coolant level drops when engine is hot

saschamonteiro · Post by **saschamonteiro** » 07 Feb 2016, 13:38

Hi,
The coolant level drops when the engine get hot (coolant level low warning comes on),
it seems to fluctuate and the warning light goes on/off during a trip.
Last week, when I got back from a trip (45 min), the level was below the tank,
then the next morning it was back to around the min mark.

I do seem to loose coolant, I had to add 3/4 liter after a week.

The waterpump was replaced when the timing belt was replaced a few months ago, this was done between when I bought it and picked it up.

The garage I bought it from had a look and said it had a leak, they replaced a clamp, I lost more water prior to this,
but didn't quite seem to fix it. (no dealer warranty as the car has done >175000km)

The temp never goes above the middle of the gauge

The coolant (green?) seems fine, not oily, and the oil seems fine too, not milky

Another garage had a look and said it could be the head gasket, but can't afford a $3000+ bill right now

Post by **phils94850** » 07 Feb 2016, 16:22

Welcome to MVS !!

Are you seeing any coolant on the ground ? You can usually rent a pressure tester that would simulate the cooling system under pressure so you can see if you have any external leaks. If you don't have any, another option would be too pull each spark plug and check if there is any coolant residue and that may tell you if you have a head gasket problem ? Usually when you have a head gasket leak you will notice white smoke out of the tail pipe. I would also remove the timing cover and inspect the waterpump to make sure there is no leaks there as well. You can also run a compression test which will tell a lot. Let us know what you find out and we can help you..

saschamonteiro · Post by **saschamonteiro** » 07 Feb 2016, 18:04

thanks, there is no coolant on the ground.
The spark plugs were replaced recently as they were a bit corroded,
I might get the mechanic around the corner to do pressure and compression tests and check the spark plugs

Post by **phils94850** » 08 Feb 2016, 06:15

That would probably be your best bet. If there is no external leaks ( hose, waterpump, etc. ) Have you checked and made sure its not your heater core leaking ? Usually you will have a wet floor board.

saschamonteiro · Post by **saschamonteiro** » 08 Feb 2016, 22:24

the floors inside are dry, so I guess it's not the heater core

It seems to loose coolant while driving, I might pop the bonnet when the engine is hot after a 30-40min drive, keep it running on higher rpms and check for obvious leaks

Post by **phils94850** » 09 Feb 2016, 05:49

Like I said you can usually rent a pressure tester from a auto parts store and you can check that way as well. If you use a pressure tester you don't have to worry about the engine running, a lot safer while your looking around. I would also remove the timing cover to see if the new pump could be the problem.