So have you discovered any leaks when you did a pressure test? That would seem like a logical next step in your diagnosis rather than randomly replacing parts.

 

Dont have the tools or the cash at the moment to take it to my mechanic. I was looking for some historical information on this car. Thanks.

 

Stop leak is a bad idea in this situation. No need to pay someone to diagnose the issue, either.

Coolant pressure test kits can often be rented at no cost from your local parts store. Just do it yourself and find out what the problem actually is.

To directly answer your question: Coolant consumption on these engines/vehicles can be a large number of different things. Spending your money on a proper diagnosis (or investing the time to do it yourself) will be much better than buying/replacing parts blindly because someone on the internet told you to.

 

Stop leak is a bad idea in this situation.

Coolant pressure test kits can often be rented at no cost from your local parts store.

+1 check your local auto parts stores for a rental pressure tester -

 

There are no visible coolant leaks anywhere other than some corrosion on the outlet at the bottom of the coolant reservoir (original part). Just general white crust.

Not to tell you to go tossing a bunch of random parts at the issue, BUT that might be the issue at hand. NOT uncommon for these old reservoirs to leak a bit as they get old. Sometimes it's the cap too. Either way, the tanks are usually pretty cheap and it's an easy job. Not a bad place to start at least before diving too much further in. Would be pretty sweet if that's all it is. Until you figure it out though, keep an eye on those coolant levels like you have been.

 

I pulled the tank and other than some crud on the lower hose there was no evidence under it. I thoroughly went over the engine compartment and there was no antifreeze nor any odor of it anywhere. The cap seal is in good shape. I agree the tank is a cheap approach as well as a bottle of sealant is about $5.

This reminds me of a doom diagnosis I got for oil leaks. I had already had the seals done at 140 and 39K later it was dripping. $1500 or $20 for a bottle of Blue Devil oil leak stop. Worked like a charm. I add one after every oil change.

 

What engine.
If this is a 5 cylinder engine, look in the red circle area of the t-stat. The t-stat case half gasket can start to leak. It is not easy to see. If leaking, replace the complete t-stat. The case gasket is not available. The 5 and 6 cylinder engines will leak coolant overnight when cooled down. It will not tend to leak when the engine is hot at operating temp. The radiator tank lower ends, left and/or right end, will leak coolant when cold. If this is a 6 cylinder engine and there is a bleeder hose going from the coolant reservoir bottle to the t-belt cover, t-stat, be very careful moving this hose from the t-stat nipple. The plastic t-stat nipple is brittle and will snap off. When pressure testing, test with a cold engine or overnight. A hot engine may not show up small coolant leaks. If a small enough leak, the coolant will never drip on the ground unless pressure tested overnight.

 

Its a 5CYL 2.5T engine. Checked the t Stat and there was no leaking there either. Interesting that both engines leak overnight when cooled. Any particular location ? For what its worth in all my reading one person pasted said it was common to have to top up these tanks in the summer and the sensor tends to fail in time.

I'm currently planning on using a cheap leak stop and also changing out the sensor since it went off by itself while the engine was running. They seem to be a weak part somehow.

 

Get a proper diagnosis like mentioned using a pressure tester. Don’t use a stop leak as that can lead to clogging of passages, especially for an older high mileage vehicle where there is definitely crud inside the radiator channels (tubes). You could make things worse. I would rather have a small seep leading outside versus internally clogging parts of the cooling system.

Don’t confuse a rubber conditioner for oil leaks with the way coolant stop leak works. Cheap coolant stop leaks looks to plug a leak, like if you have a cracked weld in the radiator. Clogging can also happen internally in other areas.

There are some areas you have to be aware of that may not be seen from up top without removing parts. Don’t forget the smaller hoses at the back, the lower rear for the oil cooler, the turbo coolant gasket, and the actual water pump if it’s seeping from the weep hole covered by the timing cover. If you went cheap and someone changed the thermostat (only t-stat inside) without doing the entire thermostat assembly, all of these cheaper repairs lead to coolant seeping and run down the engine where it’s difficult to spot.

Not knowing your maintenance history and with which parts, these all can be places as well where you may not see coolant on the ground as the coolant can burn off or is dripping onto the under tray.

Doing cheap repairs or cheap shops can lead to issues down the road. I’ve fixed too many problems from previous shops resulting from going cheap.

 

For financial reasons I have to avoid doing much repair work myself. For one, I'm almost 70 and live in a very hot climate. Not advisable to get out on the garage when its 110 F outside. This radiator is 4 1/2 years old and I drive the car about 4,000 mils a year.

 

Be careful using coolant stop leak. I have not used or looked into various types of stop leak. Years ago, you removed the cap of the radiator and added stop leak to the coolant in the radiator. Adding stop leak to the coolant bottle reservoir will lay in the coolant bottle until the engine gets to operating temp and the coolant starts to cycle thru the coolant bottle. Just guessing here, it could gel up and restrict smaller coolant hoses until some if it gets cycled throughout the cooling system. You could drive the car to operating temp, leave the engine running with the AC turned on high so that the radiator fan is running. Slowly remove the coolant bottle cap and add the stop leak to hot circulating coolant. Wear thick gloves or use a towel removing the cap slowly. Do not let the towel get into the drive belt. Drive the car to circulate the stop leak.

 

Be careful using coolant stop leak.

If you put stop leak into the coolant bottle - very little of it will ever get to where it might could be used. There is just not much circulation in the coolant bottle. The only time I have used stop leak (k-seal brand) has been on the old 960 6 cyl engines. They would develop a leak in the head gasket in the rear of the engine under the exhaust manifold when cold. Due to the repair cost on that old a car I offered customers the option to put in stop leak. However it was poured directly into the head after removing the thermostat and draining a portion of the coolant. Then when ran the stop leak would stay mostly in the engine for while until the thermostat opened up. Unfortunately your thermostat does not come apart as easily and does not have a replaceable gasket -

 

I would not put stop-leak in it. Too many times it causes problems with the heater core or radiator. Four ounces in 400 miles isn't that much. It could be seeping out and evaporating. Check and tighten all the hose clamps; they "loosen" over time. Does the water pump have a weep hole? Check for coolant deposits there.

[edit]At 4000 miles a year you might be better off to just keep an eye on things and add coolant as necessary. OTOH, if you're spending a lot of time in 110 degree weather, you might want to take steps to ensure the cooling system is in good shape...

 

This is really an unfortunate situation, I don't think anyone here is going to be able to help you further.

I hate to say it, but... If you're almost 70 and unable to work on the vehicle yourself, nor are you able to even pay to have it properly diagnosed, this isn't the vehicle for you. I think you should consider selling it before it's broken further, and finding something cheaper to own (and frankly more reliable).

You will cause more problems than you will solve by using stop leak. Please consider all your options before making a decision.

 

This is really an unfortunate situation, I don't think anyone here is going to be able to help you further.

I hate to say it, but... If you're almost 70 and unable to work on the vehicle yourself, nor are you able to even pay to have it properly diagnosed, this isn't the vehicle for you. I think you should consider selling it before it's broken further, and finding something cheaper to own (and frankly more reliable).

You will cause more problems than you will solve by using stop leak. Please consider all your options before making a decision.

"I hate to say it, but... If you're almost 70 and unable to work on the vehicle yourself, nor are you able to even pay to have it properly diagnosed, this isn't the vehicle for you. I think you should consider selling it before it's broken further, and finding something cheaper to own (and frankly more reliable)."

That wasn't called for on any level. Nobody asked for or needs life advice.

 

My 3.2 would have the low coolant message appear occasionally. I saw the crud deposit around the bottom fitting on the coolant bottle and replaced it. There was a tiny fracture in the nipple attachment, so I reused the hoses. Problem solved. Until, some months/years later the message would appear again. That time it was weeping at the oil cooler hose. Replaced that, and problem solved. There was never coolant hitting the garage floor or pooling anywhere.
Putting a band-aid on the problem with Miracle Cooling System Fix in a can is just wrong.

 

My 3.2 would have the low coolant message appear occasionally.

Same here. I just top off here and there. No biggie. I'm pretty sure it's the tank and/or cap, but since it's SO slight I've been too lazy to bother with it. Would be maddening to fully figure out since it takes months for the message to come on and it's pretty trigger happy (thankfully). I mean, it's like BARELY low. And it's maybe like every 6 months and only needs a splash.

 

Back again. I decided to not use the stop leak. I'll just top off with coolant (not water) for a while. I did want to ask about the sensor. It seems to send a message at no particular level. Not near the FULL or LOW marks. I'd think it may be going off too early and too often.

 

Since you have to add coolant regularly, my best guess would be that even under normal operating and cooling conditions, the level may be getting low. Glad you did not choose to use the Stop Leak. The pressure tester is still free if you can find it at a parts store. I am sure they would help you if you asked, especially if you buy a bottle of coolant from them and it's not busy.

If you want to eliminate the level sensor and ensure its seal is fresh, an original parts one is only ~$35 from FCP. Since you can see white crud build up underneath the coolant reservoir, you can see how affordable other parts are as well. For nearly 20yrs old and driving through a hot climate, it wouldn't be a bad idea to browse FCP; plus they have free shipping on orders over $49 and a lifetime warranty on all parts. Over time, you could save money you are spending on coolant simply by replacing something worn out.

 

The level in the tank fluctuates significantly depending on temperature and pressure of the cooling system. Usually the warning comes when the system is cold but if there's enough pressure the hoses expand and the level in the tank may go down even though the coolant is also expanding.

 

Also, don't know if you are already doing this, but I suggest getting "Volvo" brand coolant (or whatever the actual manufacturer may be - could be Pentosin?) Anyway, it's a concentrate, so you dilute 1:1 with distilled water. I buy it from my dealer and due to the dilution, it actually ends up being CHEAPER than the stuff at the auto parts stores. It's also NOT recommended to use anything other than OEM coolant. I don't know why exactly, perhaps lubricating molecular components to it or something, but I've heeded the advice and just go with it. It's now green for whatever that's worth.

 

Zerex makes the G48 coolant which can be found in many auto parts chain stores. Can even order from Walmart for pickup. They make two versions, one 50/50 and the other a concentrate, but both options are not usually offered.

 

I found that I was adding a bit more radiator mix than I was comfortable with. It was getting to the point of having to take it in so I decided I’d try the Bar’s pellets.

I added a total of 4 pellets slowly over a month in radiator mix and the slowly disappearing fluid essentially had leveled off. I’m just back from a 5 hour round trip into LA at 70 MPH in 100F weather and it didn’t lose a drop. 27 MPG in a 19 year old car.

I checked the heater temp output and it apparently didn’t clog the core. So, at the moment its stable. The guy in the parts store suggested the “add it slow” method and it worked quite well for him.

So far so good.