While replacing all my rubber fuel lines recently I found coolant in the valley. After sucking it all out with a shop vac I put everything together, fired up the motor and got a coolant idiot light on the dash. Topped up the overflow tank and left it for a bit. When I came back to it today I found a puddle of coolant under the car.

Since I hadn't really run the engine except for test starts, my first suspicion is a cracked overflow tank, but after searching on "coolant in the V" I got a lot of hits on "water bridge".

I'm trying to figure out what to take apart first so this is sort of a poll; tank or bridge? (not sure if I can make the poll thing work, never tried it before)

PS: Couldn't get it right. Question should be "Coolant tank or Water Bridge"

Thanks,

 

Triple check all 3 hoses that go to the water bridge.

Also, the bolts that hold the rear FPR and damper go through the water jackets, and if you disturb them w/o changing the gasket they could be leaking to the V.

 

What Sean said

 

Thank you both. I had no idea the FPR and damper bolts went through the water jacket. I didn't touch the damper, but I did R&R the FPR.

 

To extend this question, what sealant should be used on bolts that run into the water jacket? I ask because I have a small and very slow leak from a timing belt tensioner bolt I know runs into the water jacket and I'll need to seal it also.

 

WYAIT, double-check the heater control valve, the connecting hose to the fitting on the head, and that fitting itself. On the other head, there's a block-off plate that deserves a look. The HCV and the short connecting hose are a fairly common failure area. The fittings not as popular buts still happen often enough to rise out of the statistical noise level.

You can free-rent a pressure tester from your favorite POLAPS. Pump the system cold to 14.5 PSIG, the cap rating, and start looking for seepage, dribbles, leaks. With coolant level above the seam in the reservoir, you can "feel" for leaks around the tank while everything is cold and pressurized. Check the reservoir cap too while you have the tester.

 

PTFE pipe sealant will work fine for the bolts