Coolant loss

[wallyuwl]

2014 Ford Edge, with 3.5L engine, 57k miles. In spring coolant was low so I topped it off. Got it flushed at dealer a few months ago. Now it is a half inch in the reservoir lower than it was. Seems too much to be evaporation.

I have an extended warranty, wondering if I should take it in? Perhaps there is a leak. Also, in these the water pump is internal and losing coolant is a sign those are going bad (so I read), but seems like too little is being lost for that. I do have the left over oil from last oil change a couple weeks ago, perhaps get an analysis?

What would you?

 

[LotI]

Do you smell coolant? My VW always had the sweet smell when hot. "They do that"...nope, my thermostat housing leaked.

How often do you check it? If you had the coolant replaced, it's possible the last air bubbles got out of the system and settled. It doesn't sound like you check it regularly or you would have mentioned that.

 

[wallyuwl]

I checked it daily for two weeks after it was changed and the level dropped a little then, and obviously more since, otherwise normally check it every month or so. It is my wife's daily driver and she just puts gas in it.

 

[HowAboutThis]

Originally Posted by wallyuwl
I checked it daily for two weeks after it was changed and the level dropped a little then, and obviously more since, otherwise normally check it every month or so. It is my wife's daily driver and she just puts gas in it.


I swear it can fluctuate based on air temperature overnight, etc. I have always checked my cars weekly and I'd personally say the longer term trend is more important. After flushes/drains I've had to add until it stabilizes on most cars I've owned. I always checked it daily in the AM after a drain/flush and it would typically require a bit over the first few days then stabilize. When I've had hose/water pump/leaking issues it's a longer term thing. As in I top it off and it keeps noticeably dropping every few weeks without major air temp changes. 1/2 inch in a few months?!? Eh...not sure I'd be super worried. If you have a warranty maybe wouldn't hurt to have them check it. My Toyota is about 36 months old and has dropped a couple inches in the overflow. So, that would be half an inch every 9 months but is probably equivalent to a cup of coolant. I'm not worried, personally.

 

[HowAboutThis]

To add, my wife's new to us car had an overflow with basically nothing in it. I filled to the full mark and checked every day for a couple days. It dropped about half an inch since filling it but has been steady there for about a month so I'm not concerned. A half inch in the top part of her car's overflow is equivalent to about 2 tablespoons, too. So it really depends on what quantity equates to a half inch. Most tanks are shaped oddly. In mine, a half inch near the bottom is more coolant than a half inch from the full mark because of the silly shape.

 

[madeej11]

Originally Posted by HowAboutThis
Originally Posted by wallyuwl
I checked it daily for two weeks after it was changed and the level dropped a little then, and obviously more since, otherwise normally check it every month or so. It is my wife's daily driver and she just puts gas in it.


I swear it can fluctuate based on air temperature overnight, etc. I have always checked my cars weekly and I'd personally say the longer term trend is more important. After flushes/drains I've had to add until it stabilizes on most cars I've owned. I always checked it daily in the AM after a drain/flush and it would typically require a bit over the first few days then stabilize. When I've had hose/water pump/leaking issues it's a longer term thing. As in I top it off and it keeps noticeably dropping every few weeks without major air temp changes. 1/2 inch in a few months?!? Eh...not sure I'd be super worried. If you have a warranty maybe wouldn't hurt to have them check it. My Toyota is about 36 months old and has dropped a couple inches in the overflow. So, that would be half an inch every 9 months but is probably equivalent to a cup of coolant. I'm not worried, personally.

I agree with this. Check it weekly first thing in the morning before you start up. What I do is mark the level with the date and outdoor temperature on a small piece of masking tape with an arrow adjacent to the coolant level. Now you have reference points to compare at several different temps. Mine also fluctuates depending on outdoor temperatures but matches the reference points when they are the same. Hopefully no coolant loss.

 

[The_Nuke]

Originally Posted by wallyuwl
2014 Ford Edge, with 3.5L engine, 57k miles. In spring coolant was low so I topped it off. Got it flushed at dealer a few months ago. Now it is a half inch in the reservoir lower than it was. Seems too much to be evaporation.


How long have you had the vehicle? Did you buy it new, used, what?

How big is the reservoir? Half an inch doesn't sound like much to me, but I'm envisioning a large reservoir.

Also, evaporation is not really a thing with engine coolant, especially in a closed system like what I believe yours is.

Originally Posted by wallyuwl
I have an extended warranty, wondering if I should take it in? Perhaps there is a leak. Also, in these the water pump is internal and losing coolant is a sign those are going bad (so I read), but seems like too little is being lost for that.

Where is the extended warranty from, the manufacturer or a third party unaffiliated with the manufacturer/dealership?

If the warranty is from a third party and not the manufacturer, you need to understand that ANY service you have performed on the vehicle and want them to cover will NOT be a simple thing to get done. They will contest any and all items on the repair bill, and you will most certainly have to work to get them to pay out on a claim of their extended warranty policy. As such, this sort of open-ended diagnosis and possible repair will likely end up coming out of YOUR pocket, at least initially anyway.

Originally Posted by wallyuwl
I do have the left over oil from last oil change a couple weeks ago, perhaps get an analysis?


Where is the oil currently located? In an oil drain pan? If so, you cannot trust the results of any UOA on it, as it has likely been contaminated with whatever was in the pan previously.

If you had taken the oil sample properly at the last oil change and it is currently stored in an approved container ready to be shipped out, then yes, go ahead and get it analyzed.

Originally Posted by wallyuwl
What would you?


I would...not?

 

[Lubener]

Loose clamps and a weepy waterpump would be on my checklist. Look at the waterpump's weep hole for signs of past/present coolant.

 

[Gasbuggy]

Small amounts won't be noticed unless you do a UOA. So do one just to be safe. Cars with low mileage have suffered full engine failures from this leak.

 

[demarpaint]

Why not pressure test the cooling system and locate or rule out a leak? That's what I would do if I think I have a coolant leak and can't find it.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted by demarpaint
Why not pressure test the cooling system and locate or rule out a leak? That's what I would do if I think I have a coolant leak and can't find it.

This ^^^^^^^^^^

And / or just buy a new radiator cap. They can cause coolant to evaporate out of the system. And it's a cheap place to start. I usually replace mine automatically when I do a drain and flush every 2 years on my truck.

 

[wag123]

Originally Posted by billt460
Originally Posted by demarpaint
Why not pressure test the cooling system and locate or rule out a leak? That's what I would do if I think I have a coolant leak and can't find it.

This ^^^^^^^^^^

And / or just buy a new radiator cap. They can cause coolant to evaporate out of the system. And it's a cheap place to start. I usually replace mine automatically when I do a drain and flush every 2 years on my truck.

+3
Pressure test the system.

 

[Trav]

Originally Posted by LotI
Do you smell coolant? My VW always had the sweet smell when hot. "They do that"...nope, my thermostat housing leaked.

How often do you check it? If you had the coolant replaced, it's possible the last air bubbles got out of the system and settled. It doesn't sound like you check it regularly or you would have mentioned that.


A lot of VW's do "do that" also. they are also a big PITA to get all the air out without a vacuum filler. I had one with an air pocket stuck in it for a long time, the guy complained about slight coolant loss.
Once drained and vacuum filled it never did it again.