YACT- Coolant Leak

[dxkj]

Looks like my resevoir is leaking, or the tube that is attached. I dont have any tools now so I can't check it out. But its been almost empty for a while I guess. JIffy Lube topped it off a month ago or so and it was empty again.



I only drive 3 miles each way so things never heat up, is there a chance any major damage was done by having the resevoir?


GRRR

1991 Chevy Cavalier. 73k miles

 

[Sundog]

How do you know it is the reservoir or the tube that is leaking? Have you ever seen it leak from there?

How low is the coolant when you take off the radiator cap (is it full up to where the reservoir tube connects or lower)?

 

[notfred]

If the car never overheated no major damage has been done.

 

[MacBaine]

<Geordie>COOLANT leak! We got a COOLANT leak!</Geordie>

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: MacBaine
<Geordie>COOLANT leak! We got a COOLANT leak!</Geordie>

We need to set up a gravometric resonance that will isolate the source of the leak, after which we can run a Level 3 Diagnostic to bring parameters back to normal..

 

[feralkid]

Originally posted by: Astaroth33

Originally posted by: MacBaine
<Geordie>COOLANT leak! We got a COOLANT leak!</Geordie>

We need to set up a gravometric resonance that will isolate the source of the leak, after which we can run a Level 3 Diagnostic to bring parameters back to normal..

Maybe some hologram simulations would be in order first, just to be sure.

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: Sundog
How do you know it is the reservoir or the tube that is leaking? Have you ever seen it leak from there?

How low is the coolant when you take off the radiator cap (is it full up to where the reservoir tube connects or lower)?

Its coming from under the resevoir, where the hose meets it, but I cant tell for sure exactly where its leaking till I take the resevoir out.


I can see it when I take off the cap, but its somewhat low. (but I just refilled it so, at least that part should stay full). Im thinking that I dont really need any in the resevoir as long as my car doesnt get hot enough to evaporate any of the coolant.

 

[Quixfire]

Originally posted by: dxkj

Originally posted by: Sundog
How do you know it is the reservoir or the tube that is leaking? Have you ever seen it leak from there?

How low is the coolant when you take off the radiator cap (is it full up to where the reservoir tube connects or lower)?

Its coming from under the resevoir, where the hose meets it, but I cant tell for sure exactly where its leaking till I take the resevoir out.


I can see it when I take off the cap, but its somewhat low. (but I just refilled it so, at least that part should stay full). Im thinking that I dont really need any in the resevoir as long as my car doesnt get hot enough to evaporate any of the coolant.

Yes you do need a reservoir; it is there to help keep your vehicle from running low on coolant. When the engine is warm coolant expands, this extra volume is stored in the reservoir. After the engine cools down the volume in the engine decreases and your radiator cap allows the reservoir to replace the difference.

 

Quixfire is correct, this is called a closed circuit cooling system, older vehicles (most noteably American cars of the sixties) had total loss cooling systems, the hose running from the filler neck just dumped the expanded coolant onto the ground.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Roger
Quixfire is correct, this is called a closed circuit cooling system, older vehicles (most noteably American cars of the sixties) had total loss cooling systems, the hose running from the filler neck just dumped the expanded coolant onto the ground.

My sister's '82 BMW 320i has a total loss system. It's a pain in the arse. Of course, the closed circuit system in my 924S is a huge pain too because it's susceptable to air bubbles like you wouldn't believe.

ZV

 

My sister's '82 BMW 320i has a total loss system. It's a pain in the arse. Of course, the closed circuit system in my 924S is a huge pain too because it's susceptable to air bubbles like you wouldn't believe.

There is an easy fix for that zem, what are you willing to give up for the fix ?

 

[DurocShark]

Most of the time either a screwdriver or pair of pliers is all that's needed to disconnect the hose...

If it really is leaking from the hose, pull it off the bottom of the reservoir, snip off the worn area of the hose, and reattach.

DO NOT LET IT LEAK FOR LONG. Modern cars are less resistant to coolant loss than older cars. This is what killed my 84 Volvo's head. The reservoir was leaking for a week. I topped it off every day to make sure I wasn't driving dry, but it still overheated enough to shatter the coolant passages in the head.

 

[Eli]

I think you should be more worried about only driving your car for 3 minutes at a time.

But as someone else said, if the engine has never gotten too hot, then there is nothing to worry about.

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: Eli
I think you should be more worried about only driving your car for 3 minutes at a time.

But as someone else said, if the engine has never gotten too hot, then there is nothing to worry about.

I know


What are the main dangers of short hops all the time? Not to mention its all stop and go. 0-40, 40-0, 0-35...35-0, etc.

Is there any additional maintenance I can do/keep an eye on to alleviate some of the wear and tear?

 

What are the main dangers of short hops all the time? Not to mention its all stop and go. 0-40, 40-0, 0-35...35-0, etc.

Is there any additional maintenance I can do/keep an eye on to alleviate some of the wear and tear?

Short trips are very detrimental to your vehicle for the following reasons ;

Your oil must reach full operational temperatures to boil off the byproducts of combustion (acids, hydrocarbons, water vapor etc.), if this is not done on a regular basis, these accumilate inside your engine and form sludge, plus these chemicals and water acclerate engine wear dramatically.

Your ECM (Electronic Control Module, the brains of your engine/tranny) will remian in open loop mode preventing good fuel mileage and accelerating engine and transmission wear.

Stop and go driving is much harder ona vehicle than highway driving, this is a proven fact.

How to forstall this accelerated wear ?

Change your motor oil more frequently

Once a week take a good long drive on the highway

Try to reduce your short trips by combining all your little trips into one

 

[Scarpozzi]

Locate the leak first. Once you know exactly where it's coming from, you can fix it.

Do you smell antifreeze when you stop your car. Get your car good and hot, then pop the hood. Sniff around and see if you smell antiifreeze anywhere. The overflow usually will fill up with more water when you turn the car off and the engine cools....and it will suck the water back out when the car is warm and running.

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: Roger

What are the main dangers of short hops all the time? Not to mention its all stop and go. 0-40, 40-0, 0-35...35-0, etc.

Is there any additional maintenance I can do/keep an eye on to alleviate some of the wear and tear?

Short trips are very detrimental to your vehicle for the following reasons ;

Your oil must reach full operational temperatures to boil off the byproducts of combustion (acids, hydrocarbons, water vapor etc.), if this is not done on a regular basis, these accumilate inside your engine and form sludge, plus these chemicals and water acclerate engine wear dramatically.

Your ECM (Electronic Control Module, the brains of your engine/tranny) will remian in open loop mode preventing good fuel mileage and accelerating engine and transmission wear.

Stop and go driving is much harder ona vehicle than highway driving, this is a proven fact.

How to forstall this accelerated wear ?

Change your motor oil more frequently

Once a week take a good long drive on the highway

Try to reduce your short trips by combining all your little trips into one

Thanks for the tips

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: notfred
If the car never overheated no major damage has been done.

At the least could running totally out of coolant hurt the water pump? I assumed that it uses water to cool it (even if it's hot water), or does the water pump not care if it's pumping water or sucking air?

 

At the least could running totally out of coolant hurt the water pump? I assumed that it uses water to cool it (even if it's hot water), or does the water pump not care if it's pumping water or sucking air?

Damage will occur from the engine overheating long before the water pump will be damged.

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: DurocShark
Most of the time either a screwdriver or pair of pliers is all that's needed to disconnect the hose...

If it really is leaking from the hose, pull it off the bottom of the reservoir, snip off the worn area of the hose, and reattach.

DO NOT LET IT LEAK FOR LONG. Modern cars are less resistant to coolant loss than older cars. This is what killed my 84 Volvo's head. The reservoir was leaking for a week. I topped it off every day to make sure I wasn't driving dry, but it still overheated enough to shatter the coolant passages in the head.

It has a rusty clip attaching it, looks like pressure clip instead of a clip that can be tightened with a screwdriver. This will obviously be my first step

 

[alkemyst]

make sure it's not the cap itself allowing blowby....that could also explain rusty clips under the reservor.

My 96 had that problem....looked like the leak came from below...