Every once in a while, I seem to end up with an empty (or nearly empty) radiator. The temp guage shows all is well, but (esp in the winter) there isn't any heat coming from the heater. When I check, I'm down about 2 liters of coolant.

I don't have any steam coming out of the exhaust, and no mayo visible on the oil cap or in the valve cover. I can't find any leaks.

I haven't tested the rad cap yet, but the sucker does hold pressure - I can feel that the top rad hose is hard after a drive (up 1000 feet over 8 miles just to get home).

So, it doesn't look like a head gasket, but I can't figure out what else.

Thoughts?

 

It will be head job AND gaskets if its not fixed now. Have u tested rad fix fluid?

 

when you figure it out let me know, I lose a quart every now and then. I just refill and drive happy.

 

Pull the plugs to see if any of them look odd.

 

Think Jeff has exactly the right idea there.................

Either the plugs show water getting into the combustion chamber in which case the solution is obvious, or you have water in the oil or on the floor - both of which is easy enough to track when you have the motor in front of you ................. something nobody here can do properly

 

Outside leak is also possible without pool on the floor: nice tiny leaks intermittently on certain conditions to some hot area where all evaporates. Only green dry trace stains that point. For that, takin pics with flash all around heads/gaskets is nice way for detection. Rad fluid may plug such a small leak, and extend the time to envitable gasket job...

 

my maxima had a slow, small leak from the water pump. It would drip a almost not noticebale drip on the passenger side suspension. Mine leaked so slowly that my radiator got low ,and i had no heat in the winter, like you did. Worth looking at.

 

My folks had the same issue with their Toyota. Turned out, there were a few very small leaks on the front side of the radiator, so coolant kept evaporating while driving. No puddles on the floor, no trace.

As for my Max, I have a leak somewhere under the car, so like Brian, I too top off the reservoir bottle every 10 days or so. Sets me back $6 every four months. Economical as hell!

 

It might be the water pump. When it leaks it runs down behind the crankshaft pully.
Mine was leaking slowly for about a year up until last week,then it let loose.Im in the process of replacing it right now.

I need to clean the grease and oil off the key board before my wife kills me.

 

heatercore?

 

= fried ECU. Processor lame after smoke escapes... quick bag the smoke, inject it back, all ok. Only coolAnt lost...

 

One or two coolAnts may crawl via internal gasket leak between the intake air -and- water channels:

[4.] Green arrow water, blue air passage.

 

Not sure but i think autozone sells some sort of Glow in the dark Dye that you can mix with your radiator water and can see were it is leaking from. NOT too sure though

 

Hey guys, thanks for all the ideas. Never thought about the water pump - but I do get a funny sound when I rev the engine at about 2K in neutral. Wonder if the bearings in the pump are letting go little by little.

I'll check the plugs and look for leaks this weekend too.

Wiking - you wrote "Have u tested rad fix fluid" - do you mean have I put in something to plug up leaks in the rad? No - I tend to not run that stuff - it killed a rad in my Triumph a long time ago, and I've never used the stuff again.

Thanks again ... I'll let you know what I see.

Michael

 

Does it glow from exhaust pipe if leak is internal?

"it killed a rad in my Triumph a long time ago, and I've never used the stuff again."
- I've used in many cars without problem. Rad is cheap compared to getting internal leak to stop; cannot see how it woul kill radiator. Rads have limited time anyways, stuff or no. I will use it any time I have suspicious leak I cannot define: engine heads will warp due to airpockets while driving with leaking engine: that is costly. But no use if pump is going...

 

people don't like to use stop-leak products because they can clog up the heater core and the radiator.

 

True, dont like that, but if needed, will use. Its like medicine: All are poisons with possibly some benefiting features...

a.
- stop-leak can clog up the heater core and the radiator.
- non flush can clog up the heater core and the radiator.
- age can rot up the heater core and the radiator.
- salt showers behind hondas can rot up the heater core and the radiator.
- ???

b.
- doing nothing, leaks will deFinitely destroy the engine.

Whattododoo? Better to wait...