I need help locating the source of a coolant leak. About 2 days ago I noticed a small puddle under the car, near the front tire on the driver's side. I didn't think much of it because there's always a lot of water from the ac system. Today while I was checking the oil level I noticed the coolant reservoir was a bit low and after closer inspection I noticed coolant had pooled under the reservoir.

As you can see in the picture, the only place I found coolant was right under the screw in the middle of the reservoir. I checked all the hoses, the cap, all around the reservoir and the only place that seemed to be wet was right under that screw. So, anyone have any ideas where it might be coming from? The leak seems to be real slow, the current level is just under the "low" mark.

 

Well from your description it is most likely the reservoir itself. It is fairly easy to remove and check. Remove the hoses. Three of them I think. Two small ones and one bigger. Remove the bolt (the one in your picture). Rotate it some to disengage it from the strut tower and pull it off.

I bought a new one on ebay and it was reasonably priced.

 

Hmmm, after closer inspection, I think I've found something. I've circled in red where I think I see an extremely thin crack...I don't know if that's the source, but I've put a piece of masking tape over it and see if it gets moist.

 

How do you remove the coolant? Just by removing the big hose and catching the coolant in a container? Did you buy a new reservoir or was it used?

 

You can try to catch it when you pull off the bottom hose. I imagine limited success. You can try to siphon it out. Either way don't expect a lot of success recovering the coolant.

I bought the new one. It was about $80 or $90. Bad but way less than the dealer. I broke one of the nipples off removing it for the engine swap I did. So it was my fault.

 

Carwatcher, the best way to do remove some of the coolant is to first remove the cap off of the overflow bottle and then if you look down in front of the passenger side front wheel, there is a small opening in the cover that goes under the bumper. If you reach up in it, you will feel a small spade sticking out. This is the radiator drain valve. With a catch pan under the corner of the car, open the valve slightly and let some coolant come out until the overflow bottle just empties. At that point you can close the valve and replace the overflow bottle with little to no coolant spillage.

As for your problem with the leak, I would also check the small nipples on the top of the tank. They can crack and cause leakage like you are seeing.

 

Thanks...by nipples do you mean where 2 screws are holding a cable to the top of the tank? Well, I think the crack I circled is the cause since this morning the piece of napkin I taped to that area was wet right above that crack. Now on how to fix it...can I apply jb weld over that tiny crack or should I just replace the tank? This crack is hairline...

 

Carwatcher, the nipples I talk about is where the 2 hoses run into the top of the tank. Those are known for cracking and causing coolant loss.

You can try applying some JB Weld or other adhesive and seeing if it will seal things up. It may or may not depending on the type of plastic that the bottle is made out of. You may find that a better glue will be one that you can find at a hobby shop that will be what modelers refer to as a plastic weld glue. This type of glue actually melts the plastic and would provide a good seal. The glue is somewhat expensive based on how much you get, but it is great stuff.