Coolant disappears in my sons car

[anglerx007]

I am trying to figure out what could possibly cause coolant levels to decrease in my sons neon. He needs to add about a gallon a month. There is no apparent leak on the outside. I thought it might be a head gasket but the traditional signs of that are not present...coolant in the oil, or oil in the radiator. I know this model dodge is subject to head gasket issues could it still be the cause or are there any other possibilities?
The radiator is new, I replaced it myself. The thermostat has also been replaced after some overheating issues related to fluid level.

Do all kids think the "red line" means shift now?

[cpeapea]

sounds like it would probably be a slow head gasket leak, does it smoke ever on startup? check the oil to see if there is any cooland in it. water pump? i had a jeep that leaks coolant through the bearings of the pump slowly until it got bad. just a thought. damn mopar products

[Wht95Lightning]

Maybe it's leaking onto the exhaust manifold and evaporating? I'd dump a bottle of BarsLeak in it and see what happens. Either it will stop losing coolant or it will eventually reveal itself to you.

[anglerx007]

Well, I have'nt noticed it smoking on startup but I like the idea that it may be evaporating throught the exhaust. It kinda explains what we've experience so far. I always thought of BArs-Leak as a radiator leak remedy. If its leaking into the exhaust port somehow could it plug that hole as well?

Thanks for the response guys.

[bobbywade69]

Sounds like a head gasket leak if it doesn't smoke at start-up then it could be a small crack in the head that opens when it warms up then the motors hot enough to burn it off without noticing.

[anglerx007]

Sounds like a head gasket leak if it doesn't smoke at start-up then it could be a small crack in the head that opens when it warms up then the motors hot enough to burn it off without noticing.


A crack in the head? Sounds serious, a head gasket won't fix this will it?

[cpeapea]

yea if you are mechanically inclined you could probably pull the head off and take a peak at it and have it magnafluxed to check for cracks

[bobbywade69]

A crack in the head? Sounds serious, a head gasket won't fix this will it?
I wouldn't advise using a stop leak it is bad on the rad. and seals its only a temp solution. But to repair the head gasket go ahead and have the head check.

[UUDLOSE]

Sounds like a head gasket leak if it doesn't smoke at start-up then it could be a small crack in the head that opens when it warms up then the motors hot enough to burn it off without noticing.

Good one Bobby. You might also have the head checked for warpage. Small aluminum heads will sometimes warp and leak around the gasket slowly, which again, is hard to find due to evaporation. You can buy some dye, which can be added to your fluid, and will leave a trail on the engine block under a black lite, to trace the leak. I think Auto Zone sells it.

If you're going to pull the head to replace the gasket anyway, take it to a machine shop and have it magnafluxed as previously suggested and check for warpage. If it is warped, and is not too bad, you can have it "decked" by the shop, which will make it flat once again. If it's cracked, time to buy a new head. Good Luck.

Mike

[anglerx007]

When I bought this car for my son I did something I never ever do. Thats buy an extended warranty . I had read somewhere that these little cars have head gasket issues so I specifically asked the dealer if that would be one of the items covered under their so called "used car" extended warranty...they said yes. So, thanks again for the input, I think its time to get my moneys worth for the warranty. I still expect resistence from them. Wish me luck!

Did you know that some kids think the faster they can get to 5th gear the more gas they'll save. :bs