Originally Posted By: Volvohead
Originally Posted By: teddyboy
I noticed that the coolant level in my 97 Camry was down an inch or 2. It was probably last topped up 5K or more ago. Should I be concerned?
It's an older car. It's really hot outside. Check/tighten/replace the clamps and pressure check for basic leaks first. Most of the time, it's just that (especially as the hoses age).
A lot of times (but not always) with a head gasket leak, you'll find you have dirty coolant and residue in the expansion tank. If you're still having concern, run a compression test and a UOA.
If the heater output is suddenly smelling sweet or "coolant" scented, then its a heater core.
Some vehicles are just more prone to evaporative loss than others. The important measure is ounces, not tank inches.
Well said. With a fifteen-year-old car, you are guaranteed to have a coolant leak somewhere. Most likely it has a corroded radiator or heater core. It could also be at the water pump or water-outlet gasket. Japanese-made Toyota radiator hoses are of extremely high quality -- I never had to replace one in my 27-year-old car. I know from the Toyotas I've owned that if the Toyota cooling system is entirely healthy, there is negligible evaporative loss, as the vapor pressure of the 50/50 antifreeze - water mixture is extremely low, as it boils well over the normal operating temperature.
Just look around the cooling system, you will notice green, orange, or red dye (depending on the coolant you use) at some place, indicating a leak.
