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M20 Coolant Ghost Dilemma!?!?!

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    M20 Coolant Ghost Dilemma!?!?!

    Hey fellow members this is my first thread, I have a mint 1985 325e, unfortunately she just got hit and am waiting for a quote from the insurance and body shop :(, but before then I was having some kind of cooling system issue. Here it is.

    After attending my local Sunday cars and coffee I had just parked her out front and a couple hours later I went outside to be greeted by over a gallon of coolant in my driveway. Not sure what had happened I refilled her, bled her, and checked for a leak, nothing. No more dramatic leak. What I was left with was a leak when my car would be turned off. It wouldn't leak when the car was running but only after she had been parked. After driving and parking I was always met with a small puddle of coolant under. Eventually after taking a further look near the thermostat I un-did some hoses and found nothing promising and after re attaching and bleeding no more leak of any kind. (1 month in)

    This had happened once before where she had been overheating a little bit and a small leak had happened after turning off (months ago).

    Any ideas? I was thinking about something heating up expanding and contracting causing the leak, but now the leaks been gone???

    P.S my bleeder screw is stripped and if anyone has any ideas on bleeding her better in the future plz lmk. Much Appreciated Garrett E30.
    sigpic

    #2
    You have a leak somewhere, that only leaks once it gets up to temperature/pressure.

    get a hold of a "coolant pressure tester kit". Comes with a little hand pump and you attached it to the top of the radiator. You pump it up and watch the water leak out:)

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      #3
      Will do I'm just confused how gallons can be dumped, and then reside to just a tiny leak to no leak, any ideas where the leak is coming from.
      sigpic

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        #4
        There are an infinite number of places it can leak from so i have no idea.

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          #5
          The other possible thing that's happening is that the car could be heat soaking and causing the coolant to boil once the engine's been shut off.

          When you turn off the engine, the coolant stops circulating and if the block is very hot in some areas (plugged coolant port in block or head?) it can boil the coolant and overpressurize the system to the point of it bleeding from the expansion tank.

          Where id the puddle originate under the car? Can you see where the coolant was running down the engine bay?

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            #6
            Unlikely, but, it could be the radiator. On my pickup truck I would leak coolant when the system was pressurized but the radiator was cold. What was happening is that while it sat overnight the radiator would cool off and lose the seal at the end cap of the radiator (side). When the radiator was hot the metal expansion would tighten up the leak source so the seal was good as long as it was hot.

            Did you have some overnight cool temps? Has it been warmer at night recently? May explain the odd changes.
            My son has the 1987 325e, 2 door, 5speed
            I daily the 1989 325i, 4 door, 5speed

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              #7
              Originally posted by Garrett30 View Post
              P.S my bleeder screw is stripped and if anyone has any ideas on bleeding her better in the future plz lmk. Much Appreciated Garrett E30.
              Jack the front of the car up and just leave the cap off of the overflow. It will bleed itself. If your screw is stripped try re-tapping the threads, the housing is aluminium and will thread pretty easily.

              I had a similar leak after my rebuild, start by tightening and replacing old hose clamps, and when you do notice a puddle, try and feel around all hose connections, one will be wet and will let you know where it's leaking.
              I do things.

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