# Coolant leak - pressure test failed, no external leak, no coolant mixed in oil



## HugoCarmichael (Dec 2, 2008)

Coolant has been leaking - loses about halfway from max to the min line in the reservoir per day. It doesn't leak while driving (checked level before and after), and doesn't leak if the car only sits there cold. It only leaks after parking the car after it has warmed up.

There are no external leaks. I put a big piece of fresh cardboard under the entire engine bay and nothing. Took it a shop, they did a pressure test which immediately failed, and also saw no external leaks. They changed the oil and it didn't look like it had coolant mixed with it. 

So what am I looking at here? They said it probably is leaking into the engine somewhere and burning off, thus no mixture of it with the oil. Also they said the engine sounds "terrible" and I agree. It's very rough sounding, almost like a Diesel. 

I imagine a catastrophic engine-parts-all-over-the-road failure is coming up next if I continue driving it. It's only at 189k miles, was hoping to hit 200k 

Time for a new car?


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

Are the floormats wet?

I'll bet you fill it up to the max line, take it out for a drive, while driving, heat it up and push out just enough coolant so that when it cools down, the coolant that's left in the engine only goes up to what you're seeing...about halfway between the marks. Furthermore, when the engine/coolant is hot, it's expanded enough to make it look like it's at the max line.

Define this "pressure test" that the shop did for you...


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## HugoCarmichael (Dec 2, 2008)

Nope, can it actually leak into the floor? Or are you just making a blinker fluid type joke


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

Blinker fluid type joke?
Well...I guess ask the guys at your local friendly helpful "shop".

Read the stickies here on the forums about the GA16DE and you just might also find out why it sounds like diesel and find out how much it DOESN'T cost to get that fixed.


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## HugoCarmichael (Dec 2, 2008)

Sorry, I thought you were making a joke with the floormats question.

About what you said in your first post - I've had to refill the resivior probably 10 times in the last 2 weeks (though I'm not 100% sure I understand what you're trying to say).

I'm not sure what kind of pressure test they did, they just said the pressure dropped off as soon as they tried it. 

Are you referring to the Upper Timing Chain Tensioner sticky? I'm pretty sure it hasn't been replaced and it probably needs to. I'd like to get this leak solved (if possible) before doing that though.


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

The coolant reservoir is just that...a reservoir. If the level is between max and min, your radiator is full. The level is above min, your radiator is full. If the level is at max, chances are you'll push some out while you're out driving around and never see it, and when it cools back down to normal, the RESERVOIR won't be at max anymore.
Fluids expands when warmed, fluids contracts when cooled.
Metal expands when warmed, metal contracts when cooled.


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## HugoCarmichael (Dec 2, 2008)

Right but if it goes down then it stays empty. This whole thing was discovered with no coolant in the entire radiator.


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

HugoCarmichael said:


> Right but if it goes down then it stays empty. This whole thing was discovered with no coolant in the entire radiator.


K, and where does it say that in the previous posts?

How about you spill the whole story now? Everything...

It's either that or we can play guessing games and run around in circles until next year and you can exchange the air in your spare tire for nitrogen enhanced winter air and hope it solves your missing coolant issue...which by the way is completely the Grinch's fault. It was the Grinch stealing your coolant the whole time. Why do you think he's green?


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## HugoCarmichael (Dec 2, 2008)

Look, I came here for some advice, not to start a flame war.


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

OK, then I'm done giving advice.
'cause a guy can't give decent advice without hearing the whole story first...so fess up...
How long did you drive it after steam started rolling out from under the hood?
How long has it been since the heater put out heat?
How long has it been since you flushed your coolant?
If you don't know what kind of pressure test they did, then how are we supposed to know what kind of pressure test they did? Magic?
How long has your check engine light been on?
How old are those radiator hoses?
How old are those heater hoses?
I could go on for days...


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## HugoCarmichael (Dec 2, 2008)

1. There was no noticeable steam.
2. Heater works fine, use it every day
3. Unknown
4. I don't know what to tell you, "pressure test on coolant system" is all I know
5. Check engine light is not on
6. Upper radiator hose was replaced about 2 years ago when it cracked (definitely saw steam then)
7. Probably originals


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

k, now we're cooking with oil.....

Get a can of that coolant dye stuff at your local auto parts store and a cheap UV light. Put the stuff in the radiator, run it, let it sit, wait for dark, use the UV light to find your leak and trace it back to the source.

Pressure test could mean a couple different things. They tested the radiator cap or the actual coolant system pressure itself...neither of which, even if they did both, helped you out at all.


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## HugoCarmichael (Dec 2, 2008)

I went ahead and ran it without getting the coolant dye (will do that later).

I ran it for ~15min and found a redish fluid leak, here is a picture from the underside (with bottom cover removed): http://i.imgur.com/9idT1.jpg

The circled part is where the red fluid was dripping from - transmission fluid I presume? The small hose is the transmission cooler line right? I tightened the bolt, ran it for another ~15min and it stopped leaking. I will be replacing the transmission fluid as it is already below full. 

I didn't find any coolant leaks, and I assume the above leak can't be also leaking coolant as those are separate right? 

I'll try the coolant dye probably on Wednesday.


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## HugoCarmichael (Dec 2, 2008)

Well I tried the UV dye this morning but before talking about that - yesterday, before I ran it in my garage, I made sure the reservoir was filled up to the max line (car was cold at the time). I ran it for 30min total yesterday, and this morning, the fluid was down about a quarter of the way from the max to the min line. Nothing leaked under the car other than the transmission fluid mentioned in my previous post.

Today I tried the UV dye, ran it for ~25min, and could not find any leaks with the UV light. I even removed the glove box and looked around there. Inside floor is dry. So I went and drove it for ~20min, checked again and nothing


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

Buy a new radiator cap.


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## HugoCarmichael (Dec 2, 2008)

If it is the radiator cap then why am I not seeing any leaks? Is it slowly coming out and burning off?


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

Because the radiator cap isn't holding enough pressure.
You heat up the engine, coolant pressure builds up, blow water/steam out the overflow into the reservoir, the reservoir fills up, eventually overflows WHILE you're driving, or just the water/steam kinda boils off in the reservoir, runs out on the road or just kinda steams off, evidence of the leaks goes away, you shut off the engine, coolant cools down, contracts, pulls fluid back in from the reservoir, and you're reservoir level goes down...

Take the explanation or leave it. Not saying you don't actually have a leak somewhere, but the evidence you are presenting suggests this is a likely scenario...and I'm out...


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

HugoCarmichael said:


> Coolant has been leaking - loses about halfway from max to the min line in the reservoir per day. It doesn't leak while driving (checked level before and after), and doesn't leak if the car only sits there cold. It only leaks after parking the car after it has warmed up.
> 
> There are no external leaks. I put a big piece of fresh cardboard under the entire engine bay and nothing. Took it a shop, they did a pressure test which immediately failed, and also saw no external leaks. They changed the oil and it didn't look like it had coolant mixed with it.


You could have a blown head gasket. Perform a compression test on all cylinders. If you find a bad cylinder, follow that up with a leakdown test which can verify if there is a blown head gasket.

Also there are test kits is available at most auto parts stores to test for the presence of exhaust gases in the coolant which are usually a sign of a blown head gasket..


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