Hi my rx7 seems to be using lots of water in the radiator. You fill it up but with in a few minutes the buzzer is back on and sure enough it needs water. I can see any leaks anywhere and all i have found is bubbles keep coming out of the radiator (with lid of). The car starts fine and runs and idles and doesnt blow smoke, and the motor has only done 12000 km (7456 miles) since rebuild so i dont think the motor is stuff or is it. Can probably post a video up if you want

 

If you're putting straight water in, there won't be any smoke. If it is only taking a few minutes to drain, that definitely sounds like a bad coolant seal.

 

Sounds like you haven't filled it up all the way yet? Get a lisle funnel, and run the car while getting all the bubbles out.

 

That could be it also, how many times have you filled it?

 

If the system if properly bled and bubbles are still coming through is that a sign of bad coolant seals?

 

It means the cooling system is being pressurized from somewhere.

 

Well the other day I put about 6l in and it still kept disappering. I flushed the radiator ages ago cos the buzzer kept coming on and I checked it for leaks and couldn't find any. So you think maybe it hasn't been bleed properly when I bleed it I take the little screw out the side and fill it till water come out with no bubbles.

 

6 liters!!!!! WOW, you have got some major issues there. If you have bad coolant seals, the car shouldn't start with that much water in the engine and water should be GUSHING out of the engine when you go to start it. Trolling us?

No, that's not how to bleed the thing. With the car running you need sit there with the rad cap off (remove cap before you start the car....duh.) and the heater on full blast, high heat. But before you do all that get a lisle funnel like I recommended and slap it on then let the thing run while adding water as necessary.

 

You could also have a bad heater core or associated hoses. Check for water in the foot wells, or soaked carpet at least.

 

Yeah i put 6 ls in, but the car runs fine like i sad it starts fine and idles fine and drives fine ( dont drive it too much though due to water issue). There is no leaks anywhere and there is no water in the foot wells or even wet carpet.

As for bleeding last time i did it your way and thats when it took 6l i just stood there with a coke bottle and kept filling and bubbles would come out and water would drop so i filled up and more bubbles ect. but i have never turned the heater on so may try that.

 

Can you get a pressure tester? If so, pressure test the coolant system. You should hear/see the leak.

 

try this with your car if you getting a bubbles then most likely the coolant seals are bad. if you just putting in strait tap water in the you at risk to eating way coolant seal groove. then your iron housing will need to be replaced.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v5xndhkTsw

 

You've got compression leaking into your cooling system

 

but if i have coolant going into the engine wouldnt it run poorly i will have a play around in the next couple of days and see what i can find i just hate that annoying buzzer but i guess its saving my car lol

 

http://www.amazon.com/UVIEW-560000-C...ref=pd_cp_hi_0


This is what I've used alot to determine bad head gaskets or leaking coolant seals. Good luck

 

Throw some clean cardboard under the engine area while it's running and watch for drips.

Check the carpet areas under the dash for coolant leaking from the heater core.

Have an assistant hold the engine at a higher rpm and watch the coolant bubbles. Do they bubbles change in frequency with rpm? If there is indeed a faulty coolant seal, I expect the bubbles to become more frequent as the rpm increases. The video previously posted by 86GTR clearly shows this.

 

Sometimes when a coolant seal blows it wont run any differently at all other then it overheating of course.

 

Ok i got the funnel and bled the system and it kept bubbling and when i reved it it would bubble and water would drop then eventually nothing no bubbles no water dropping or anything so i put the cap back on and let it run and the coolant buzzer came back on. when i rev the car the buzzer goes away then about 10secs later its back on.

I find it weird that with funnel in it full of coolant the level doesnt drop and the buzzer doesnt come on but with the cap on it does, and the radiator cap is new was one of the first things i tried to fix this problem. is there a problem with the over full bottle or something all the hoses seem good and no blocks

 

my car does the same thing. it bubbles at idle but when i rev it it stops. my coolant light also comes on at idle but it turns off when i drive it. i checked the plugs to see if any coolant was leaking into the chambers but there wasnt any. my car isnt smoking either. are bubbles normal at idle? can someone post a video up on how a normal car with good coolant seals is supposed to look like in the filler neck? =]

if your coolant temp sensor is old and brittle like mines then chances are its just defective, at least thats what i thought.

 

Glad to see someone has the same problem lol my sensor isnt broken as the water is going down it only ever goes down to the top of the fins in the radiator

 

Sounds like a small leak that only leaks when the system is pressurized. Maybe near the top of the radiator. Check around the seams of the radiator for dusty green streaks of residue. If you have a plastic filler neck (thing the cap screw onto) they often crack in such a way that is hard to see. Throw some baby powder on it.

 

Just because it bubbles doesn't mean it's blown... I have bubbling for the past 2 months. But then one day the rear heater hose decided to blow out, which had a pinhole size leak. to a gash. Fixed the hose and no more bubbles. (That's just me.) (Thus I told you to pressure test it.)

 

Yeah pressure test seems the way to go i will have to see where i can get one thou as i dont really wanna drive my car while its losing water hopefully the radiator is broken so i can get a shiny new one lol.

Mine is a metal radiator with metal filler neck my tank looks different to the tanks you have over there my filler hole is right on top of the radiator itself will take a pic if you want

 

Metal (brass) radiators are repairable with sand paper, aceteone, solder, flux, and a MAP gas torch.

Some RX-7s have two fill caps...sometimes there is a plastic filler neck on top of the water pump and it's prone to cracking.

I'm surprised you haven't located the source of the leak. If you are losing that much coolant in a few minutes there should be wets spots under the car. Have you removed the belly pan and looked under the car?

 

i have placed cardboard underneath the car while running and could not find any leaks but that was only with the funnel in so maybe i should try with the cap on again. i checked a while ago with the cap on and couldnt find any leaks. when the system pressurizes the water seams to be going into the overflow bottle and the water drops so it seems like the water isnt going back into the radiator what would cause that. also the water level only drops down to the top of the fins