Coolant Leak, no Spots under car, No White Smoke in Exhaust

[Distephano]

Alright guys, I'm stumped.

Since I got my car back from my acident, it has been going though Antifreeze rather quickly. Well, not too fast, but much faster than it used to. (Well, it used to not use any)

Anyways, this is where I get stumped. The water pump is only a few months old (replaced in late fall.) There are no spots underneath the car where something is dripping. There is no white smoke in the exhaust, so I don't belive its burning. The only time I get any color to the exhaust is on cold start ups, because its like 10 F here, so, thats condenstaion. I check the oil, it looks like plain, regular oil on the dip stick.

Once and a while, I will smell a little coolant. Sometimes its while the heater is running, sometimes its not. Which makes me think, its not my heater core. But I am gona check this when I get home from work tonight.

When I get home I'm gona get the car up on ramps/stands, and look everything over, I assume its GOT to be a slow leak, thats dripping somewhere and burning off. But my coolant level seems to be dropping pretty quick for this.

So I guess what I'm asking is: Anyone ever had this problem? What would be good places to check? What are sympotoms of a blown headgasket? Besides Coolant in the oil? The car runs just as well as it did, so I doubt there is anything wrong with the headgasket. Unless that can be broken, and still have no effect on the performance of the engine.

I'll check in when I get home from work, and see what was said before I get going on the car.

Thanks in Advance!

Distephano

[Red94Camaro]

Check the carpet inside to see if its wet. My heater core in my Z28 just went bad and the carpet inside is wet, sometimes doesn't drip underneath at all, sometimes it does.

[Distephano]

The carpet as in, where the Passanger's feet go?
Ok, I'll check there.

Any other ideas?

[chas]

you would be surprised how fast you loose coolant on a 'slow' dripping leak. you can smell them but finding them is quite a pain.

even if you smell coolant intermittently it could still be the heater core. if the carpet isnt wet, check the weep hole for the a/c condensor. this will act as a drain for coolant sometimes (it drips onto the passenger side of the y-pipe). usually, intermittent means you are getting the smell via the fresh air intake which will get smells from the engine compartment when you are idling. even if you have a new pump, check the weep hole on the bottom (after you get up to running temps). most water pumps are rebuilds and maybe yours is a dud. check the standard stuff too: radiator cap, overflow tank. as a last resort, run the car till its hot. pull over some place quite and shutoff the engine. open the hood and listen for a hiss or sizzling.

[chas]

check the radiator. depending on the accident (front end collision--maybe rear) you could have damaged the radiator. it doesnt take much. radiators are pretty fragile.

[Distephano]

Radiator is brand new. I wrecked that in the acident, so that got replaced.

[Takumi Fujiwara]

um, what kind of temps does ur car run @, are u sure the radiator was properly filled - did u do it urself. did it get distilled water, waht kind of coolant. Could be burning it - I went forever without needed any coolant, I just changed it @ 60k miles, the other month for my 97 cause I was bored.

[chas]

well since they replaced the radiator any of the connections to the radiator are suspect. what changed -- check that first! the spring-type hose clamps supplied at the factory are pretty worthless unless you have new hoses.

[black98V6]

well I was gonna say that you can be leaking in from the intake manifold and the motor burning it off slowly.. my dad had this problem with a 00 silverado. had a coolant leak but couldn't locate it, one day service engine light comes on so he takes it to the stealership and yep had an intake leak, but it was slow enough not to really effect the exhaust..

but since this has only happened since your intake is likely not the case..

[Distephano]

Already checked the connections. Infact, these were dripping when I got the car back. I replaced the spring clamps with screw type ones. This stopped the car from loosing coolant onto the floor. I thought the leak was done. Then I checked the coolant again a few weeks later, and my reserve tank was nearly empty, so its still going somewhere.

I suppose the intake could be suspect. I'm getting no warning lights.

Whoever asked about temps, its running right where it used to, also before the acident. On that dash on the left side of the guage, ...can't remember the temps.. but I know thats ok.

I'm gona conuting trying to find where this is going, for now though, I've had no luck.

[chas]

well, like i said give it a listen after getting the engine nice and hot.

if you are really really desperate, i would suggest bar's leak. this is the ONLY cooling system additive i would even consider. i have used it before after replacing failed radiators (they failed from age and fatigue not the bar's leak). it will seal small leaks (although there is no chance it will seal a leaky water pump seal) around hose connections and such. i have used it for years with no ill effect.

[RUC]

Im having the exact same problem. When I run the car steady the temp stays between 180 and 210 (tried changing the thermostat to 180 degree). When I stop and let it idle it steadily rises, Ive seen it get as high as 260 before I turned off the car. No leaks to be found, (even when its hot and listen to the engine), no discoloration in the oil, no white smoke. I can, however smell antifreeze very strong whenever I drive it. I even took in the car and they couldn't find it. I tried changing the radiator cap. No coolant in the carpet or under the dash. I am losing about half a gallon a week though. The only thing I can think of is maybe a small crack in the head gasket that opens and closes only letting a certain amount of antifreeze into the exhaust to be burned. If so Im gonna try some aluma seal and see what happens, I just dont know how long this will last.

[RUC]

Im having the exact same problem. When I run the car steady the temp stays between 180 and 210 (tried changing the thermostat to 180 degree). When I stop and let it idle it steadily rises, Ive seen it get as high as 260 before I turned off the car. No leaks to be found, (even when its hot and listen to the engine), no discoloration in the oil, no white smoke. I can, however smell antifreeze very strong whenever I drive it. I even took in the car and they couldn't find it. I tried changing the radiator cap. No coolant in the carpet or under the dash. I am losing about half a gallon a week though. The only thing I can think of is maybe a small crack in the head gasket that opens and closes only letting a certain amount of antifreeze into the exhaust to be burned. If so Im gonna try some aluma seal and see what happens, I just dont know how long this will last.

My catalytic converter is bad, I think, could this be causing anything? Maybe too much back-pressure opening the gasket?
Any help appreciated.

[3400Camaro]

I'm not exactly sure what if any difference there is between a front wheel drive 3800 and rear wheel drive 3800, but that is a huge problem with front wheel drive 3800's. the upper intake manifolds leak after about 70-80k or later. I had a 98 Bonneville doing this same thing. But being the way GM is they won't recall it. that might be your problem...maybe?

[ March 13, 2003: Message edited by: 3400Camaro ]</p>

[Distephano]

Could be, Dunno.

Intake leak would mean its going right in to the engine and being burned eh? I rarely if ever smell it though. This is a toughy...