Page 1 of 1

leaking radiator??

Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 10:51 pm
by phaedo
When I left work the other day I noticed there was a small puddle under the car (it was still dripping slightly) - hoped it was just from the dew, but looked like it was radiator fluid. It was fresh, but the car had been sitting for about 18 hours at that stage (a long night that was :evil: ). Anyway, when I got home, everything looked dry, and then left again for work a few hours later and the ground was dry. The initial puddle can't have been more than 100mls, and my resevoir is not even empty at this stage, but it liiked like there was fresh fluid on the drip tray again yesterday, and there was another small puddle the next day, but this one was dry. Should I just keep monitoring it for the time being, put some anti-leak in and see if it goes away, or go and have it looked at quickly? And any ideas on what it is? And no, there is no air con so can't be condensation off that.

Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 11:00 pm
by Wuey
Any telltale sign of leakage around the radiator cap area? A slightly leaky cap will sap your coolant over a few days. Sometime you can't even tell if the cap is bad, the coolant just escape in the form of almost invisible steam leaving no telltale residue.

Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 11:01 pm
by SuperMazdaKart
sounds like the same thing with mine, leaks coolant just a bit overnight onto the driveway but not right after a drive. from what i can see using a small torch, theres a dripping somewhere around the a/c compressor getting onto the under tray & then off onto the driveway.

i'll be having my mechanic check it out when he does the a.c/alternator belt.

Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 11:03 pm
by zoomzoom
I would be trying to sus out exactly where it is coming from, I wouldn't bother at all with sealing stuff as it is not fixing the problem just covering it up. If you still can't find it then you might like to take it to a mechanic so they can pressurise it and find the leak. You don't want to be driving down the highway oneday and find your tiny little leak opens right up and you are stuck or even worse have a cooked engine.

Tim

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 1:18 pm
by phaedo
Think I will take it in to get looked at, it appears to have just started doing it again - so it would seem it is only when the engine is cold it is happening, but it looks like it is dripping from a screw on the engine block behind the water pump belts. Resevoir is empty, but radiator is full. No idea why it would be dripping from there though, unless they did something at the service...

Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 5:41 pm
by Craig
My old water pump used to leak slightly overnight, as the seals were starting to die...might be worth a look too.