Got a coolant flush and now car is losing major coolant! help

[uber.e30]

I've been having car issues and a friend recommended this site to ask for help.

I went to get an oil change and they also checked the coolant. They said the coolant looks like it's almost water and I should get a flush. I said sure why not so they flushed my coolant and put phosphate free xerox in.

A week later my coolant light comes on. This light has never been on once in the 3 years I've owned the car, never had any coolant issues. I check the coolant and the reservoir is almost empty, about 1mm left.

I brought it back to them, they said it could just be airlock from the flush and topped it off. Again, 1 week later the same thing happened.

Brought it back and said the same thing and filled it up again. Then it happens AGAIN 1 week later.

Bring it back, pissed off this time having to go back 3 times for an issue I've never had before. They tell me to take it to our local European car shop.

He looks the car over, sees no external leaks, thinks it may be internal leaking from a head gasket or something.

Theres no smoke from exhaust, no milky oil, I don't know what it is.

Does anyone have any idea? Also how likely is it something to do with the coolant flush I got done as I've never had issues before this.

Thanks.

[nrubenstein]

Did they lift the front of the car and bleed it properly?

If not, you've probably got air in the system that's causing the coolant in the reservoir to overflow and the car to overheat. Of course, after all this overheating, you might have a bad head gasket too. That would be their fault, but good luck making it stick.

[Dark Helmet]

shop didn't bleed the system at all... huge air pockets remain...

[steinbachphoto]

my gauge hasn't dipped past half at all or shown any signs of non normal operating temperatures.

There coolant flush station is on an uphill, perhaps not drastic enough. how much higher should the front of the car be.

And they seem cooperative, they already agreed to pay the bills of my car going to the proper European car shop.

[wikolipr]

Subscribed. Having a similar issue but I found a hose that had a 1" crack in it.

Good Luck!

[CorvallisBMW]

wait, so uber.e30 and Steinbachphoto are the same person? Why would you post under 2 different names?

[Dark Helmet]

it doesn't need a huge tilt, but the car needs to run for a bit and belch out whatever air is trapped...

and the guage is irrelevant to the conversaion, it only measures coolant temp at ONE place...

[uber.e30]

wait, so uber.e30 and Steinbachphoto are the same person? Why would you post under 2 different names?

Oops no Thats my bad. He is my buddy who recommended the site to me and was over looking at my car and was logged in and I didn't realize.

[uber.e30]

Subscribed. Having a similar issue but I found a hose that had a 1" crack in it.

Good Luck!

The hose is probably the issue. We went over mine verrryy well and found no leaks.

Hope a new hose fixes your issue!

[wikolipr]

The hose is probably the issue. We went over mine verrryy well and found no leaks.

Hope a new hose fixes your issue!

Yeah, me too!

[TrentW]

To properly bleed the system, jack up the corner of the car where the coolant tank is located (higher the better so the tank is at the highest point), open bleeder, start engine, turn heater on hot and high, r3v engine to 2k or so to make sure all air is out and close bleeder. Drive car around a bit and bleed once more.

[jlevie]

From the description of what is happening, I rather doubt that bleeding is the issue. I'm more suspicious of a leak that only occurs while the system is under pressure and the engine is running, like from the pump seal. Have a shop run a pressure test on the cooling system.

[uber.e30]

From the description of what is happening, I rather doubt that bleeding is the issue. I'm more suspicious of a leak that only occurs while the system is under pressure and the engine is running, like from the pump seal. Have a shop run a pressure test on the cooling system.

Hm, what the previous shop did as a test was put a dye in the coolant which shows up in Black light. And after running the car for a week and the coolant level dropping we were unable to find any of that dye externally.
So even if it was just leaking under pressure wouldn't there be some residue dye leftover ?

[CorvallisBMW]

Hm, what the previous shop did as a test was put a dye in the coolant which shows up in Black light. And after running the car for a week and the coolant level dropping we were unable to find any of that dye externally.
So even if it was just leaking under pressure wouldn't there be some residue dye leftover ?

ya there should be signs of it. There's none in your oil at all, you're sure?

[jlevie]

Hm, what the previous shop did as a test was put a dye in the coolant which shows up in Black light. And after running the car for a week and the coolant level dropping we were unable to find any of that dye externally.
So even if it was just leaking under pressure wouldn't there be some residue dye leftover ?

If there is no evidence of the dye on the front of the block (under the pump) or anywhere else, there is the possibility of coolant being vented from the overflow tube. That happens when; the radiator cap is lifting prematurely, or when there is a small head gasket leak that is over pressurizing the cooling system.