Coolant Leak / Overflow ???

[rick3000]

So something is obviously wrong.
How could it be the coolant cap alone causing this?
Also, should I get the car towed? (the dealer is about 30 minutes away)

Thanks Again!

[Boxtaboy]

Originally Posted by rick3000

So something is obviously wrong.
How could it be the coolant cap alone causing this?
Also, should I get the car towed? (the dealer is about 30 minutes away)

Thanks Again!

I think the earlier caps released pressure faster than the newer ones, or something like that. Regardless, this was a known problem, and hence the update to the 01 cap, and more recently, the 02 cap.

I think you'll be ok driving to the dealer. Just bring like a gallon of distilled water with you in the car, just in case.

[juan986]

My car had a coolant leak in the middle of the car in the passenger side, the leak wasnt that big but it ended up being the water pump.

[rick3000]

So it is probably one of these:

Coolant Cap
Cracked Coolant Tank
Water Pump
Clamp

I have an extended warranty ($80 deductible) which should cover any problem. Is there any way to be certain whether of not it is the coolant cap? I would prefer not to pay the $80 deductible and find out the problem was the $17 coolant cap.
I have an older coolant cap (.01). I also cannot see any coolant reading, it is either too full or too low, to be read.

Also, is there a drain on the coolant tank? How did all this coolant come out if the tank isn't cracked?

Thanks Again!

[blinkwatt]

Check underneath the car. If it looks like there is a small hose that fresh wet it's probably the coolant overflow hose. Did you mess with the bleeder valve recently? When you topped the car off was it on or off?

[rick3000]

I have not messed with the bleeder valve, but it was recently at the dealer, because it was heating up more the normal, and they may have messed with the coolant tank (I know that they pressure tested it).

I am going to check everything again tomorrow, and maybe take it into the dealer.
Could it be as simple as overfilling the coolant tank when I topped it off, and it just drained the excess coolant?
If the coolant level is normal, would that signal nothing was wrong?

Thanks!

[blinkwatt]

Originally Posted by rick3000

Could it be as simple as overfilling the coolant tank when I topped it off, and it just drained the excess coolant?
If the coolant level is normal, would that signal nothing was wrong?

Thanks!

Yes it could have been from you topping it off.

Same thing happened when I bleed my coolant tank,I put a little bit too much and it shoot out the coolant overflow hose which is aiming near the inside of the passenger rear wheel.

[Boxtaboy]

Originally Posted by rick3000

I have not messed with the bleeder valve, but it was recently at the dealer, because it was heating up more the normal, and they may have messed with the coolant tank (I know that they pressure tested it).

I am going to check everything again tomorrow, and maybe take it into the dealer.
Could it be as simple as overfilling the coolant tank when I topped it off, and it just drained the excess coolant?
If the coolant level is normal, would that signal nothing was wrong?

Thanks!

I doubt it is from topping off the coolant. If you lost a significant amount of coolant after the shutdown, you probably are low in coolant, and you won't be able to read level in the indicator. Your cap, if ending in 01, should be fine. The ones ending in 00 really were the problem ones.

Open the trunklid, and look at the coolant tank area. Take off both the coolant cap and the oil cap, and then lift off the black plastic cover so that you can see underneath it. Do you now see coolant in that area all over the place? Do you see coolant at the bleeder valve area there? If not, and the coolant still comes out from under your passenger rear tire, then it is mostly likely a loose hose down there or a hairline cracked coolant tank.