Coolant Leak!
Coolant Leak! I'm at work so I didn't have time to do a search. I noticed my radiator was low last Friday so I filled it up. Checked it 2 days ago and it was low again. Do our cars use coolant that fast? I figure there's a leak but I don't see any puddles under the car. I did notice a coolant smell last night when I popped the hood but still no puddles. Where is it leaking? 
Is it internal?
Getting ready to go on a long trip. This is the last thing I need!
Is it internal?Getting ready to go on a long trip. This is the last thing I need!
If there are no leaks, the only other place it could be leaking is into the cylinders. Any white smoke coming out of the exhaust or the smell of coolant in the exhaust? Make absolutely sure it's not leaking somewhere externally first before digging into the engine though. There are blacklight sensitive dyes you can add which help in identifying where it is leaking if it's really subtle. Hopefully it's something minor.
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 34,629
Likes: 2,548
From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
I was dealing with a similar coolant loss with my Bonneville earlier this year. Turned out it was the water pump leaking.
Odd thing was, that just like yours I could smell the coolant under the hood (and even around the front of the car after just driving), and the level would be low every few days, but I could not find the puddle. Eventually, the leak progressed to a point where it would leave a puddle, allowing me to pinpoint the location. It was leaking for probably 5+ months before it started leaving a puddle. My only guess is that at first it was leaking only while driving, perhaps when rpms were higher than idle or the motor was under greater load.
Moral of the story: Don't become too alarmed just because it doesn't leave a puddle.....yet. Just make sure that the oil isn't flooded with coolant (or coolant with oil), and if that's ok then do some very close inspections of the coolant system components for evidence of dried dexcool residue (looks crusty, kinda like sand).
Odd thing was, that just like yours I could smell the coolant under the hood (and even around the front of the car after just driving), and the level would be low every few days, but I could not find the puddle. Eventually, the leak progressed to a point where it would leave a puddle, allowing me to pinpoint the location. It was leaking for probably 5+ months before it started leaving a puddle. My only guess is that at first it was leaking only while driving, perhaps when rpms were higher than idle or the motor was under greater load.
Moral of the story: Don't become too alarmed just because it doesn't leave a puddle.....yet. Just make sure that the oil isn't flooded with coolant (or coolant with oil), and if that's ok then do some very close inspections of the coolant system components for evidence of dried dexcool residue (looks crusty, kinda like sand).
Launching!
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 272
Likes: 0
From: Southern California
I totally agree that it could be your water pump. The reason you're not seeing a drip is probably because the it only leaks when it's under pressure (when the car is running). Turn the car on and let it run for a few minutes. Look for the leak once it's warmed up. I had the same problem... low coolant level but no dripping. Didn't notice the actuall leak until I was under the car while it was running. At that point it was pouring out pretty steadily. Not saying that's your problem, but it's a good place to check.
