VT losing cooling fluid

[TomFarrell]

Hi Team!

A little while ago, I posted about my 1999 VT having issues with the cooling system and we resolved that it was tranny fluid in the system. I have since had the radiator replaced and the fluids topped up. But now I am facing a slightly less worrying issue of the fluid in the cooling system somehow disappearing. I have ruled out a broken head gasket, as the engine oil is not a milky like substance, and its not the tranny oil either, nor is there any oils getting into the radiator either. I have also ruled out a leak as there is no evidence of this.

What are some other areas I should be looking at?

For now, I'm just putting in regular tap water until I can fix this issue.

FYI - I replaced the thermostat approximately 13 months ago myself.

 

[dirty hands]

how much top up needed

how old the cap
any coolant left in the overflow bottle

1/2 a liter or less a week top up ? on my VT v6 250,000km .never bothered me

 

[sneezy1]

Heater core. These don't leak into the cabin resulting in a wet floor as earlier models do. They leak into the aircon drain tubes and more often or not there'll be no evidence. I took off both my heater hoses at the firewall and joined them to check. It hasn't used any water for ages. Just a thought......

 

[wrx884]

to rule out heater core ^^^^ if this is leaking ur windows will fog up when u put the heating and the demisters on the front window and usually a musty/coolant smell can be present. if theres no sign of external leaks anywhere, i would be suggesting LIM gaskets as they seems to be the common one to fail rather quick.

 

[Dayvo]

Have you checked your heater tap? They tend to leak with age and run down the subframe.

 

[timberfoot]

Did you put those little tablets that Holden recommends into the coolant when you changed it? I have had the problem you have described on a couple of commodores, and I have remedied it by adding those tablets. I think they are a "Stop Leak" kind of thing, and without them you lose some coolant as steam at connections and such.

 

[devilly]

first drain out tap water and put in coolant,then bleed the system getting all air out with heaters on 4.then only fill it using the side bottle with the yellow cap.use the yellow bottle to check the levels.

check for leaks at exhaust pipe and the middle of car for coolant leaks.check to make sure heaters work good.

 

[TomFarrell]

The radiator and cap are new. The top up is usually around 1 Liter per week, maybe more on longer runs/hotter days. Reservoir also needed a top up of 1/2 a Liter at most. No foggy windows or wet floor, it used to get wet and foggy internally due to other reasons; rain getting in somehow through the front grill, but that, i feel has been rectified.
I feel it may be leaking into the A/C as the A/C takes longer to cool?

 

[Wozza]

As above tap water makes it hard to find leaks as coolant will dry as a white chalk like substance making it easier to trace the leak.....If the car just a daily hack, drop the bottom hose and drain some water out..using a concentrate coolant pour 1/2 the bottle in straight and mix the remainder with about 5 liters of water,throw in 1 bottle of bars stop leak (shake it hard for a good min before you pour it in) follow the instructions re getting the car a good run and up to operating temp bleed out the air and see how you go....

 

[Trevor 062]

check heater taps as mentioned & could be leaking around water pump