So my '88 GXL recently has been "drinking coolant" recently starting about 3 weeks ago. I go about a week before my coolant light comes on and my reservoir is empty, so I top it off when it's cool and it repeats. Now I have already searched the forums and have seen suggestions for doing a "Champagne Test", which I have done and no sign of bubbles or coolant gushing out.

I have check my tubes, radiator, reservoir itself and around the filler neck, see no visible leaks and the car has not run hot at all. So what is the issue here?

Also, tonight on the way back from work, the coolant light came on (WITH THAT ANNOYING BUZZER) so I checked my reservoir as always. Of course it was low, but I wanted to snap a pic to show you what I see. My reservoir has always looked like this, is it time for a good coolant flush?

 

Sheesh, what are those, IMAX sized pics?

Replace your radiator cap and the rubber hose between the rad and the recovery tank.

 

Didn't know we were complaining about higher quality pictures for diagnosis now! I for one welcome the days where my eyes aren't dying from straining at grainy pictures.

It couldn't hurt to clean out the inside of the reservoir of crap (careful... stock plastics are really brittle now) and see if the crap comes back. When was the last time the coolant was flushed on this car? If it's one of those "unknowns" from a previous owner, it may be time to do one of those super extensive water flushes. Careful, as if you have a pinhole leak that's been clogged by the grime, that leak might get worse with the flushing.

Good luck with your diagnosis. I'm just as confused as you are about this.

 

Pressurize the system with a tester. Look for leaks. It's going somewhere. Heater core leaking into car? Giant puddles under car? Any smoke out exhaust?

 

You don't even want to know what popped up into my head when I clicked on them. I'm sorta pissed now that I have this image in my head. What has been seen...

 

Ya,...I know her too Tony..haha!..fifty bucks..like downtown..lol!

 

I don't believe the previous user ever flushed it, not entirely sure, but I plan on flushing it. Also to hopefully help me find out where ever this leak is!

No leaks around the heater core, no puddles and no smoke at all.

 

Pressure test your radiator.
My first Godspeed had a tiny leak where one of the tubes joined the end tank, up towards the top.
After shutting down the engine, as pressure increased a small leak appeared but the surrounding metal was still so hot, the coolant evaporated before dripping anywhere.
So, it was leaking but you'd never spot it unless you knew where and when to look.

 

Pressure test the cooling system like mentioned above to sort the leak out.
id be flushing the old coolant asap if your reservoir looks like that. From those pics it looks like it's never been changed.

 

ALRIGHT! So I found the issue and it has been fixed! Let me tell you a little story.

So first I buy a radiator cap to replace the FACTORY one that came on it, groddy as hell, fill up my coolant that night and go to bed. Wake up go to work and the coolant light comes on as soon as I get there so the leak got worse.

So I rent a pressure tester and hook it up, immediately find my leak on the heater hose from the heater cord to the firewall, big rip in the hose.

Replace it, BOOM, no more leaks and pressure holds up with no issues!

Appreciate the assistance from everybody, RoXanne is back on the road again!

*Close thread, issue fixed*