Dozer189
New Member
- Joined
- August 14, 2014
- Messages
- 1
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- C-BUS, Ohio
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2004 Mazda B2300
Hello everyone. New here and of course the newbie is here for a little help. 
Here is my problem. I am inheriting a 2004 Mazda B2300 from my Mother-In-Law. My Father-In-Law passed a few years ago and she has kept the truck around for family use, basically a back up vehicle. Well she is tired of having it around and paying the insurance on it and asked me if I wanted it. Clear title, 55,000 miles and other than a dent and a few scratches it is mint.
She had a new starter put on and a new battery because the vehicle sat for a long time in her driveway and I am sure rust got the better of the starter and the battery just gave up from non use. It started and ran fine after that but she let it sit in her driveway again for a few months without starting it and it wouldn't start.
So I came over with my jumper cables to see if I could get it running. After letting the battery take a charge it finally turned over and sounded great. As my wife came out of the house when she heard the truck running she noticed fluid pouring out of the bottom of the engine. UH OH!
Well I had the hood up and climbed all over and could not find where the fluid was coming from, crawled around best I could underneath and still could not find the source. I didn't have a jack there so being a big guy I could not get too far underneath to see. It was still running but the fluid slowed down and eventually was just a few residual drips.
I backed the truck out a little so I could investigate the fluid itself and see what it was. Just looked like muddy water, no smell and no oily feel to it at all. I am thinking water or coolant but no coolant smell.
I check all the fluids...power steering, oil, transmission, coolant... everything. All fluid levels are fine but the overflow looks a little low but it isn't empty. So I take it for a drive. Since my guess was coolant I figured it may start overheating or something if it was a coolant leak. Engine gets up to running temp but never gets overheated, heater works fine. No odd noises, power steering is fine, no problems that I can see or hear whatsoever. Runs like a champ.
I get it back to the driveway and leave it running. I even kick on the AC and it is fine. All fluids other than the slightly low coolant is still fine. I shut it off and let the oil drain back down to the block so I can check the oil level. It is also fine and shows no sign of contamination either.
I crawl around underneath and can now find no evidence of the leak whatsoever and not a drop anywhere now.
I am perplexed. Is there some sort of expansion tank release on the coolant system? That is all I could think of. The leak was dripping down from the rear driver side of the motor near the steering column around the starter area if that helps. Any moisture left from the leak evaporated once the engine warmed up so I have no clue where to look now. The truck was parked on an inclined driveway with the front of the truck on the upward slope if that helps anyone figure it out.
Any thoughts on what this mystery leak was? Should I just drive it until something happens? I am lost as to what to do with it now. If anyone knows what it may have been I would appreciate any advice. Only thing I could come up with was some trapped coolant in some pressure relief system I am unaware of. That may sound dumb I guess but I am really lost on this one and grasping for straws.
Thanks for the help!
Here is my problem. I am inheriting a 2004 Mazda B2300 from my Mother-In-Law. My Father-In-Law passed a few years ago and she has kept the truck around for family use, basically a back up vehicle. Well she is tired of having it around and paying the insurance on it and asked me if I wanted it. Clear title, 55,000 miles and other than a dent and a few scratches it is mint.
She had a new starter put on and a new battery because the vehicle sat for a long time in her driveway and I am sure rust got the better of the starter and the battery just gave up from non use. It started and ran fine after that but she let it sit in her driveway again for a few months without starting it and it wouldn't start.
So I came over with my jumper cables to see if I could get it running. After letting the battery take a charge it finally turned over and sounded great. As my wife came out of the house when she heard the truck running she noticed fluid pouring out of the bottom of the engine. UH OH!
Well I had the hood up and climbed all over and could not find where the fluid was coming from, crawled around best I could underneath and still could not find the source. I didn't have a jack there so being a big guy I could not get too far underneath to see. It was still running but the fluid slowed down and eventually was just a few residual drips.
I backed the truck out a little so I could investigate the fluid itself and see what it was. Just looked like muddy water, no smell and no oily feel to it at all. I am thinking water or coolant but no coolant smell.
I check all the fluids...power steering, oil, transmission, coolant... everything. All fluid levels are fine but the overflow looks a little low but it isn't empty. So I take it for a drive. Since my guess was coolant I figured it may start overheating or something if it was a coolant leak. Engine gets up to running temp but never gets overheated, heater works fine. No odd noises, power steering is fine, no problems that I can see or hear whatsoever. Runs like a champ.
I get it back to the driveway and leave it running. I even kick on the AC and it is fine. All fluids other than the slightly low coolant is still fine. I shut it off and let the oil drain back down to the block so I can check the oil level. It is also fine and shows no sign of contamination either.
I crawl around underneath and can now find no evidence of the leak whatsoever and not a drop anywhere now.
I am perplexed. Is there some sort of expansion tank release on the coolant system? That is all I could think of. The leak was dripping down from the rear driver side of the motor near the steering column around the starter area if that helps. Any moisture left from the leak evaporated once the engine warmed up so I have no clue where to look now. The truck was parked on an inclined driveway with the front of the truck on the upward slope if that helps anyone figure it out.
Any thoughts on what this mystery leak was? Should I just drive it until something happens? I am lost as to what to do with it now. If anyone knows what it may have been I would appreciate any advice. Only thing I could come up with was some trapped coolant in some pressure relief system I am unaware of. That may sound dumb I guess but I am really lost on this one and grasping for straws.
Thanks for the help!
