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      12-17-2019, 07:22 PM   #1
Bpark1977
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Where to check next? Coolant leak

I started seeing coolant and getting the low level warning a out a week ago. There was a decent amount of dried coolant on the outlet from plenum where it connects to the reservoir hose. Removed it, was cracked at the o ring, replaced with oem. It's clean but I'm still losing coolant somewhere. I have a day off to Jack her up and check, I just don't know where to start.

I looked at some older threads with similar issues but nothing that applies. She doesn't overheat, but after driving and the requisite cool down, the tank is almost empty.
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      12-18-2019, 06:50 AM   #2
Ajolives
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Is it possible you didn't put enough coolant back in? How much coolant did you put back in? Did you bleed the system? (Don't mean to question your abilities, just covering the basics).

If this happened to me I'd just put more in if there is no visual leaks and see what happens.
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      12-18-2019, 11:00 AM   #3
pbonsalb
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No drips? Any work done on the car recently?
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      12-18-2019, 11:03 AM   #4
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No point sitting around guessing. Get a coolant pressure tester or take it to a shop and they'll have one to check and pinpoint a leak.
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      12-19-2019, 10:00 AM   #5
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Look just under the water pump pulley. My water pump was dripping from there. I was able to shine a light down between the oil filter housing and front of the intake plenum.
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      12-19-2019, 06:32 PM   #6
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stop guessing, pressure test the system and check for leaks
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      12-20-2019, 06:17 AM   #7
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I’ll guess the OP does not have a pressure tester. He is trying to avoid taking it to a shop if he can DIY. I support that. Maybe eventually he will buy a pressure tester or maybe the free tool you can rent at autozone includes the correct tank cap fitting, but for now, suggestions would be good. I asked about recent work because if the thermostat was changed, an o-ring or small hose fitting could have been damaged. If the fan was removed, the plastic section of the hose that runs across the top of the radiator that gets brittle with age could be leaking. People have also damaged the lower radiator drain plug when doing a coolant change. And the suggestion about checking the WP weep hole, assuming there is one, or just under the pump in general, is a good one since pumps don’t last forever. Does the OP smell coolant in the car or under the hood?
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