Ls1 losing coolant?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: May 2022
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Ls1 losing coolant? Hi all,
I have a 2005 WL Caprice LS1. Upon purchase, it had an overheating issue due to an empty radiator because it was split. Previous owner had filled it with tap water and it corroded everything. So I have changed radiator, water pump, thermostat, hoses and radiator cap. Doesn’t overheat and heater works great. Although, every time I top up the coolant (just above the filler neck line) overnight, it drops about an inch below the filler neck. No visible leaks, no bubbles in coolant and the system has been bled. The reserve tank still has plain old water in it and when I bought the car, the radiator was bone dry and the reserve tank was still full?? The coolant hasn’t mixed with the reserve tank as of yet. Am I filling up the radiator too much? And why isn’t the reserve tank functioning as it should?
Any help is greatly appreciated
I have a 2005 WL Caprice LS1. Upon purchase, it had an overheating issue due to an empty radiator because it was split. Previous owner had filled it with tap water and it corroded everything. So I have changed radiator, water pump, thermostat, hoses and radiator cap. Doesn’t overheat and heater works great. Although, every time I top up the coolant (just above the filler neck line) overnight, it drops about an inch below the filler neck. No visible leaks, no bubbles in coolant and the system has been bled. The reserve tank still has plain old water in it and when I bought the car, the radiator was bone dry and the reserve tank was still full?? The coolant hasn’t mixed with the reserve tank as of yet. Am I filling up the radiator too much? And why isn’t the reserve tank functioning as it should?
Any help is greatly appreciated
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,467
Likes: 265
From: Bossier City, Louisiana
Any fluid in the radiator needs some room for expansion as the fluid heats up. You really should empty the plain water and put in the Dexcool orange coolant for freezing protection and antirust protection. Modern coolant also has a water pump lubricant in it. You mention coolant above but also plain water so its unclear to me exactly what is circulating inside this engine. Maybe the overflow reservoir hose is clogged or the cap has failed.
A good test for a coolant leak that you can't see is to add a UV dye to the radiator fluid. If the motor leaks externally or through a blown head gasket, you use the UV light in the dye kit to see the stains on the motor or at the tail pipe. eBay has the kits for less than twenty bucks USD.
Rick.
A good test for a coolant leak that you can't see is to add a UV dye to the radiator fluid. If the motor leaks externally or through a blown head gasket, you use the UV light in the dye kit to see the stains on the motor or at the tail pipe. eBay has the kits for less than twenty bucks USD.
Rick.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: May 2022
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Any fluid in the radiator needs some room for expansion as the fluid heats up. You really should empty the plain water and put in the Dexcool orange coolant for freezing protection and antirust protection. Modern coolant also has a water pump lubricant in it. You mention coolant above but also plain water so its unclear to me exactly what is circulating inside this engine. Maybe the overflow reservoir hose is clogged or the cap has failed.
A good test for a coolant leak that you can't see is to add a UV dye to the radiator fluid. If the motor leaks externally or through a blown head gasket, you use the UV light in the dye kit to see the stains on the motor or at the tail pipe. eBay has the kits for less than twenty bucks USD.
Rick.
A good test for a coolant leak that you can't see is to add a UV dye to the radiator fluid. If the motor leaks externally or through a blown head gasket, you use the UV light in the dye kit to see the stains on the motor or at the tail pipe. eBay has the kits for less than twenty bucks USD.
Rick.
This has moreso a reserve tank that is beside the radiator, it doesn’t have a traditional header tank. Coolant is running through the engine, the reserve tank is just there to work as a refill as this is a recovery style radiator. I’m starting to think the system hadn’t been bled properly considering the radiator, hoses and overflow are below the heads
Could also be old factory spring clamps losing tension. Happened to me! I was ready to pull my heads and look for a gasket failure. As I started working I saw a drip from a heater hose, where it connected at the pump. It immediately evaporated, and it only leaked after the engine was shut down for a few minutes, due to the heat sink phenomenon.....
