Help! Coolant bottle empty again!

[Nibis]

I had a honda Civic that kept losing coolant, it was the head gasket, no coolant in the oil, but burning it off, not enough to notice out the tail pipe

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[EchoVictor]

How bad did it get? Did the engine start overheating at some point? Did you ever feel the a/c stop cooling properly?

It took about a year to get to the point that you couldn’t safely drive it and it would burn the coolant off quickly. I was basically adding coolant every couple of days. I wasn’t really using climate and just had my windows down. Yes it did overheat a couple times. I monitor the digital coolant temp and not the dummy graph. The dummy graph doesn’t move until it’s too late. The digital would be 190-210 degrees. If it goes above that it’s overheating.

 

[Linda z.]

So Saturday has come and passed. Was there an outcome to this? Hopefully this isn't an OP gets it fixed and is never seen again.

The mechanic ran a pressure test said no leaks. Not going into engine either. It doesn't leak when I drive around town, only after longer trips. Going to drive 40 miles tomorrow see what happens. If it's empty again gonna drop it in the dealers parking lot and have THEM fix it. They won't be able to. Going to demand my money back.

 

[EchoVictor]

The mechanic ran a pressure test said no leaks. Not going into engine either. It doesn't leak when I drive around town, only after longer trips. Going to drive 40 miles tomorrow see what happens. If it's empty again gonna drop it in the dealers parking lot and have THEM fix it. They won't be able to. Going to demand my money back.

This is exactly what happened to me. It took a few months to get to the point that the bottle would boil over and blow out on every drive.

 

[Linda z.]

This is exactly what happened to me. It took a few months to get to the point that the bottle would boil over and blow out on every drive.

Did your coolant only run low after long drives?

 

[EchoVictor]

Did your coolant only run low after long drives?

Yes. Initially it drained slowly and I’d add coolant only maybe every few weeks. It also passed pressure tests at the dealer initially. I think this is because they test cold and it was sealed. It may leak if it tested hot. By the end I’d have to add a tank of coolant for any drive.

 

[Pareto Offroad]

My vote is the bottle as well. There are a few reports of cracks in the bottle here on the forum.
I’m currently experiencing the EXACT same symptoms as OP, except not so fast. I figured I had a bad thermostat and was about to replace it until I looked at the bottle. There's red residue underneath and I can get the bottle to burp/squirt a tiny bit from the bottom side if I take the cap off and then put it back on while hot. I do t understand the physics there… but that’s what happens.

OP, look for red residue under the bottle.

 

[Jamrock]

blown head gaskets, “quiet coolant leak” that was seeping into the block…warped my cylinders without any notice or warning beforehand.

no puddle or visual coolant leak. Received zero low coolant light/errors, received no engine light, received no high temperature light. Only knew i had a problem when the jeep idled really rough.

had no coolant in reservoir…so i filled it and maintained it until I could get it to a dealer (rarely drove it). First dealer thought EGR cooler (which is not covered under my EW). after this, I received the ESS light only.

Took it to a 2nd dealer…they opened the engine to find coolant in cylinders and warped cylinders beyond repair. Engine was burning the coolant and this is why there were no visual leaks (no puddles under the jeep).

edit: this happened @ 61k miles (1k miles beyond PTrain warranty). Only thing that saved me was my extended warranty that kicked in and only paid $100 deductible for a brand new engine.

My quiet coolant leak left no evidence bc it was seeping into the block. I received no warnings while it happened until the damage was done. By that time I received only the ESS A! Light and code that was being thrown was a misfire in one of the cylinders.

Also, it could be a faulty EGR cooler. If you aren’t receiving any warning lights, that’s excellent, but I would have them check it, if you have a good relationship with the dealer.

Here is my concern. Overheating engines and disappearing coolant can damage other components. Some of these will not be visible unless you open up the engine and take a look. Over time, you will end up with an engine that needs to be replaced.

I remember when Tai went through this with her Jeep. If you click on each link, you will see the relevant thread.

 

[Linda z.]

Here is my concern. Overheating engines and disappearing coolant can damage other components. Some of these will not be visible unless you open up the engine and take a look. Over time, you will end up with an engine that needs to be replaced.

I remember when Tai went through this with her Jeep. If you click on each link, you will see the relevant thread.

This is not good.

 

[Jamrock]

This is not good.

It is not.

For this reason, it is important to check your engine on a regular basis. It doesn't matter what type of vehicle you are driving. Engines do not handle excessive heat very well. By the time Tai saw a warning light, significant damage had already taken place.

The dealer replaced Tai's engine under warranty. I have not heard any complaints from her since then. In Raul's case, they did not do a proper check until the damage to the engine had become obvious.

If this has been a long standing issue, additional damage is likely. Make sure to find out what is covered under the existing warranty.

 

[Linda z.]

It is not.

For this reason, it is important to check your engine on a regular basis. It doesn't matter what type of vehicle you are driving. Engines do not handle excessive heat very well. By the time Tai saw a warning light, significant damage had already taken place.

The dealer replaced Tai's engine under warranty. I have not heard any complaints from her since then. In Raul's case, they did not do a proper check until the damage to the engine had become obvious.

If this has been a long standing issue, additional damage is likely. Make sure to find out what is covered under the existing warranty.

I have a dealers warranty for 2 more months, an extended warranty and the Jeep powertrain warranty. It stopped leaking. I just drove it for 2 hrs going to wait till it cools then check it. More than likely it will be low. If so, bringing it back to dealer. The coolant temp at high speed was 220. Is this too high?

 

[Remorseless]

I have a dealers warranty for 2 more months, an extended warranty and the Jeep powertrain warranty. It stopped leaking. I just drove it for 2 hrs going to wait till it cools then check it. More than likely it will be low. If so, bringing it back to dealer. The coolant temp at high speed was 220. Is this too high?

220F is fine for the 2.0. But, 240F+ is where you're looking at the cooling system being pushed beyond its limits.

 

[Linda z.]

220F is fine for the 2.0. But, 240F+ is where you're looking at the cooling system being pushed beyond its limits.

Thank you

 

[Linda z.]

I have a dealers warranty for 2 more months, an extended warranty and the Jeep powertrain warranty. It stopped leaking. I just drove it for 2 hrs going to wait till it cools then check it. More than likely it will be low. If so, bringing it back to dealer. The coolant temp at high speed was 220. Is this too high?

just checked coolant level after a long drive. It hasn't moved. Don't know what was happening last week but apparently it stopped.

 

[oldcjguy]

just checked coolant level after a long drive. It hasn't moved. Don't know what was happening last week but apparently it stopped.

You were probably low on coolant (lower than the reservoir) and got some air in the system. As you filled the tank and drive the air gradually bleeds out lowering the level in the reservoir. Keep an eye on it to be sure, but you're probably fine. I had a similar issue when new. I added coolant and it seemed to drain out. I added more until it stopped and it's been solid for 2 years now.

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