Car question about coolant....

[blurredvision]

Hey guys. Been having a problem with keeping coolant in my car for the past 3 months now. Problem started around a year ago, when for the first time in owning my car (little over 3 years), my coolant light came on. No biggie, I filled it up, light away, everything is good. About 6 months later, it comes back on. I start to get worried, as it shouldn't be this soon. I fill it back up to proper levels, light goes away.

Eventually, the light comes back on, and starts to get where after I fill the reservoir, the Low Coolant light will continue to be lit, then go off after a couple days. The past time it lasted little less than a month, and just today it's come back on. This is about the 5th or 6th time filling it up in the past 4 months. I am going to take it in to get looked at as soon as I get paid again, but I'd like to know what to expect.

Any ideas on where my coolant is going? I've NEVER witnessed any kind of leakage in this whole process, as I've looked for it, but this doesn't mean it's not leaking. Anytime I go to fill it up, the reservoir is mainly empty, spare about a quarter-inch of coolant laying in the bottom.

Thanks for any tips you guys can give before I take her in.

 

[FrustratedUser]

1. Put something under your car in the parking lot to see any obvious leaks.

2. Open the coolant cap when the car is running. Does the coolant look oily? Do you see bubbles? If yes, then it could be a bad head gasket or leaky intake depending on which car.

3. Check the oil and/or the oil filling cap. See any brown/milky/mayo like stuff? If yes you get water in your oil and that come from the coolant or the crank case ventilation has crapped out so you get condensation in the oil. If it comes from the coolant you might have a bad head gasket or intake just like in #2.

4. How do the exhaust fumes look like? If they are white you got water in there and it could once again a sign of a bad gasket. note that most cars have white smoke coming out the fist few minutes because of condensation in the exhaust.

Hope it helps but I like to say I am no car mechanic. Just a few pointers and I hope someone corrects me if I'm wrong.

 

[melly]

possible crack in the hose. same thing happened to my mom's car.

 

[olds]

Year of car and when are you filling it. When to motor is hot or cold?

 

[alkemyst]

Could be the coolant cap....I had a similar problem....no noticable leaks, but about every couple weeks my coolant light would come on....one time I saw a whiteish film around the top of the reservior.....$3 for a cap and no more problems. Also if you let it go long enough you will soon have all water and no coolant....coolant is important to prevent corrosion inside the system.

Å

 

[wetobasura]

Can't really say it much better than frustrateduser did. If your cars running temperature is high this can be an indication of a bad gasket as well

-weto

 

[FrustratedUser]

Hopefully your leak can be categorized under #1 in my previous post. Things like a bad hose or leaky cooler cap.

 

[Frodolives]

For one thing check your oil and make sure it isn't getting muddy from coolant getting through a leaky head gasket or something. More often such a leak would result for a water pump though, often they don't leak significantly until hot until they're really shot. I'd check the water pump for sure.

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Year of car and when are you filling it. When to motor is hot or cold?

1995 Pontiac Grand Prix......on the reservoir itself, it has two different lines for hot and cold. I fill to whichever line is pertitent at the time.

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: wetobasura
If your cars running temperature is high this can be an indication of a bad gasket as well

Here's something I've noticed just 2 times before, one of them being this morning. I'll warm up the car for about 10 minutes, then I head out. I usually get stopped at a stop light on my way to work within the first 3 minutes of driving. The temp gauge will slowly rise until I get to moving again. The first time it happened, luckily the light changes fairly quickly before it got to 3/4 of the way up. This morning, I didn't notice it till the Temp light came on, and the gauge was all the way up! I about freaked. The light changed right at that time, and I got moving, and the gauge went back down to normal levels. Didn't experience this at any other lights for the rest of the morning.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[olds]

How to really fill the radiator.
Get the car up to operating temperature and leave running.
Turn the heat on high.
Using a thick rag, very carefully and slowly take off the radiator cap, be careful, it is under pressure.
Add coolant.
If you are not seeing evidence of a leak, the motor is burning it off or it's a pin hole leak.
That is assuming that it had enough coolant to begin with.

 

[FrustratedUser]

Originally posted by: blurredvision

Originally posted by: wetobasura
If your cars running temperature is high this can be an indication of a bad gasket as well

Here's something I've noticed just 2 times before, one of them being this morning. I'll warm up the car for about 10 minutes, then I head out. I usually get stopped at a stop light on my way to work within the first 3 minutes of driving. The temp gauge will slowly rise until I get to moving again. The first time it happened, luckily the light changes fairly quickly before it got to 3/4 of the way up. This morning, I didn't notice it till the Temp light came on, and the gauge was all the way up! I about freaked. The light changed right at that time, and I got moving, and the gauge went back down to normal levels. Didn't experience this at any other lights for the rest of the morning.

Thanks for the help guys!

Do you have the 3800 GM V6? Any check-engine light on? Maybe your fan is not working causing the car to over heat when standing still.
If the check engine lights come on (and you have the 3800 V6) it is very likely you have a small leak in the intake manifold.

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
Do you have the 3800 GM V6? Any check-engine light on? Maybe your fan is not working causing the car to over heat when standing still.
If the check engine lights come on (and you have the 3800 V6) it is very likely you have a small leak in the intake manifold.

No other lights to speak of. Just Low Coolant. Where exactly is the sensor for the coolant? Is it in the radiator itself?

 

[FrustratedUser]

Originally posted by: blurredvision

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
Do you have the 3800 GM V6? Any check-engine light on? Maybe your fan is not working causing the car to over heat when standing still.
If the check engine lights come on (and you have the 3800 V6) it is very likely you have a small leak in the intake manifold.

No other lights to speak of. Just Low Coolant. Where exactly is the sensor for the coolant? Is it in the radiator itself?

Usually on the side or close to the filler tube a bit up towards the top.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
How to really fill the radiator.
Get the car up to operating temperature and leave running.
Turn the heat on high.
Using a thick rag, very carefully and slowly take off the radiator cap, be careful, it is under pressure.
Add coolant.
If you are not seeing evidence of a leak, the motor is burning it off or it's a pin hole leak.
That is assuming that it had enough coolant to begin with.

This is a little dangerous and not the way anyone should fill a radiator.

Also regardless of the heat being on or off coolant flows through it the same way. High and low only controls an air plenium. I am sure there is a rare car or two out there where possibly coolant flow is affected, but I have yet to see or hear of any like this.

This method still will not indicate many cooling system problems, but it's going to suck when someone gets to take an ER field trip with 3rd degree burns.

Å

 

[Pepsi90919]

what do you mean it shouldn't come on 'this soon' ?? it should come on NEVER EVER EVER EVER

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
How to really fill the radiator.
Get the car up to operating temperature and leave running.
Turn the heat on high.
Using a thick rag, very carefully and slowly take off the radiator cap, be careful, it is under pressure.
Add coolant.
If you are not seeing evidence of a leak, the motor is burning it off or it's a pin hole leak.
That is assuming that it had enough coolant to begin with.

This is a little dangerous and not the way anyone should fill a radiator.

Also regardless of the heat being on or off coolant flows through it the same way. High and low only controls an air plenium. I am sure there is a rare car or two out there where possibly coolant flow is affected, but I have yet to see or hear of any like this.

This method still will not indicate many cooling system problems, but it's going to suck when someone gets to take an ER field trip with 3rd degree burns.

Å

So now you're an automotive expert too?

 

[FrustratedUser]

Always fill the coolant through the expansion chamber unless the whole system is drained.

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
Always fill the coolant through the expansion chamber unless the whole system is drained.

Ya, I guess it's safer that way if you don't know how a coolant system works.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
So now you're an automotive expert too?

I have always given auto advice here. I have built several cars including a show winning 1966 Mustang GT where every bolt was removed, refinished and any worn parts replaced with NOS, restored original or reproduction where it would be more practical or was the only option available....This weekend I will be redoing the intake manifold, throttle body, and valve covers on a Bronco 408W build up my father and I just completed. It's a mint job, not junkyard parts....all top of the line.

regardless was I wrong? there was another time another auto expert told me there was absolutely no factory shop manuals that stated anti-sieze was to be used on plugs in an aluminum head here...I had the page scanned and posted within 10 mins.

Å

 

[FrustratedUser]

Update?