily I get a low-oil warning light again, this time I had to put in a lot more oil, and it went out after I restarted the car.
Is oil pressure higher when there is more oil in the system or is it higher when there is less oil in the system? After putting in all that oil and getting the light to go out the pressure was a little bit above the normal levels: AKA >5 while driving instead if right under 5 and while idling it was 4 instead of 3.. but it slowly came back to that point after driving it, is my car burning oil? Why on earth is it burning oil?
Lastly, maybe this has to do with all of this, before I purchased the car the PPI told me that my oil cooler was causing oil in the coolant so I got a new oil cooler (new oc is considered an upgraded part from original?) and seals.
I looked at the underside of my coolant expansion tank CAP just now this morning after finding the coolant puddle and It was frothy.. but the coolant itself doesnt look frothy, perhaps it was never cleaned from the mixing from before? I just drove the car now, after refilling the oil and coolant like I said and the coolant was way over the max line, unlike before when it was way under the min, but that is just because it is currently under pressure after driving, correct?
-- 10 minutes after driving the car with the topped off coolant/oil ---
ok i checked the cap now, a little white froth but not much, did they even fix my oil cooler? coolant is going down to the max line now, thats normal, i dont see coolant leaking yet but im sure ill find a puddle soon. i dont see any oil anywhere so it must be burning. okay im done. <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" /> help if you can thank you everyone.
I just got a new radiator last week. Why? After a 100mile trip the next morning I found coolant under the car, turns out I had a cracked plastic side piece on it, and the thermoswitch went out as well. Coolant was leaking, now it is fixed.
This week, after another 100 mile trip I find coolant under the car again. This time its coming from further back from the front, the back bolts of the skid plate has the drips, instead of the front. I will take it to my mechanic for that. Anyone have any idea where its leaking from now?
Also! Last time when I found the front leak from the radiator, after filling it up to drive it to my mechanic I get a low-oil warning light upon start up. I fill up some oil and its all good. This time, after filling up the cooling system to drive the car temporarily I get a low-oil warning light again, this time I had to put in a lot more oil, and it went out after I restarted the car.
Is oil pressure higher when there is more oil in the system or is it higher when there is less oil in the system? After putting in all that oil and getting the light to go out the pressure was a little bit above the normal levels: AKA >5 while driving instead if right under 5 and while idling it was 4 instead of 3.. but it slowly came back to that point after driving it, is my car burning oil? Why on earth is it burning oil?
Lastly, maybe this has to do with all of this, before I purchased the car the PPI told me that my oil cooler was causing oil in the coolant so I got a new oil cooler (new oc is considered an upgraded part from original?) and seals.
I looked at the underside of my coolant expansion tank CAP just now this morning after finding the coolant puddle and It was frothy.. but the coolant itself doesnt look frothy, perhaps it was never cleaned from the mixing from before? I just drove the car now, after refilling the oil and coolant like I said and the coolant was way over the max line, unlike before when it was way under the min, but that is just because it is currently under pressure after driving, correct?
-- 10 minutes after driving the car with the topped off coolant/oil ---
ok i checked the cap now, a little white froth but not much, did they even fix my oil cooler? coolant is going down to the max line now, thats normal, i dont see coolant leaking yet but im sure ill find a puddle soon. i dont see any oil anywhere so it must be burning. okay im done. <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" /> help if you can
thank you everyone.
03-02-2002, 06:34 PM
#2
Nordschleife Master
Don't let the car run low on oil!
I had a coolant leak from the same area you're talking about (i think)...it was the coolant hose going from waterpump to the head (small...3-4" long maybe).
What you wanna do is remove the skidplates, drive the car up on ramps when it's leaking...and find the leak. Whenever it IS leaking is when the car needs to be on ramps...
If you can't get the car in the air when its leaking...you could pressurize the cooling system...take a coolant resevoir cap, put a hole in it and stick a shreder valve in it...apply pressure with a compressor. 15-18psi is the max you wanna give it.
To make sure that there's no oil in the coolant...drain the coolant (remove the lower radiator hose on the passanger side...drain bolt is too easy to strip) and add water + soap of some sort...(someone help me out here...I think regular dish soap works fine? maybe simple green?). Repeat that until everything's clean...
You can also send the oil out to be analyzed to make sure there's no coolant (glycol) in the oil. Coolant in oil is way worse than oil in coolant.
Oil analysis here:
<a href="http://members.rennlist.com/oil/oil_analysis_program_description.htm" target="_blank">http://members.rennlist.com/oil/oil_analysis_program_description.htm</a>
which will lead you to here: <a href="http://youroil.net/" target="_blank">http://youroil.net/</a>
I ordered mine, but haven't sent the sample out to be tested yet. I don't see any coolant in the oil visually...but better safe than sorry! It also tells you some other tidbits of info...like the health of your engine.
The hardest part is finding the leak a lot of the time! (or the most tedius)
I had a coolant leak from the same area you're talking about (i think)...it was the coolant hose going from waterpump to the head (small...3-4" long maybe).
What you wanna do is remove the skidplates, drive the car up on ramps when it's leaking...and find the leak. Whenever it IS leaking is when the car needs to be on ramps...
If you can't get the car in the air when its leaking...you could pressurize the cooling system...take a coolant resevoir cap, put a hole in it and stick a shreder valve in it...apply pressure with a compressor. 15-18psi is the max you wanna give it.
To make sure that there's no oil in the coolant...drain the coolant (remove the lower radiator hose on the passanger side...drain bolt is too easy to strip) and add water + soap of some sort...(someone help me out here...I think regular dish soap works fine? maybe simple green?). Repeat that until everything's clean...
You can also send the oil out to be analyzed to make sure there's no coolant (glycol) in the oil. Coolant in oil is way worse than oil in coolant.
Oil analysis here:
<a href="http://members.rennlist.com/oil/oil_analysis_program_description.htm" target="_blank">http://members.rennlist.com/oil/oil_analysis_program_description.htm</a>
which will lead you to here: <a href="http://youroil.net/" target="_blank">http://youroil.net/</a>
I ordered mine, but haven't sent the sample out to be tested yet. I don't see any coolant in the oil visually...but better safe than sorry! It also tells you some other tidbits of info...like the health of your engine.
The hardest part is finding the leak a lot of the time! (or the most tedius)
03-03-2002, 03:14 AM
#3
Three Wheelin'
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thanks adrial i guess you were the only one that wasnt't bored to sleep with my post. i was just looking for encouragement anyway.. or better yet.. some real down and dirty secrets about the oil cooler and where it is, and how its actually the culprit to all of this, and how I can go back to the dealer and get them to fix all this since the car is still under warranty! or not.. =/
i guess you were the only one that wasnt't bored to sleep with my post. i was just looking for encouragement anyway.. or better yet.. some real down and dirty secrets about the oil cooler and where it is, and how its actually the culprit to all of this, and how I can go back to the dealer and get them to fix all this since the car is still under warranty! or not.. =/
03-03-2002, 06:56 AM
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Burning Brakes
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Looks like they left this topic entirely to the 18 yr olds!! (Where are ya Luke? Tabor??)
How hard do you drive the car? After 4-5 of days of really beating the crap out of the lil' beast I always have to top up the oil (usually half the smaller container of mobil 1). Similarily, when I take it easy, much less oil is consumed. Maybe thats the prob. Also, If you were burning oil, you'd see and feel it in the exhaust. The inner rim of the exhaust would also be greasy or slightly clammy to the touch. Normally a healthy engine has completely dry soot in the exhaust pipe. Also, burning oil produces black gases.
How hard do you drive the car? After 4-5 of days of really beating the crap out of the lil' beast I always have to top up the oil (usually half the smaller container of mobil 1). Similarily, when I take it easy, much less oil is consumed. Maybe thats the prob. Also, If you were burning oil, you'd see and feel it in the exhaust. The inner rim of the exhaust would also be greasy or slightly clammy to the touch. Normally a healthy engine has completely dry soot in the exhaust pipe. Also, burning oil produces black gases.
03-05-2002, 12:15 PM
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Here's a good place to look for rear engine coolant leak: just behind the cam housing is a small diameter hose with a 90-degree bend. I believe it supplies coolant to the heater system thermorswitch. At any rate, mine developed small cracks on the inside of the 90 bend. Really tough to find, but I finally found that little drip, replaced the hose (about 1.99 cost) and no more little coolant puddles.
How old are ALL the hoses that carry coolant? Like many people, I only checked the major hoses in the cooling system when I replaced hoses...... DOH! <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" />
How old are ALL the hoses that carry coolant? Like many people, I only checked the major hoses in the cooling system when I replaced hoses...... DOH! <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" />
