Im losing coolant, whats going on?
The coolant system is closed. If you’re losing coolant it’s very likely something bad. Pressurizing the cooling system may help you find the leak. Common leakages are the hose connections, water pump, oil cooler, or even the radiator splitting apart (they’re part aluminum and part plastic, the seam sometimes fails). If you do find a leak, your best bet is to fix the problem. Avoid using stop-leak products if at all possible since they may cause more problems than they fix such as clogging passageways and causing blowouts. Also, check the heater valve for leaking. As was mentioned above, avoid stop-leak as it can clog up the radiator and the heater core. If the radiator is the cause, bite the bullet and replace it (cost around $300-$400). I think that it is close to impossible to repair a cracked seam in one of these (I’ve tried it…even epoxy didn’t work), so your best bet is to go ahead and replace. This is an easy job that can be accomplished with minimal tools and in an hours time.
