coolant guzzling Esteem

[chandan]

My 1995 Esteem has clocked 135000 km.Of late ,it is guzzling coolant at the rate of 1ltr/2500-3000 km.Any remedies ??

[Psycho]

Any white plume on the exhaust? and when were the hoses on the radiator last changed?

[chandan]

I have to check on the white plumes on the tail pipe...I shall do that.Radiator hoses were changed at 100000 km.

[ritik123]

dude get ur car checked ASAP. If coolant is leaking into the engine (white smoke) you have a serious problem.

For the leaking hoses part, start the car, let it idle till the fan starts to spin (thats when u can be sure the coolant is in circulation) and then look below the car for any leaks.

Also look at the coolant reservoir. if u see signs of overflowing, either thru the overflow pipe or thru the cap itself , u have a overheating problem at hand.

[chandan]

well,the fan definetely turns on & off...so,leakage is most likely ruled out.But,when revved hard,there is quite a bit of smoke(not white though)......There is some amount of coolant at the reservoir mouth & the radiator cap ...... ??????

[Revvhead]

If you are sure abt the hoses & the engine, then change coolant reservior cap.
check for signs of coolant around the engine bay
Had a problm like that on my previos car- Matiz.
also check the small pipes that run from coolant res to the radiator

[Mpower]

First examine your engine oil to see if there's coolant in it. If it is then you have a cracked block or a badly damaged gasket. Usually happens due to sustained overheating.

Of course, this is after you have ruled out all leaks. Mechanics can put a die into the coolant and then shine a light to check for leaks.

[Trueno20v]

Probably buildup on the radiator filler collar or a hardened pressure seal or a faulty cap altogether. Coolant should leave some precipitation on and around the filler neck area if such is the case. Probably not your gasket, higher compression usually sees pressure seep into the water jacket rather than the other way round.

[turbo_c]

My Esteem had been drinking coolant at those kinds of rates till recently ... took it to a MASS and they noticed that my the rubber seal on my radiator cap was cracked... got that replaced... still, a couple of days later I noticed that the level had dropped again... took it back... then they noticed a coolant drip from the bottom of the radiator... They assured me that the hose just needed to be tightened, so they parked the car over a trench so that we could get underneath. That's when we noticed that the radiator had a hairline crack on the bottom panel ! It is exposed on the bottom of the Esteem and it is made of fibre (plastic like) ! (Now why did they do that ???)... Anway, I decided to give M-Seal a shot and go for a radiator replacement only if that did'nt work... Well it has been working just fine 1 month and 2000 kms of high speed high stress expressway driving later.

Bottom line: Look for simple stuff like leaks before declaring your engine Dead On Arrival !

[papaboost]

Check for leaks if white smoke is not seen. Leak points are from the hoses, the radiator, the wather pump, the piping, etc. You have to look carefully to spot the exact point of leak. Check to see if the radiator has any damage.

[chandan]

Thanks for all the replies & suggestions.I will try & diagnose the problem & get back...Thanks again.