low coolant dillema
low coolant dillema Ive got a procharged 00 ws6 that Im having a problem keeping the radiator full. Its not leaking it, and it doesent appear to be burning it, but it keeps overfilling the overflow bottle. It keeps sucking out about the top 3 inches or so out of the top of the radiator. I replaced the radiator cap and I have drained the overflow bottle 2 times already, it just doesent want to allow me to keep the radiator toped off. the car is not having any problems overheating and it appears to be cycling fluid fine. any ideas would be apreciated.
i had a camaro that did that, the return line that goes from the radiator cap to the overflow bottle had a hole in it where it went into the overflow (under the battery) so it couldn't suck the fluid back into the radiator cause it wasn't sealed. So you might try pulling your battery and instpecting that line all the way from the radiator to the overflow. If it's not that, its prolly a head gasket.
If you fill the radiator to the top when its cool and you get the car up to temp the water will go into the coolent reservoir when it gets hot and it expands. When the car cools off the level in the radiator will drop and the vacuum will pull the coolent from the reservoir into the radiator - thats how iits supposed to work anyway. If you fill up the radiator when its hot and the overflow bottle is empty the level will go down in the radiator about 3-4" when it cools off.
If its not pulling the coolent from the bottle when it cools off you most likely have a small leak somewhere. Its a closed system and they do it that way to keep air out of the system.
If its not pulling the coolent from the bottle when it cools off you most likely have a small leak somewhere. Its a closed system and they do it that way to keep air out of the system.
i havent seen any signs of a coolant leak anywhere, and the system doesent appear to be loosing any coolant, its just transfering to the overflow. oil still looks fine also. I will check my overflow hose today
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Originally Posted by lmt0705
i havent seen any signs of a coolant leak anywhere, and the system doesent appear to be loosing any coolant, its just transfering to the overflow. oil still looks fine also. I will check my overflow hose today
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well boys it might be time to rip into this beast, the overflow bottle and hose look fine, and seem to hold pressure. can someone tell me how to properly diagnose the head gasket problem so i know for sure? also would I see anything in the oil like you can running mineral based oil and ethylene glycol(chocolate milk). Im currently running dascool and royal purpil oil. what would that mix look like? if it is head gaskets being that its a blower car now what can I do to prevent this from happening again ie. better head gaskets and bolts? also the motor has recently developed a cold knock, could that mean that my oil is thinning out with antifreeze? THIS SUCKS ***!!! 
Yes, you can change them with the motor in the car.
Is anything else happening besides the coolant level? If its not loosing coolant (meaning you don't have to add any), not overheating, not smoking, and no oil/coolant contamination, it might be fine, like KP described.
Is anything else happening besides the coolant level? If its not loosing coolant (meaning you don't have to add any), not overheating, not smoking, and no oil/coolant contamination, it might be fine, like KP described.
the temp is rock steady, Im not totaly sure if im loosing coolant, it seems like its just pushing it into the overflow, i dont see any smoking out of the exhaust and i have no convertors so that should be an easy one to see, but I do ocasionally get a wiff of antfreeze when driving the car like its leaking on something hot, but i dont see anything. as far as i can tell the oil looks okay, but im not sure if synthetic oil and dexcool will react the same as mineral based oil and ethylene glycol
As always check over all of your hoses if you have done work on the car, one misisng or backed off clamp will cause your car to leak fluid.
But in some cases you might be pushing the coolant into the overflow cause you have one headgasket that has a small channel from a water passage to a combustion chamber.
I usually top of the coolant for a few days, and measure how much is being used. When I had an n/a problem, an old motor of mine would use a pint of coolant in a day. I knew it had a bad head gasket.
But in some cases you might be pushing the coolant into the overflow cause you have one headgasket that has a small channel from a water passage to a combustion chamber.
I usually top of the coolant for a few days, and measure how much is being used. When I had an n/a problem, an old motor of mine would use a pint of coolant in a day. I knew it had a bad head gasket.
If its not loosing coolent or running hot I'm not so sure its a head gasket. Just use the dipstick in the overflow bottle to check the coolent for a few, not the radiator. When its cols it should be on the cold mak. hot on the hot mark. The dexcool coolent in these really smells, if you have a tiny tiny leak somewhere you can smell it.
I'm not saying its not a head gasket, but make sure you filling the thing right first.
I'm not saying its not a head gasket, but make sure you filling the thing right first.
im pretty sure the coolant is just transfering to the overflow bottle, im going to call my local napa and see if they have that test kit for the coolant, how accurate are those kits?