Vanishing coolant.

[Jconrad01]

Hello, I have a 1999 Ford Explorer. I frequently have to replace the coolant. In the last two months I have put two and a half jugs of coolant 50/50 into the tank each time checking to be sure the radiator was full. I have had it checked out by a trustworthy mechanic, my dad, and the dealership. The head and head gasket is fine. The radiator cap has been several times. This has been an on going problem, maybe a year. There have been no spots on the driveway or visible leaks in the cooling system. Any information would be very much appreciated as coolant gets expensive over time.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! I've moved your thread into the stock 95-01 section. You should connect a cooling system pressure tester to locate the leak. Autozone has them under their tool loaning program.

 

[lounge lizard]

intake gaskets

 

[Jconrad01]

Welcome to this forum! I've moved your thread into the stock 95-01 section. You should connect a cooling system pressure tester to locate the leak. Autozone has them under their tool loaning program.

While at the mechanics a pressure test was done and no leaks were found. He also did a once over of the entire coolant system.

 

[lounge lizard]

it's becoming a very common thing with newer cars and trucks that intake gaskets begin to leak when at running temp.
when cold no leak can be detected, and it doesn't use a lot per cycle. may only be using a few milliliters of coolant each run.

after a few weeks the coolant reserve runs dry. over time the leak can get worse.

my wife's Chevy van was the same way. nothing on the outside was showing but it got to the point where it was going thru a half a gallon a week till they decided there was a problem.

 

[swetrid]

What engine? If 4.0L OHV it probably needs cylinder heads or head gaskets.

 

[Jconrad01]

It has a v6 engine with a dual overhead cam.

 

[briwayjones]

My Moms Ranger was leaking at the back of the engine somewhere while running and dripping on the exhaust and evaporating. It took us forever to find where the leak was coming from because it wasn't dripping down on the driveway anywhere.

 

[mojoe]

If you have the overhead cams, it's a SOHC, single overhead cam and if you're losing coolant, you probably have a head gasket issue or a cracked head. [ Assuming no external leaks ] Someone suggested the UV dye additive for coolant in order to make slight leaks more visable. Can you smell any coolant under the hood or in interior?

 

[Jconrad01]

If you have the overhead cams, it's a SOHC, single overhead cam and if you're losing coolant, you probably have a head gasket issue or a cracked head. [ Assuming no external leaks ] Someone suggested the UV dye additive for coolant in order to make slight leaks more visable. Can you smell any coolant under the hood or in interior?

I have not noticed anything off while i am driving, but what would it smell like in the engine compartment?

 

[97xlt4.0]

You would get a coolant smell in the engine compartment. I chased a coolant leak on mine all summer, and found that the plastic thermostat housing had a small leak in it. As others have said, could be intake gaskets, or maybe a head gasket issue, too.

 

[dave63]

I have a steady leak in the unit that directs coolant flow into the heater core. It seems the linkage likes to develop leaks around there, and drip steadily onto the engine block. Sometimes I smell it, most times not.

 

[mojoe]

I don't know how can anyone say that a head or a head gasket is "fine" without pulling it and checking? What are they, psycic? Some cracks are invisible to the naked eye, esp. when cold. If it isn't leaking on the outside, it must be leaking on the inside. It isn't vanishing. How many miles? Has it ever overheated?

 

[Nightwatcher]

My 1994 Explorer 4.0 had a coolant leak that I could not track down. It would leak heavy onto the ground when cold but once warmed up the leak slowed or stopped. It looked like it might have been coming from the front area of the intake manifold. No coolant in the oil. I took it to a Ford dealer repair shop who thought the same. Repair estimate was $600 - $1200. That was way too much money. I tried the regular strength (NOT heavy duty) Bar's radiator stop leak. One bottle. That was about 2 years ago and my problem was solved. Had it not worked, I would have tried another bottle or the heavy duty type before spending the big money.