Needing Constant coolant refilling after a drain and refill - 2003 Ford Windstar

S

sarity945

Joined
Dec 12, 2023
Messages
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I did a coolant drsin and refill few months ago. Since then the coolant level drops even as soon as couple of days. I am having to top off every few days.

Prior to the drain and refill the van didn't have this issue.

We do note that a drain and refill doesn't flush the system so what we have i the van is a mix of older and newer coolant. Not sure if this is of any consequence?

Any thoughts on what could be going on?

Thanks.
 
I concur with @wings&wheels and @oldcodger. In some cars it's normal for a coolant refill to be incomplete because there are air pockets in the system. If the pockets are small and the coolant is mostly full, driving the car as normal will eventually resolve this as the flow of coolant pushes the air bubbles out which draws in more coolant through the expansion tank. Make sure to turn on the heater & defroster to ensure coolant flows through those passages too. And make sure to check the expansion tank, ensure it doesn't get sucked empty.

It's possible there is a head gasket leak, but since you say the car didn't have this problem before, air pockets in the system seems more likely.
 
Like others have suggested, I suspect your drain and fill created trapped air in the engine.

So, your fill wasn’t complete, even though the reservoir level might have been at the top, and each heat/cool cycle expels a bit of air, but not all of it, requiring you to top off.

It should settle down in a few more heat/cool cycles as the last of the air works out.
 
Do you have the Lisle coolant funnel? That is the best way to make sure you don't have any air in the system :)

If you do have a head gasket leak, you can trey head gasket sealer such as Bars Leaks HG-1 or Blue Devil Pour-N-Go
 
Some engines will have an air bleed valve at the highest point of the coolant system. You can carefully open this valve and let any trapped air escape, until coolant comes out. Then top off your system.
 
@MRC01 @Astro14 @wings&wheels

Although i did use a Lisle coolant funnel but it is possible i may have not done it correctly.

Assuming there is air trapped like so many have suggested, my question is how much coolant will the engine go through before it cycles out rthe air? I have already used over 2 gallongs of concentraated coolant which is about 4 gallons of diluted.

Thanks
 
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sarity945 said:
@MRC01 @Astro14 @wings&wheels

Although i did use a Lisle coolant funnel but it is possible i may have not done it correctly.

Assuming there is air trapped like so many have suggested, my question is how much coolant will the engine go through before it cycles out rthe air? I have already used over 2 gallongs of concentraated coolant which is about 4 gallons of diluted.

Thanks
Click to expand...
That sounds like a lot. But it depends on the total coolant capacity, which is? And how much did you add after draining it?
If the losses are a significant % of the total capacity, then the engine must be losing coolant - either leaking or burning.

One thing that can be helpful is take a 3 oz. sample of oil and send it in for analysis. If there is coolant in the oil, it typically shows up as sodium and potassium.
 
MRC01 said:
That sounds like a lot. But it depends on the total coolant capacity, which is? And how much did you add after draining it?
If the losses are a significant % of the total capacity, then the engine must be losing coolant - either leaking or burning.

One thing that can be helpful is take a 3 oz. sample of oil and send it in for analysis. If there is coolant in the oil, it typically shows up as sodium and potassium.
Click to expand...
Ok. like several months ago i did the drain and fill. Even though the vehicle takes about 4.5 gallons of coolant but during the drain and fill i could only fill about 2 gallons before it became full. This told me a normal drain and fill does not entirely empty the vehicle's coolant and nearly half of the old coolantr remains in the various components unless one does a machine flush.

At that time i did try to bleed the air.

Since then when i notice the coolant level in the resorvoir going down i keep topping it. Since then ( several months) ) i have topped off about 4 gallons.

BTW are you folks suggesting to do the hot/cold cycle again or are you suggesting to keep topping until the engine cycles the air?
 
sarity945 said:
Ok. like several months ago i did the drain and fill. Even though the vehicle takes about 4.5 gallons of coolant but during the drain and fill i could only fill about 2 gallons before it became full. ... Since then ( several months) ) i have topped off about 4 gallons.
Click to expand...
So 4.5 gallons went out and 6 gallons has gone in? Sounds like 1.5 gallons has been lost (leaked or burned).
 
Chris142 said:
A constant top off like that means you have a leak
Click to expand...
I agree...I've D&R'd my coolant on many vehicles many times and often had air in the system. What I do is overfill the reservoir by about 2 inches and after a couple of long (1 hour minimum) drives the system burps itself and my reservoir is at the correct level or sometimes a little below the 'Full' line....I top it off and carry on.
With the amount of coolant you have needed to add it certainly seems like a leak somewhere in the system.
 
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