When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
So you drop pressure and lose coolant when you pressurize the coolant system? If you lose a significant amount of coolant you should be able to find out where it is going. You could level off your oil on the dipstick, make sure it has time to completely settle so you make sure to get an accurate reading. Then hook up your coolant system to pressure and let it sit like that until you lose a significant amount of coolant. Once you notice it is down enough check your oil again and see if it is reading higher. If it's not in the oil and sounds like it can't be in the combustion chamber, then it would have to be leaking on the exterior somewhere.
I think normal results for a leak down test is to have air slip past the piston rings as long as it isn't too much.
Like I said, I emptied by oil pan and let my coolant drop. I opened the oil drain again and got a stream of oil. It did not look like it was contaminated with coolant. Given the amount of coolant that disappeared, I would expect obvious signs of coolant from the oil drain if that is where it went.
I laid cardboard on the ground. No stains or leaks. Still no idea where the coolant is going.
Unfortunately I drained my coolant already. However, I dont recall smelling coolant or seeing white smoke at idle. It seems that the coolant disappears only under load.
If I didnt know better, I would swear that there is an air pocket that just purged in my cooling loop. Last time I filled it was back in July though so it cant be that.
Oil analysis results are back. They found 0.12% glycol in my oil. Its not a lot but still a problem.
No fuel was found oddly enough given my bad rings. Seems likely at this point that my head gasket blew coolant and it somehow leaked past the rings into the pan.
11-13-2017, 10:19 PM
