I’m losing antifreeze somewhere
I have had brand new head gaskets professionally installed along with intake gaskets valve cover gaskets and so forth.. I am losing antifreeze somehow.. I have had rad and cap checked and they're both good where could it be going
My car has 109000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
You would need to have the cooling system checked to see if a head gasket is leaking internally, or there is an external leak that is causing the coolant loss.
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If the coolant level is dropping and there is no external leak evident, then the coolant is probably leaking internally, into the engine. If the car has recently overheated then this could have caused the head gasket to fail. If it has, it could be leaking coolant into the combustion chambers.
A coolant/antifreeze leak can occur for a variety of reasons, including a blown radiator hose, a bad hose clamp, warped head gasket, or the most common reason, a foreign object kicked up by the truck in front of you penetrating the radiator itself.
You could have a leaking rubber hose or the heater control valve in the rear area. The coolant leak will need to have the cooling system pressure tested to see if a hose or component is leaking in the rear heater system. If you lose all the coolant, the engine will overheat and can cause engine damage.
If you find drips of coolant with no leaking gaskets, seals or hoses, you may have a cracked engine block. In this case, make sure it isn`t simply a leaking freeze plug that is causing your leak! In some cases, you may also have a cracked engine block that is leaking internally.
It may be a broken hose and/or a hole in the radiator. Solution: Check your hoses to see if any coolant is coming out. Replace the hose(s) if you notice coolant coming out of them. If you notice coolant leaking out of your thermostat that can be an easy fix.
When intake manifold gaskets become damaged, coolant may begin escaping from its system. Eventually even a relatively small leak will eventually cause coolant levels to drop to dangerous levels. Be sure to take note of any signs that your car may be experiencing a coolant leak.
Generally, small holes in your radiator hoses or loose connections between hoses and the cooling system are the most likely cause of an external coolant leak.
Antifreeze (aka coolant) is pumped through your vehicle`s engine as you drive, absorbing excess heat and exchanging it with the outside air. That means an antifreeze leak could cause the engine to overheat — and that can lead to major engine damage.
A cracked engine block can cause a range of problems. Ultimately, since the circulation system that cools the engine is comparatively fragile, a cracked engine block will lead to coolant leaking out of the area it is needed and leaving the engine to overheat.
The first thing you need to do is locate the source of the coolant leak. It might not be coming from the radiator. The best way to confirm the source of the leak is to wash the radiator and hoses with water, and then start the engine and look for new signs of coolant.
If you are regularly topping off your coolant, you have a coolant leak somewhere in the system. It can be difficult to identify where the leak is coming from. Often it is best to have a professional diagnose a coolant leak, but there are a few things you can check before bringing your car into a shop.
If you`re antifreeze keeps running out quickly, you`ve almost definitely got a leak. This is much different than the slight decrease in coolant levels that you`ll notice at regular oil-change intervals. Sometimes a leak may not be visible.
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I’m losing antifreeze somewhere
ANSWER : You would need to have the cooling system checked to see if a head gasket is leaking internally, or there is an external leak that is causing the coolant loss.
Read Full Q/A … : I’m losing antifreeze somewhere
My car trembles or idles hard when I’m at a temporary stop. It feels like the car wants to move before I’m ready.
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It is recommended that you get a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, to come to your location and replace the idle air control valve for you.
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having times when I’m stopped at a light and my Hyundai Accent Sedan 2010 loses power. Sometimes takes a while to restart.
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Hi Dave, I’m planning to buy.a 2011 328i with 92k miles but I’m really hesitant because I don’t know how much it will cost me in t
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I added green antifreeze to my car when it had red in it before. Would mixing the two cause a problem with the intake gasket?
ANSWER : It is not advisable to mix coolant types. Over time, a chemical reaction happens between them. This can cause corrosion issues, and the mixture can begin to gel, clogging small coolant passages in components such as the radiator, intake manifold, or heater core. If these components become clogged, the coolant will not circulate properly and can cause overheating issues. If your vehicle is older with high mileage, odds are the intake manifold gasket was in poor condition already.
Mixing coolants would not have caused an immediate failure of the gasket but could contribute to it over a long period of time. If it was running hot and low on coolant, odds are the gasket may have already been leaking and got worse over time.
I recommend having a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, come to your location to replace the intake manifold gasket and flush the cooling system, refilling it with the correct coolant as soon as possible.
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