Wheres the coolant going ?

[sin-drome 0]

hey guys this afternoon i flushed my radiator and got all the old crappy semi rusty water out, and i topped it up with anti freeze anti boil mobil something something, i topped it up right to the top and i bleed the system.. my question is now after i flushed it i took it for a short drive in the whitford hills area then i let it cool down for a few hours and all the coolant was gone from the tank like pretty low so i topped it up again and it keeps going down after a few hours.. is this normal ? should i keep topping it up or should i just leave it ?

thanks for the help :D

[Yuen 16]

hey guys this afternoon i flushed my radiator and got all the old crappy semi rusty water out, and i topped it up with anti freeze anti boil mobil something something, i topped it up right to the top and i bleed the system.. my question is now after i flushed it i took it for a short drive in the whitford hills area then i let it cool down for a few hours and all the coolant was gone from the tank like pretty low so i topped it up again and it keeps going down after a few hours.. is this normal ? should i keep topping it up or should i just leave it ?

thanks for the help :D

Not familiar with E30's but maybe post how many litres you've put in so far so anyone in the know can tell you if you've put in enough (ie: it was going down because there was still air in the system) or it's leaking?

[nastnas 9]

there are 2 water systems, 1 after it has reached temp and starts circulating through the radiator, and the other which circulates around the engine, and has not reached temp yet...

so im guessing, the water you added in is filling up the circuit which goes through the radiator...

but im no mechanic and not a pro at this sort of stuff...

[ducatiss 1]

hey guys this afternoon i flushed my radiator and got all the old crappy semi rusty water out, and i topped it up with anti freeze anti boil mobil something something, i topped it up right to the top and i bleed the system.. my question is now after i flushed it i took it for a short drive in the whitford hills area then i let it cool down for a few hours and all the coolant was gone from the tank like pretty low so i topped it up again and it keeps going down after a few hours.. is this normal ? should i keep topping it up or should i just leave it ?

thanks for the help

That tank is an expansion tank designed to allow the coolant (under pressure) to expand when hot. That said, there should always be coolant in the expansion tank and there is an arrow on the tank to show you where to fill it up to when the system is cold. (basically half way up) You may find that when you initially fill the system it will drop in level after a run due to air still being in the system that bleeding doesn't always remove.

However in your case it may be leaking. This could be caused by you dislodging some build up of crud in your radiator during the refill so check the radiator for signs of coolant loss. It may show up as some slight dampness or weeping rather than a constant drip. Also check that the cap is sealing and seating properly. If its not, the system will not pressurize and coolant will expand out the overflow or out the cap itself. Often the threads on the pressure tank wear (or someone cross threads the cap) preventing a decent tight fit of the cap. You can try a rolling some insulation tape around the threads ( just a single layer of tape around the threads is all that's needed) if this is the problem.

Also check and double check all the coolant hoses and clips etc. Run the car until the gauge is showing normal operating temp and the system under pressure and check for leaks. I would be running the thing until the viscous fan comes on to make sure she's nice and warm. Coolant leaks usually show as white marks when dry.

Hope this helps

Edited April 15, 2009 by ducatiss