Eating Coolant...what is wrong?

[romeobrood]

hi, guys. My car is eating coolant like no other, I go through a bottle (1 gal) a week or a week and a half. I have no idea what the problem is. All I know is that my car starts to over heat and I pour more coolant in. I change my thermostat but its still drinking it like water. Also, there are no leaks, and I have check carefuly. Any ideas? Any help would be greatful, Thanks. I drive a s14.

[phrozen]

bad head gasket? are u sure there is no leaks? check ur oil see if there is coolant in there

[UcanTry]

my s14 was eating colant like a champ, turned out to be a bad headgasket man....check your oil see if its mikly, or you can go to your local autopart store and they have this liquid kit u can buy to see if its the headgasket, also does the exhaust smell like collant....im willing to bet that its the headgasket

[mrmephistopheles]

if there are no visible leaks, headgasket.

[romeobrood]

thanks guys, I going to check that right now...

[pep240sx]

check the heater hoses. I had a pinhole leak on the rear heater hose after I did the srswap. The leak would pour down the back of the firewall and onto the transmission. I would never have found it, because the leak would drop on the grond well behind the engine. I thought I had a bad gasket, but I didn't, just a leak

[Ritz S14]

I don't think you can actually eat coolant.. Drink it maybe.

Before you change anything, try a coolant pressure test.

[Soulja]

Also check the weep hole on the bottom of your water pump. If the seal in your pump goes, you will start to lose coolant from there when the car is running. Reach down under the pump, and feel around for any moisture. Mine went, and it took me a couple of weeks to figure out what it was. Better to check the cheap things first, and work your way up to the expensive stuff. Cost me less than $60, for a new pump, and all new belts.

[kandyflip445]

If your car is overheating and you don't have any leaks it could be that your not bleeding it well enough. Mine did it if it wasn't bled well and it would use up coolant because it was spewing out as steam. If you want to check if your HG is blown you can take the rad. cap off with it cool and let it warm up. If you see bubbles or if it's shooting out ,or anything like that, out of the rad. then your HG is most likely out. If you can rev it and it doesn't do any of that, it just rises maybe a little, then you're fine. (for the most part)

[kuruptR]

It may be a not so visible leak... banjo on the turbo. I have this problem, it doesnt eat that much, but i know its leaking coz when its cold you can feel the wetness on the bolt. kinda smell it in the enginebay / vents too.

[KA24DESOneThree]

If I was a betting man, I'd have money on the headgasket.

[240trainee]

I don't think you can actually eat coolant.. Drink it maybe.

Before you change anything, try a coolant pressure test.


yea, drinking coolent is not advisable. I second the pressure test, and the fact it is probably the head gasket, if you haven't noticed a coolent leak.