Where did my antifreeze go?

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Brandon

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It's been VERY cold here in NJ over the past week or so and I thought yesterday would be a good time to check my coolant level. Well, the coolant overflow tank was almost empty so I had to fill it all the way back up to the full mark. Had to use half a jug of Prestone. I looked all around the engine compartment, including the overfill tank, all around the hoses and radiator and found no leaks at all. No drip marks on the ground either. Radiator is full. Would antifreeze just evaporate in the system? I've been using the 50/50 pre-dilluted stuff from Prestone. Maybe this stuff contains more water then antifreeze…...it does pour out green though. Any idea's?


Thanks.
 
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Do you own a GM 3.1L V6?

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Check your dipstick level, color and smell. I hope it isn't high, cruddy and smell like coolant. You should have your coolant system pressure checked for leaks.
 
I unfortunately found out where my coolant was going in my 1997 Chevy Venture 3.4. Cost me about $600 to get the inlet manifold gasket replaced. That was 40,000 miles ago and I was one of the fortunate ones to catch it early. Lot's of other had engine replacements. I hear now that Chevy will for the most part cover the costs now.
 
How long ago did you have it replaced? If it wasn't done within this last year or two, you can count on replacing it again as your repair job wasn't done using the latest gasket revision that supposedly corrects the condition "forever."
 
When was the last time you checked the level? Did you change your coolant recently? It is possible air may have worked it's way out of the system. The safest thing is going to be an oil analysis.
 
My friend's '96 Firebird Formula burns coolant very slowly, so you can't see it in the exaust but the reservior runs dry about 3x a year. His mechanic didn't see any signs that it wasn't going into the oil, but straight into 1 or more cylinders and burned. We didn't do a UOA on it, but I would have to say that at least a small amount was getting into the oil by way of the cylinder(s) when the engine isn't running. The cause of your issue will depend on how quickly it's disappearing.
 
You have a leak somewhere...probably a water pump statring to go and it will leak out the vent hole at start-up then be fine after warm-up.Put a piece of cardboard under the front end for a while and check it out at start-up.
 
Quote:

You have a leak somewhere...probably a water pump statring to go and it will leak out the vent hole at start-up then be fine after warm-up.Put a piece of cardboard under the front end for a while and check it out at start-up.

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I had the water pump replaced 30K miles ago but will check it out anyway. After further inspection I do see green around the upper radiator hose connection. No drips though just a green ring around the hose. I remember when I had the radiator replaced the dealer had a tough time getting that upper hose connection to stop dripping. I had to bring it in a couple of times until it finally stopped. So that sucker was really tight and it still wanted to leak. They used the old fashioned screw type hose clamps. They got rid of the OEM clamps which I didn't understand why when they replaced my radiator and hoses. I'll post again with an update soon.

Thanks for the help.
 
if your AF is on the cold mark when its 70F out, it will be below that when its 5F out. But this will only account for a small change in level. Maybe a cup or pint??
 
Leaks in coolants can always be traced to external or internal leaks. I start with the simple where are the drops
or stains to check - hoses, water pumps, radiator and would include visual checks first , then pressure or UV stain checks second and if you haven't traced the leak then do a UOA on next OCI.

I usually see clamps/ hoses or the water pump seal as most likely, then the core/ top of radiator cracks and last the internal ( except for GM 3.1 and 3.4). On GM just reverse the order of most likely leak sources.
 
Ok, I found the leak. It's the upper radiator hose connecting to the thermostat housing. It's leaking passed the clamp. That clamp is #@$%! tight, can't get it any tighter. The hoses were replaced 2 years ago along with the radiator. I notice the leak only when it's really cold out. Why would it leak if those hose clamps are on really tight? Note that as soon as the Jeep gets warm after a few minutes the leak(s) stop. Do I need a new type of clamp, better ones out there? I'm using the screw type clamps the dealer switched on me instead of factory. Are the factory self-adjusting clamps any better? Maybe I should go get those from the dealer or Napa?
 
Hose clamps vary greatly in quality. Swedish ABA clamps are best. They distribute pressure very evenly and have rolled edges for protection. Norma clamps are very good, too.
 
The OEM clamps are better than the screw type clamps because they tighten themselves (allways applying pressure).That housing does get corroded easily.I would drain off a bit of coolant,pull the hose clean the neck with wire wheel or emery cloth,reinstall hose with OEM clamp and fill and watch it.
 
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