Coolant is gone! Keep refilling?

Question

Whenever I check the coolant level in my toyota 99 camry, I find that there is NO coolant in the coolant tank! It looks completely dry. However, there is never a leak under the car. What might be causing this problem? Also, if you check coolant levels while the car is running would it be empty?

Answer 1

You may have a head gasket leak which is running it out the exhaust. Or it could be as simple as a bad radiator cap. Have a garage do a pressure test on your cooling system.

Answer 2

Bad Radiator cap, Not holding Pressure? Small Crack in bottom of the Overflow Tank, Plastic and they do crack (Common Problem in all Tanks!), Head Gasket, "Sign-With the Engine Cool and off, Remove the Radiator Cap, Start the Engine, After a Minute or so do you Smell Exhaust in the Radiator?

Answer 3

depend how long it take to empty it self

  coolan leak can be" head gaskit .rad cap. water pump.

  inside timing couver

ps coolant evaporate if slow leak

Answer 4

Do not remove radiator cap when engine running or within maybe 30 minutes after it has been hot!  If the pressure cap works, the system will be pressureized, and it will spew hot water all over--- this can easily scald skin, and when it gets on clothing, it holds heat in and makes it burn even worse!

There is a method that helps most of the time, but better to just not do it if you don't know how to do it right!

Now to find out where the water goes! Look for smells inside the car, - if you smell "sweetish" sort of burnt sugar smell sometimes, the heater core is leaking! (You are smelling leaking antifreeze) You can elinimate this for test purposes by removing hose connections at engine, and putting in a piece shaped in a "U" to connect the two together!-- this totally eliminates heater from system, --- you won't miss it in summertime anyway!  Run engine till the system gets up to full heat, -- when it gets there , the thermostat opens, - and hot water begins to flow through the top hose into radiator!

At this point the system should be pressurised and if you have filled reserve bottle right, (high enough water level) it should stop blowing bubbles after a few minutes, -- bubbles are trapped air being pushed out of  cooling system by pressure (caused by heat expanding water volume)!  If you now turn off engine, and note level of water in "bottle", - when you look at it,- after about 1/2 to an hour, -it should be a little lower.  And now you can remove cap, and it should be full almost to top of filler neck!

Next drive it around for a few miles, or check next time you go somewhere, - and see if the water level is the same (hot or cold) the level changes with heat , but it will be lower when cold, and higher when hot,-- but immediately after turning engine off, look all around engine, and hoses,-radiator, and  look for moisture, - and listem for hissing of steam being  released! If hot water is "hot enough", - it will not be very obvious in liquid form, as it is evaporating! Get flashlight, and slide under the front end, - check underneath waterpump, therer is a little "weep hole" down there that lets water run out if it is leaking  out by bearings-- this may not leak so that it directly drops on floor, but instead lands on something hot, (and evaporated instead of getting on floor)!--  If it "weeps", it is bad and needs replaced!

Most obvious indication of leakage of head gasket is minor overheating (if minor leak)-- varys with severity! And you will find "fuzzy milky" looking residue on dipstick, and filler cap for oil!  Usually it is greyish or light brownish! (depends on what antifreeze is used --brands) since some use different colored dye in water!

Now if it takes quite some time to lower water reserve, it is possible that you have pinhole sized leaks, and if you  go buy "Alumaseal" at auto parts supply house, - get the "all silver colored" powder (it is better product than the brass-ish looking stuff though it does the same thing) Take off radiator cap, - (when cold), let engine idle till it starts flowing hot water through the upper radiator hose to radiator!.. Shut off engine, -- water level will drop some!  Put in the tube of Alumaseal,- top of so it so full again try to get (dry)  powder  off rim of cap, put cap on and off a couple times to work as much as possible off contact edges! Now top off the tank again, and drive for 5-10 miles, and let system circulate, and it puts powder in all the little pinholes!   This is an excellent product I have been using for better than 50 years! It is even good for sealing cracked heads, (I used to do it on Cadillacs long alo)-- it does the job, and it circulates and actually lubricates the waterpump a little-- but if it does not cure probelm, it hurts nothing and almost all of it will go out with next cooloing system flush!  Will not plug heater core or radiator if you use only one aplication!  Some products do plug other stuff sometimes!!

Of course if head gasket bad enough it will not allow powder to lodge in holes, and just blows it out, -- then the only cure is to remove head and replace gasket! .... But I would check out everything carefully first as this is neither easy or cheap!  

Note here that after the Alumaseal attempt, you can take it to a garafge and have it "pressure checked too",( After a little while if it still looses water)!,- And possibly that will confirm cure, - or make problem show up, -- or give verdict on headgasket!