Loss of coolant somehow????? HELP!!!! - Page 2

dirtbikrider505 · #16 06-21-2011, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgtsandman

Could be that you have a pin hole leak some where. Look for stains on the ends of hoses (if there is an internal failure you will get weeping through the cords), around the thermostat housing and around the radiator tanks. If the leak is small enough, there will be no dripping, just staining.

Generally speaking, if there is a head gasket leak, it will show in the oil (it will be milky) or you will get catastrophic engine failure. The truck I bought had that. The head gasket let go suddenly, hit the hot #1 piston and cracked it. I'm now running with a junk yard engine with roughly 100,000 miles less on the clock compared to what the odometer says. Since you said the oil looks good, I don't think that is the case.

Another indicator of a head problem (cracked) is liquid coming out of the tail pipe well after condensation should have burned off. Probably not the case for you either since there would be a lot of coolant loss which doesn't seem the case for you.

I had the same issue, my fluid would just vanish, replaced my thermostat and gasket, then i noticed the hose from my radiator cap to my overflow was wore out at the end. i replaced the hose and that seemed to do the trick. you can always go and get a pressure tester from oreillys or whatever and test it out yourself.

Scar911 · #17 06-24-2011, 03:05 PM

Im also smelling coolant burning and my coolant overflow was dry so i looked under the truck and saw coolant next to the oil filter and following along under the header but my oil is not milky is this a bad head gasket?

stacaz · #18 06-26-2011, 12:02 AM

The plastic tank around the sides of the aluminum radiator is crimped on. After 10 years, mine started to leak around there. I noticed some drips on the ground after I'd been driving and parked in the driveway. It would stop dripping after a few minutes. I put some stop leak (powdery stuff from the auto parts store $2) into it and that worked for several weeks. Then it started to leak again.

I finally replaced the radiator and hoses this evening, which wasn't too hard. The small bypass hose was hardest to re-connect, but the whole job only took a few hours. The radiator was $!80 at the store.

It was leaking where it was crimped onto the plastic sides.

It's really easy to take out. Just unscrew the top two bolts from the fan shroud and place it over the fan so you can lift out the radiator after removing it's two bolts, the two hoses, and the two oil cooler fittings. Make sure the new oil fitting are pretty tight, though. Mine leaked slightly, and had to re-tighten somewhat.

Good to go now, no leaks!

stacaz · #19 06-26-2011, 12:31 AM

When the coolant escapes to the outside world, it evaporates VERY quickly. So you may not see it if you wait too long or only look on the ground underneath your truck.

Get a flashlight, after you've been driving, and shine it around inside around all the coolant hoses, and especially the radiator sides, from both above and beneath. Look for green fluid (or brown if you use that). Look all around very closely. That's how you will find your leak.

Internal leaks are different, of course. And *much* more expensive to fix...

Cheers!

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Forgot to mention, when you are looking underneath the hood, especially from underneath, it's very important that you locate the SOURCE of the leak, not where it drips to. If you see it on the oil filter, then it's coming from above that point.

Remember, it evaporates VERY quickly. So maybe even leave the engine running while you look. Use a flashlight, seriously!

wangbungal · #20 06-28-2011, 10:13 PM

check your passenger carpet, your heater core could have made a leaked already

stacaz · #21 06-30-2011, 08:09 PM

Yeah, heater core hoses need built-in shut off valves from the factory...an old Toyota truck of mine had that problem, until I simply bypassed the heater core with one of the hoses under the hood. Sold it as is.

stacaz · #22 07-07-2011, 11:57 PM

These totally help with the hose clamps underneath the engine!

http://www.ricksfreeautorepairadvice...e-clamp-pliers

Dajonzboy · #23 07-23-2011, 02:40 PM

Same problem. Gauge never reads HOT but coolant tank was dust bowl dry yesterday.
Refilled it and watched as it gurgled down to empty again. Noticed a steady drip on the right hand side, turned out to be TWO cracks in the radiator. It's getting replaced. Meanwhile, I drive slowly and refill the tank frequently.