Ok I cannot find this coolant leak, I thought it was from my messed up intake manfiold, But I replaced the intake manifold and a gasket, You can smell antifreeze when you get out the car, And if I drive it a lil hard and then home, There is a hint of steam from the back side of the motor, I cant see where the steam is coming from, There is no visible coolant when I had the intake manifold off. Oil and coolant are both clean, and no white smoke. I am totally stumped, anyone have any other ideas?

 

Smoke signals from your engine telling you to drive faster

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by homemadeturbo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Smoke signals from your engine telling you to drive faster</TD></TR></TABLE>

Damn I knew I should have learned to read smoke signals and drove with no hood! haha

 

There are three or four real basic places that are the most common. The hoses are the most likely culprit, hole or holes in the radiator from road debris or age, the water pump and or the freeze plugs. If the leak is inside the car check for damp carpet underneath the glove box in front of the passenger seat. That would be your heater core. Check your radiator fluid when it’s completely cooled and look for brown or pink discoloration, if found then your coolant leak is internal you have a blown head gasket or a crack in the head somewhere. This is where it gets pricey. Perform a compression check, call around to your local auto parts store and ask if they loan tools and ask for a radiator compression tester, instructions are usually in the box. This pumps your cooling system to make the leak more apparent to the naked eye. The best sealants out there is silver seal, its a powdery silver aluminum sealant, if the leak is lightweight and not a dynamic leak that will do the trick but remember that’s only a temporary fix.

 

I did a leakdown on it, and it held pressure. There was a lil debri in the coolant but I think it was just because I hooked up the reservoir again (It was unhooked when I got it) And There was some trash in there I think, I did a full coolant flush last week and havent seen any residue since. Like I said in the original post antifreeze and oil both were clean and no white smoke or sweet smell. Radiator is new, no apparant leaks around any hoses. I really dont want to use leak stoppers on this car. I had alot of problems using them a few years ago on my beater. I thought heater core, But carpet is never damp. And since then I noticed the steam in the engine bay

 

I have a 6 hour trip tomorrow and cant find this leak. Anyone have any other suggestions for things to check over. Just did plugs, wires, and oil change


Modified by ShortyzKustomz at 8:09 AM 12/27/2007

 

Check:
- Thermostat housing
- Where bottom radiator hose plugs into thermostat/block
- That cluster of coolant hoses by the throttle body/FITV/IACV

Check those while the engine is HOT.

Make sure they're not using those crappy slider clamps, like these:


If you have those get 'em off of there - those cheap **** quick release clamps take a **** in record times and when the engine gets hot your coolant hoses leak like ****. Make sure you have NONE of those - this is not a personal thing - this is important b/c every manufacturer puts those stupid things on there and they NEVER work because they're just not good enough, get the right kind, with a screw, like this:


Also, there's a whole bunch of **** on that IACV/FITV/TB/IM area that has coolant lines - check all of the hoses and clamps on there as well, squeeze them and such. A few drops of coolant onto the exhaust below will make it wreak to high hell - but that **** wreaks even if it's just dripping.. So check all that, and make sure the engine is at standard operating temperature when you do.

 

Most of the clamps were replaced with the screw type when I did the Intake manifold. I checked the hoses on the IACV cause I've had them crack before. And I think it is something dripping on the exhaust, cause it is just like it was when my hose on the IACV split a few months ago. Im loosing about a 1/2 resevoirs worth a coolant a week. (I drive 100+ miles a day) I dont see anything leaking around the t-stat housing, But I'll check around some more

EDIT! I found where its hitting the exhaust but cannot find the leak for the life of me! If hitting the exhaust right after that bracket under the motor, about 4-6 inches before the o2 senor

 

What would cause it to drip there?

 

Bump...

 

Check your water valve, its where your heater core comes out into the engine bay.

 

Pressure test the system. Only sure fire way to detect a leak. A leakdown isnt gonna tell you anything but that your headgasket is good.

 

when you did the intake manifold gasket, did you clean off all the old gasket off the head and the intake manifold???? is it a y8?? if it is it has a water valve on the ITM,opp. by vac. pressure that will aslo leak. check all your lines by and under the ITM good luck

 

Its a Z6, Yeah I had the surfaces spotless, It has to be somewhere from the underside of the IM. And it was pressure tested and held pressure. But once its warmed up and driving it gets right to leaking and steaming

 

hey the best way to check is doing a pressure test in ur cooling system go to auto zone and rent a coolant pressure tester.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Syndacate &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Check:
- Thermostat housing
- Where bottom radiator hose plugs into thermostat/block
- That cluster of coolant hoses by the throttle body/FITV/IACV

Check those while the engine is HOT.

Make sure they're not using those crappy slider clamps, like these:


If you have those get 'em off of there - those cheap **** quick release clamps take a **** in record times and when the engine gets hot your coolant hoses leak like ****. Make sure you have NONE of those - this is not a personal thing - this is important b/c every manufacturer puts those stupid things on there and they NEVER work because they're just not good enough, get the right kind, with a screw, like this:


Also, there's a whole bunch of **** on that IACV/FITV/TB/IM area that has coolant lines - check all of the hoses and clamps on there as well, squeeze them and such. A few drops of coolant onto the exhaust below will make it wreak to high hell - but that **** wreaks even if it's just dripping.. So check all that, and make sure the engine is at standard operating temperature when you do.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The appeal of the "crappy slider clamp" isn't just that they are "quick release." They are also constant tension. As the hose material expands and contracts from temperature (and age), the OEM clamps can compensate for that since they are basically springs always in compression.

 

Check for cracks on all ur hoses.