integra95gsr

1995 GSR

it started sometime last week, after pulling into a few parking spaces and then leaving i noticed a small coolant spot on the ground, at first i didnt think anything of it. maybe it was there when i pulled in. after seeing it a few times i figured maybe i should check the coolant level, even though my temp gauge has never went anywhere over normal op. temp. well the overflow bottle was empty, and the radiator was full. so i filled up the overflow, and now about every 3-4 days the overflow bottle is empty. so i jacked the car up, checked everything, no hoses (upper/lower radiator, heater-core hoses) are leaking, radiator isnt leaking. under the car i saw some drips hanging from various items on the passenger side (seam b/w tranny bell housing and tranny, lower tie bar, cross member) little things like that. i have no idea where this leak is at! any other lines i should check?

i changed the thermostat back in january..

Dforce

check the drain plug.

integra95gsr

it's tight.. also nothing leaking from front of the block where the freeze drain plug is...

Jdm94gsr

How about you pressure test your cooling system with a pressure tester an jack up your car and then look for the leaks while the system is pressurized.

integra95gsr

pressure tester, never heard or seen of one. is it something i can rent from a local parts store?

ImportMotorSpec

My guess is it is running down from the top of your block. Like heater hose, thermostat area etc.

Even though a hose might be tight and have a clamp on it, antifreeze can work its way out eventually.

Ichigo

your radiator maybe too old and needs replacement.

integra95gsr

but where would the leak come from?

ImportMotorSpec

around teh neck where the hose attaches or a slit in the hose. The fittings can get buildup/corrosion on them and leak.

. x A t t a c k

Also check out the hoses behind your intake manifold.

Sam92Teg

^^^ That's where my last mystery leak was, one of the 8mm hoses under the intake manifold/throttle body.

dwolsten

Leaks like this can be a real bitch to track down and fix. My wife's 94 Civic had some small leaks like this and I ended up replacing nearly all the coolant hoses on the engine! What a pain.

First, check your radiator and the two main radiator hoses, which you've probably already done.

Next, check all the small hoses near the thermostat and throttle body as others have pointed out. That's where some of my problems were. These hoses had gotten old and sprung very small leaks. I remember on one of them, I only found it when the car was turned on and warmed up.

Finally, after replacing so many hoses, there was still a mysterious leak I couldn't account for. I changed the timing belt and water pump, and that seems to have fixed the problem; I believe the water pump seal was leaking (it had done the same in my 94 Integra several years before).

Good luck! You'll need it.

soon2bdropped

sorry to hijack but i found my problem.. coolant leaks from the upper rad hose.. the one that goes from the upper rad to the engine.. near the dizzy side... but if i change that hose.. do i need to bleed the whole system or even drain the coolant let me know thanks

CivicSiDriver02

I would definitely bleed the system after you are finished. You should be able to get away without draining it however.

soon2bdropped

you think so.. and does part stores call that hose the upper rad hose?

CivicSiDriver02

I would think they just call it the upper radiator hose. Never really heard it called by another name.

integra95gsr

yes it is the "upper radiator hose" now some places may sell a universal cut to fit, or a direct fit..


back to original "?".. anymore ideas?
where can i get the system to pressureize it?

CivicSiDriver02

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by integra95gsr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">yes it is the "upper radiator hose" now some places may sell a universal cut to fit, or a direct fit..


back to original "?".. anymore ideas?
where can i get the system to pressurize it?</TD></TR></TABLE>

You can pressurize it just by starting it and letting it get to operating temp. Your cooling system will naturally build up pressure because of the radiator cap. This is not the safest way however because the car will be hot while your underneath it poking around. Check around the water pipe on the back of the engine and around your thermostat housing.

stewie8apie

i had/have a similar problem. did you ever check to see if it is leaking from the radiator itself? mine slowly leaks from the top of the rad and while i'm driving it gets burned off so nothing ever really leaks onto the ground or anything like that and there are no real signs of a leak at all except for when i come to a stop after i've been driving i notice a little smoke coming from the engine bay and when i check it out it smells like coolant. maybe you have the same problem.

aph7824

that's when you probably need a new radiator Stewie8apie...

integra95gsr

lol, idk how i found this. but i took the car out for a ride, and came back to check the leak. and sure enough a small amount was still leaking from somewhere. popped the hood, and right away i look at the top radiator hose, in the most obvious spot, right on top of it in the middle, there is a small pin hole ****'n coolant out. idk how i missed it before. so basically noob move on my part this thread was pointless.. goes to show maybe you should relx and check situations before jumping to conclusions, ahem!