Engine coolant leak?

Jimbob1977

Hi all,

I was checking under my bonnet today and I noticed that the engine coolant reservoir was almost empty. It was far below the Min and Max. However, the engine temperature gauge has been perfect at 90c (half way). No alarm bells.

I bought a litre of engine coolant this morning (10am) and I just checked it this evening (6pm). Half of the coolant has drained already.

I'm bringing the car in for its service this week. Can anyone suggest what the issue could be? As a novice, I can only think of a leak in the plastic reservoir or one of the rubber pipes.

Any help is appreciated!

ohnonotgmail

could be the pump.

Jimbob1977

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

could be the pump.

Thanks. I'll make sure I say it to the mechanic.

Is it a major issue or easy to fix?

ohnonotgmail

new pump most likely. cost will vary depending on easy it is to get to. I would be bringing this in sooner rather than later. Running out of coolant is a very bad thing

Needles73

What make of car is it ? A VW by any chance?

waffleman

Strange that theres no noticeable leak e.g coolant on the ground

Has your oil level went up?

Any white creamy stuff on the dipstick?

Jimbob1977

It's a Ford S-Max. Diesel.

The oil level is normal on the dipstick.

The oil colour is normal black. I believe white milkshake colour indicates a head gasket problem.

It's definitely going to the mechanic this week.

Silane

I've found a pinhole in the coolant reservoir on a Fiesta before, but only really leaked when the engine was up to temp. Try topping it up and having a look around the engine when its running.

waffleman

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

It's a Ford S-Max. Diesel.

The oil level is normal on the dipstick.

The oil colour is normal black. I believe white milkshake colour indicates a head gasket problem.

It's definitely going to the mechanic this week.

Well if you're losing half your coolant in a few hours and engine temperature is normal and its Summer (no danger of freezing) you'd be ok to top up with water until you get it sorted or you'll be out a fortune in coolant.

Once you're sure its fixed get the mechanic to replace water with coolant.

greasepalm

Any leakage in engine you can taste a sweet taste in your mouth due to dried coolant on engine block or radiator.Top up with water and check under car for stains.

Jimbob1977

Just for closure:

The issue was a cracked thermostat housing.

Mechanic replaced the housing, the thermostat and the sensor.

Apparently, the temperature was reading "normal" on the dashboard, when it was actually higher in reality.