Where's my coolant going?
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New User
Joined: Dec 2004
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Where's my coolant going?
I need to call on the Aerostar Brain Trust.
'93 w/3.0. Replaced waterpump in January. It was whining and showed coolant leaking at the weep hole. Remanufactured pump went on with no problems. I'm still losing coolant. Not a lot, but every 250 to 300 miles I have to add 1/2 gallon or so. After my 12 mile commute in the morning I can smell the coolant. No leaks anywhere. Nothing at the hoses, radiator, water pump, or heater core. No coolant is showing in the oil. I'm thinking a head gasket has failed, creating a leak so small that the escaping coolant burns off before it can leak onto the van or the ground.
I'd appreciate your opinions on what might be the cause.
Thanks in advance
'93 w/3.0. Replaced waterpump in January. It was whining and showed coolant leaking at the weep hole. Remanufactured pump went on with no problems. I'm still losing coolant. Not a lot, but every 250 to 300 miles I have to add 1/2 gallon or so. After my 12 mile commute in the morning I can smell the coolant. No leaks anywhere. Nothing at the hoses, radiator, water pump, or heater core. No coolant is showing in the oil. I'm thinking a head gasket has failed, creating a leak so small that the escaping coolant burns off before it can leak onto the van or the ground.
I'd appreciate your opinions on what might be the cause.
Thanks in advance
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,720
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From: Washington state
where is the odor the strongest? inside....engine compartment....or tail pipe
if inside with a slight greasy film on inside of windshield, suspect heater core, common failure especially with all those miles
put in a UV coolant dye....leak will stick out like fat girl at anorexia convention
if head gasket, replace timing chain/gear set at same time
if inside with a slight greasy film on inside of windshield, suspect heater core, common failure especially with all those miles
put in a UV coolant dye....leak will stick out like fat girl at anorexia convention
if head gasket, replace timing chain/gear set at same time
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Houston, TX
Originally Posted by 96_4wdr
where is the odor the strongest? inside....engine compartment....or tail pipe
if inside with a slight greasy film on inside of windshield, suspect heater core, common failure especially with all those miles
put in a UV coolant dye....leak will stick out like fat girl at anorexia convention
if head gasket, replace timing chain/gear set at same time
if inside with a slight greasy film on inside of windshield, suspect heater core, common failure especially with all those miles
put in a UV coolant dye....leak will stick out like fat girl at anorexia convention
if head gasket, replace timing chain/gear set at same time
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New User
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Thanks. Heater core replaced two years ago and none of the symptoms of a bad heater core are present. No wet carpet, no fogging of windshield.
I will check the odor at the tailpipe when running and just after shutdown. I've only noticed it when I exit the van after driving 10 miles or so.
I will check the odor at the tailpipe when running and just after shutdown. I've only noticed it when I exit the van after driving 10 miles or so.
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Kitchener,Ontario,Canada
Originally Posted by sctrailrider
Thanks. Heater core replaced two years ago and none of the symptoms of a bad heater core are present. No wet carpet, no fogging of windshield.
I will check the odor at the tailpipe when running and just after shutdown. I've only noticed it when I exit the van after driving 10 miles or so.
I will check the odor at the tailpipe when running and just after shutdown. I've only noticed it when I exit the van after driving 10 miles or so.
I also have a slight leak, On here I learned that some leak around the heads outer water jacket. It will boil away very slowly - no drips..... all steam. Probably only at 16 PSI at 230*F water temp. Mine holds pressure O.K. but uses about 1/2 cup/ week or 250 kms. I'm going to fix it next month. As long as your oil level is not going up & looking like milk shake, you should be able to fix it too. Just a thought, make sure your expansion bottle is not leaking & also the suction pipe to the bottle is not split. The pipe refills the rad on contraction of the fluid in the rad/engine; if it cannot hold vacuum, the level will go down from not being refilled while cooling.
ATB Aeroman.
P.S. you would certainly know if the heater core was leaking, I had one go on a Mercury Marquis about 10 years ago. I thought I was in a Turkish steam bath & with both windows down, steam was still billowing from both front windows!
Last edited by Aeroman59; Apr 18, 2007 at 10:06 PM. Reason: update
Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 4,452
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From: Southern California
Check the gasket between your timing cover and the block.
When you replace the water pump on a 3.0L, you must make a clamp to clamp down on the timing cover before removing the water pump.
If you don't do that, there is a good chance you have messed up the timing cover gasket, allowing your coolant to seep outside, or worse yet, into your oil.
If you live in snow/salt country check your freeze plugs on the side. There are three on each side of the engine.
Another hard to see leak source is the side tank of the radiator itself.
But before going to these extraordinary measures, do the obvious and cheap things first. Fill your overflow tank half way, then fill your radiator and put on a new $5 radiator cap. I also had the kind of slow leak you were talking about, and it turned out to be a leaky radiator cap.
When you replace the water pump on a 3.0L, you must make a clamp to clamp down on the timing cover before removing the water pump.
If you don't do that, there is a good chance you have messed up the timing cover gasket, allowing your coolant to seep outside, or worse yet, into your oil.
If you live in snow/salt country check your freeze plugs on the side. There are three on each side of the engine.
Another hard to see leak source is the side tank of the radiator itself.
But before going to these extraordinary measures, do the obvious and cheap things first. Fill your overflow tank half way, then fill your radiator and put on a new $5 radiator cap. I also had the kind of slow leak you were talking about, and it turned out to be a leaky radiator cap.
Last edited by copper_90680; Apr 18, 2007 at 11:22 PM.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 7,014
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From: SoCal
If the system is not sealed, the coolant will evaporate at much lower temperatures; 16 psi is over one atmosphere. Depending on where the leak is, it may be vapors as it leaks, so you may not see it build up in your oil. I once replaced an intake manifold gasket that was leaking into the oil galley, but the owner never noticed anything strange with the oil level or condition.
Go borrow, rent, or make a pressure tester, and pump the system up. You might be able to hear a hiss from the leak, and locate it.
Replacing the intake manifold gaskets may seem daunting, but it's not that bad. You can probably do it in a day.
Go borrow, rent, or make a pressure tester, and pump the system up. You might be able to hear a hiss from the leak, and locate it.
Replacing the intake manifold gaskets may seem daunting, but it's not that bad. You can probably do it in a day.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2005
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From: Washington state
do you have any water condensation on the oil filler tube or cap or the dip stick
taste it, if sweet=antifreeze
taste it, if sweet=antifreeze
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Elder User
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Taste a dip stick? oooooh, yucky. Man '96 you are tough. A more pleasant way to detect coolant in oil is to let a drop from dip stick fall to a hot manifold. any sizzzling means water. this works even when oil looks fine. Quaker state 30 wt tastes like chicken, (or rattlesnake).
Ken
Ken
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Sacramento
Coolant missing
My '96 had similar symptom. It was a slow seep between driver side head and the block. All I saw was a little rust, never a drip. Apparently the coolant steamed out while I was underway. When pressure dropped as engine cooled, the leak stopped, residual heat dried up the evidence. A jar of Barr's did the trick one year ago. It may start again tomorrow, but lucky so far.
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 8,062
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From: Central Oregon
On my 90 Aero, the radiator would leak while driving, the thing was made with plastic tanks and aluminian core, and as it aged the 2 pieses would explan and contract at differant temps and would loose alittle water when driving. I put in a new radiator and things are good.
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Kitchener,Ontario,Canada
Originally Posted by ken1mod
Taste a dip stick? oooooh, yucky. Man '96 you are tough. A more pleasant way to detect coolant in oil is to let a drop from dip stick fall to a hot manifold. any sizzzling means water. this works even when oil looks fine. Quaker state 30 wt tastes like chicken, (or rattlesnake).
Ken
Ken
