Add Coolant Light
02-05-2004, 12:31 AM
#13
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: texas, tomball
Posts: 68
Originally Posted by UniqueTII' date='Feb 2 2004, 04:03 AM
There's a bleeder screw on the coolant elbow on the radiator. Take the screw out and fill up the coolant until it starts coming out of there.
02-05-2004, 06:40 AM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Sunny South Florida :)
Posts: 1,963
like r bob was saying your coolant system works off of vaccum /pressure, in a similar way that your motor does.
because the thermostat type radiator cap doesn't suck water into the radiator when it is low, is a tale tale sign that you have some type of leak in your coolant system that is letting air in, instead of pulling water from your overflow tank.
your going to need to go over your motor with a fine tooth comb looking for wetspots, possibly even removing the plenum and upper manifold to make sure there are no coolant leaks.
because the thermostat type radiator cap doesn't suck water into the radiator when it is low, is a tale tale sign that you have some type of leak in your coolant system that is letting air in, instead of pulling water from your overflow tank.
your going to need to go over your motor with a fine tooth comb looking for wetspots, possibly even removing the plenum and upper manifold to make sure there are no coolant leaks.
02-05-2004, 11:02 AM
#15
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 2,467
Sometimes the hose from the rear plate to the thermowax will 1. trap air, which can easily be removed, momentarily while the car is running, to allow air to escape, and 2. deteriorate from heat near the block side and begin to leak.
Another possible problem can occur, especially during engine swap time, in that the tube which is connected to the water valve in the heater core can bend very easily, as the bend behind the firewall is weak to begin with. Undue stress in this pipe can cause a fracture/crack allowing coolant to leak under the rug, while the heater is running, of course. This might explain some soggy floor board situations some have on the drivers side.
Another possible problem can occur, especially during engine swap time, in that the tube which is connected to the water valve in the heater core can bend very easily, as the bend behind the firewall is weak to begin with. Undue stress in this pipe can cause a fracture/crack allowing coolant to leak under the rug, while the heater is running, of course. This might explain some soggy floor board situations some have on the drivers side.
02-06-2004, 01:25 AM
#16
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: texas, tomball
Posts: 68
ok, it actually does leak from somewhere when i turn on the heater. if i turn the heater on and look under the car, it does leak cant teel from where yet. you think maybe heater core?
thanks for all the help so far. i'll check vacuum leaks too.
thanks for all the help so far. i'll check vacuum leaks too.
02-06-2004, 07:56 AM
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Sunny South Florida :)
Posts: 1,963
if it leaks when you turn the heater on, but leaks outside it's one of the two heater hoses, that go back and attatch to the firewall, one of them must be split. I'm going to assume it's the return line since it only does it when the heater is on. Not sure which one that is tho.
02-07-2004, 12:57 AM
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: IL
Posts: 2,930
check your radiator for corrosion, I had a car do this and I could not find a leak until it got cold enough out to easily see the tiny amount of steam coming out of the front. I had even pressure tested the car and found no leaks, it just wasnt hot enough when I tested it.
was just a pinhole where one of the columns in the radiator had corroded a bit too much.
was just a pinhole where one of the columns in the radiator had corroded a bit too much.