Loosing coolant and overheating Hyundai 2003?

Question

I find my self replacing coolant every week in my radiator which dries up completely.I have inspected for leaks but can not seem to locate or find any leaks.On idle as the coolant heats up I experience a blow back of coolant if the cap(radiator is off).If its on I see coolant squirting through the reservoir.Please any advise on the problem

Answer 1

with car cold fill radiator and then jug... start car let run watch coolant in radiator when it drops  add more coolant.. when it stops taking coolant then its full.... then put on cap and start checking for leaks ... if you see no leaks but yet it runs hot then most likely the thermostat is sticking.....most systems you have to have cap on after filling or it will push the coolant back out what you do is fill and hol dcap on and wait a minute and then try again....... many times when a car loses coolant its either its got a leak you just cant look and see them all while its on the ground but if its on a lift and your under it you might see it so next step woul dbe a shop and ask them to check for leaks ... that you have been losing coolant

Answer 2

You definitely have a leak, probably in the form of a crack in the head or failure of the head gasket.  Coolant is entering the combustion chamber and being expelled as exhaust - the reason you do not see any green fluid beneath the car.  Do you see white 'smoke' while accelerating?

Stop driving it and have it repaired as soon as possible.  Unfortunately it could get pricey if you have no warranty coverage.  

The head gasket itself:

Accent - $36.00

Elantra - $55.00

Sonata - $60.00

Santa Fe - $85.00

XG - $85.00

A little more or less depending on engine size.  Labor to replace is about 4 1/2 hours.

If it's the cylinder head, labor is 11 hours, head will cost around $650.00 (new).

Worst case is the block at 26 hours labor, $850.00 for the whole block (new).

It might be possible to save money buying an entire used engine.

Answer 3

i'd get a mechanic to pressure test it.

if the level in the radiator looks like it drops as it heats up it means the thermostat has opened, so it is working.  if the radiator doesn't suck the coolant in the overflow back in after it cools down i'd replace the radiator cap.  if the valve isn't working properly in the cap it could be overflowing the reservoir and not refilling the radiator.

it could be a head gasket, but that would be extremely rare on this motor.