What could it be if my antifreeze is diminishing quickly out of my car?

Question

i have a 1992 Acura integra.. and it does run very hot..... but this just started.... I have to add more every day? I will get it checked out just looking for aheads up on what it might be?

Answer 1

Be sure you are checking your antifreeze in the correct place my sister kept putting it in her over flow jug (which was marked as antifreeze) and all that does is leek onto the pavement and so you think you have a problem. If you are checking in all the right places it sounds like a cracked radiator. And if it is running hot check your thermostat it could be sticking.


To chinagurl comment I thought if you had a cracked block you would be leaking oil and your oil pressure would be low. I could be wrong .Also I think if your water pump is the problem you will be experencing a scrilling sound from your wet belts. (the Mrs.)

Answer 2

Because you said it runs very hot, I will have to say the head gasket is blown. That means removing the head, testing it for cracks and warpage and replacing it. That's expensive.
Other reasons for loss of coolant without evidence is again, head gasket that leaks on the intake side instead of the exhaust side, and the intake gasket. Be sure and check for evidence of coolant in the oil, check carefully on the ground under the car after you drive it and get it hot. If it leaks externally, there will be some signs somewhere if you add more every day. If there is no visible evidence, it has to be going into the combustion chamber. Since it is running very hot, I believe it could be that combustion gases are getting into the cooling system and causing an overflow while you are driving.
When the car is cold, remove the radiator cap and crank it up and watch the coolant in the radiator while it is running. Look for bubbling. If combustion gases are getting in the coolant, it will bubble. Not just a little bubble now and then like farting in the tub but lots of bubbles like boiling water.

Answer 3

Along with Chinagurls comment, also check for other leaks. It is possible that the antifreeze is leaking elsewhere but dripping into a hot engine/exhaust compononet. This will cause it to evaporate and you will never see a puddle.

If there is no antifreeze in your oil, try this. After the car sits all night, start it up and let it run maybe 5 minutes. This might give it enough time to leak, but not for anything to become hot to flash off the liquid. Also, if the leak is external, you should be able to smell it.

Answer 4

Don't panic-
If it is the overflow bottle that you are refilling, it could be a bad hose between it an the radiator. I had one car where it was the overflow tank itself that failed.
You could have a bad cap.
You could have a bad radiator.
Yes it could be the head, or block. But unless you over heated the engine and put cold antifreeze into the car while it was still hot, I doubt it. (like is said above, check the oil)
But my best guess is that it is the water pump seal. This may require removing the timing belt, so it may not be cheap. If you are due for one anyway (or close to needing it)- Just do it.

Answer 5

If you don't see any coolant on or under the engine or steam coming from under the hood, then you should hope you have a bad water pump. That's one place the coolant can leak from where you can't see it leak. There's a small "weep hole" underneath the water pump's pulley shaft and a technician can look at the weep hole and see if the pump's been leaking there. If it's not your water pump, have the technician do a test for exhaust gases coming out of the mouth of your radiator which would indicate a head gasket problem. It's possible for some hoses to leak and not cause an obvious wetness or steam around the engine.

Answer 6

Some possibilities are:

leaky heater core
hose leaking
leaking radiator
blown head gasket
cracked heads
cracked engine block
freeze out plug rusted through and leaking
water pump seal leaking
radiator cap bad
maybe even a bad thermostat

Answer 7

HAVE YOU COOLING SYSTEM PRESSURE CHECKED COMPLETELY AND SINCE YOU WILL HAVE ANTIFREEZE THAT IS GREEN IN COLOR HAVE THE SHOP USE A FLORESCENT LIGHT, THIS WAY THEY WILL BE ABLE TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY EXTERNAL LEAKS AS WELL.

TRY FINDING AN INDEPENDENT SHOP INSTEAD OF THE DEALER OR A CHAIN STORE BECAUSE YOU WILL BE OVERALL MORE PLEASED WITH THE FINDINGS AND THE SERVICE.

Answer 8

1. head gasket
2. is the passenger side of the carpet wet or have a rainbow film on the inside of the window, or smoke comin out ur vents heater core could be shot
3. is ur car leakin on the ground underneath ur car

Answer 9

You, my dear, have a cracked engine block. Check your oil and see if its milky.