[Al4x]

my car has developed a coolant leak

its so rapid that turning the engine on uses it up instantly, the car isnt overheating [according to the dash computer] and has obviously done alot of miles seeing as it is instant :/

i cannot locate [its wet everywhere and cant see if its leaking

is it likely to be internally in the engine or just a seal/pipe/pump?

im desparatly hoping its the later!

any suggestiions? the engine bay is so tight its hard to get at stuff :/

 

[intoflatlines]

What kind of car do you have? A huge leak like that has me thinking that it's from a broken seal, not inside the engine.

 

[cheemo]

Take a look at the oil dipstick, if creamy or frothy the head gasket is probably leaking allowing coolant into the engine.

 

[zx10guy]

You need to clean off the gunk on the engine and see if there is an external leak or not.

There are two ways to lose coolant with a failed head gasket. As mentioned, coolant can get into the crankcase and contaminate the oil or coolant can get into the combustion cylinder which gets shot out the exhaust.

You can also pressurize the cooling system to see if it holds pressure which will also cause any external leaks to be pretty apparent.

 

[Al4x]

the oils fine, i checked that

car is an 2003 toyota celica t-sport

its too dark to see atm here and its getting looked over tomorrow while im at work

i had the engine running for 30 seconds and half had dissapeared that i put in

 

[wantmyf1]

I'm with zx10guy. Go get the system pressurized. Shouldn't take long to find the leak after that.

Also you can drive without overheating the car even if you have no coolant. As long as you keep moving you'll often keep the engine cool enough. The problem is when you stop moving or shut the car off and the engine loses the airflow. That's when the heat really compounds.

 

[Al4x]

that would explain why i drove 400 miles with this problem [cause its obviously been here an unspecified time] and i never get into traffic jams driving too work

thanks for that, i was pretty worried if the gasket wasnt cracked it would be damaged in day to day use

a little bit of reassurance, and its winter, ill keep the revs low as possible if i have to drive it anywhere [ie garage]

ps
to pressurise the system.. does that require special equipment? im guessing it does

 

[wantmyf1]

Yes, it's best just to take it to a shop. Less chance of injuring yourself

Also, I wouldn't run it too long in that condition. I wouldn't run it at all in fact. You never know what will happen in the run of your travels. One prolonged stop for whatever reason, and you'll be looking at a new engine.