Large amounts of coolant disappearing O_O

[[1990]525]

The past week or so, I've been inputting a ridiculous amount of coolant (filling up the radiator about every other day). It's going somewhere, but there is no odor, no puddle under the car, no fresh coolant sprayed on the water pump or hoses, no damp carpets, no white smoke coming from the exhaust, no milky oil... I also do not ever run my heater/ac/fan. It's really a mystery to me. Where ELSE could all of this coolant be going?!

[Ross]

It's going out the exhaust. Pull your plugs and have a look for the one(s) that are really clean, that will be the affected cylinder(s). Head gasket time.

[[1990]525]

It's going out the exhaust. Pull your plugs and have a look for the one(s) that are really clean, that will be the affected cylinder(s). Head gasket time.
Would not there be smoke or a noticeable odor if this were the case?

[Ross]

Nope. What do the plugs look like?

[[1990]525]

Nope. What do the plugs look like?
I don't understand why you think the plugs would be clean? What are you thinking, that there is a coolant leak into the cylinder? Would a leak down test pinpoint it? I'm at "work" right now and don't have access to them at this time, but I can check in about 6 hours.

[Ferret]

525']I don't understand why you think the plugs would be clean? What are you thinking, that there is a coolant leak into the cylinder? Would a leak down test pinpoint it? I'm at "work" right now and don't have access to them at this time, but I can check in about 6 hours.

If you've got a hg leak into the cylender bores, you're going to have one plug that looks squeaky clean as combustion turns it into a steam cleaner.

[Venus4NU]

525']The past week or so, I've been inputting a ridiculous amount of coolant (filling up the radiator about every other day). It's going somewhere, but there is no odor, no puddle under the car, no fresh coolant sprayed on the water pump or hoses, no damp carpets, no white smoke coming from the exhaust, no milky oil... I also do not ever run my heater/ac/fan. It's really a mystery to me. Where ELSE could all of this coolant be going?!

I had a similar problem. When I bought my car I the "Check Coolant" message came on. I took it into the shop and the mechanic said there was some corrosion around the a few connection spots. He cleaned them up and said some bearing sounded bad coming from the water pump so I had him replace that at the same time. Two days later same message. However, when I checked the coolant it was fine.

Fast forward 6 months. When I am in stop and go traffic car wants to overheat. When driving fast it is fine. Decide to start out with the easiest fix of replacing thermostat. Drained about 1 gallon of coolant before taking out thermostat. Coolant is clean as it was just flushed 6 months ago. Reused same coolant plus about 2 cups more. I found directions on here and several other sites that said BLEED BLEED BLEED. Test drive the car and bring it up to temp. No overheating. Go visit a friend and come home at 3:00am and temp gage shoots high in seconds. Going faster makes it worse. Turn car off immediately. Check coolant and it is bone dry! This is just 12 hours after filling it and bleeding, bleeding and bleeding it (about 6 times). Ended up adding 2 gallons of coolant. Bleed, bleed, bleed again. Drive on home. Bleed again - yes at 4:00AM!!!!!

In the morning drive my exchange students to school and pull over to bleed it again. No air comes out just a clean stream of coolant. Go to work. Come home and bleed again. Again, no air just a clean stream. Each time I am checking the level and it is fine. Today the "check coolant" level light comes on again. I check level and it is just fine. (6 months ago the mechanic told my my sensor was over sensitive - maybe it is true). It has not over heated since than.

So....... where did my coolant go in 12 hours and why haven't I lost any more? I checked my oil - nice and clean. No water on back carpet, no coolant smell, no water in my exhaust, no smoke in exhaust. 2 gallons of it just disappeared. And I know that the level was correct and fully bleed before I went to my friends. And no I wasn't drinking that night. Completely sober.

[Bin_jammin]

Burp. You had a big air pocket. Probably in the heater core.

[[1990]525]

Checked under the valve cover... milkshake... Pulling the head Friday :\
Hopefully it's just the gasket :X

[uscharalph]

Burp. You had a big air pocket. Probably in the heater core.

I was losing coolant thru my heater core. I've bypassed it.