Help - Puddle Of Coolant
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 133
Likes: 2
From: Winsdor ON
Help - Puddle Of Coolant
I found a puddle of coolant under my 98 the other day. I got under the car and could see coolant drips around the water pump area. When I started the car, I got a "Low Coolant Level" warning. I put about 5 quarts of coolant into the surge tank. The next morning, there was no puddle under my car, but just the same, I took the car to the mechanic. He couldn't see any drips, and did a pressure test and found it holding pressure. He told me the car seems fine.
However, I still have the "Low Coolant Level" warning, even after clearing all trouble codes. I wonder if the engine really is low on coolant, and the coolant in the surge tank isn't making it to the engine (possibly due to stuck thermostat, air lock, or ???).
Can anybody help me figure out what is going on here ?
However, I still have the "Low Coolant Level" warning, even after clearing all trouble codes. I wonder if the engine really is low on coolant, and the coolant in the surge tank isn't making it to the engine (possibly due to stuck thermostat, air lock, or ???).
Can anybody help me figure out what is going on here ?
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,347
Likes: 4
From: Slidell La
Water Pump is my best "without seeing " guess. Probably leaking through the seals out of the weep whole on the bottom and you can't see it. Look from the bottom up behing the pulley for the leak. If it evaporates off it might just have a color tint of the antifreeze. vettdvr
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 133
Likes: 2
From: Winsdor ON
The confusing part is how I can be getting a low fluid warning when the surge tank is showing full. I think the thermosatat is stuck closed. I just ran the engine until the coolant got to an indicated 208 degrees, but the upper radiator hose was limp.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 770
Likes: 0
The coolant level sensor is a small float in the surge tank. If the coolant level is in fact full in the surge tank, then the float may be stuck or broken. Easy fix would be to replace the pump and surge tank, before you are broken down somewhere.
