Following are a few pictures that I took today with a few questions leading each photo. I've tried to labeled specific parts to make it easier to assist.

So right now I think I've got a coolant leak inside the motor, and I want to make sure I'm right before I start making decisions on how I want to proceed with my new (to me) baby.

Ok, in this photo, part A is the first example I'm providing of my belief that there is a possible coolant leak. I tried getting a sample of it, but honestly I can't tell as there's just so much dirt and gunk that I can't figure it out. Part B is one of the heater hoses, right? (the screw-top is something I installed when I did the radiator back-flush) Well, after I ran the car for a while, and let the car warm up, while the top radiator hose (the one going into the water pump?) was very very hot, while that one was not even warm. Shouldn't there be coolant flowing through there as well?


Another photo of the moisture buildup...


Busted hose? What does this go to? I haven't seen it leaking any sort of liquid or anything...


What goes in this container?


More moisture-type stuff...


Is this one of the motor mounts? I just want to make sure.


I wiped off some of the gunk on the bottom and noticed this...is that white stuff (that appears to be coming apart) part of the oil pan gasket?

 

Are you sure you have a coolant leak? The "moisture" in the pictures looks like oil to me, especially because it's right by the filter and filler. Your second picture is of the bypass air control valve, that hose holds coolant, I'm not exactly sure where it goes, just follow it. The tank is the subzero start assist tank. It should be filled with 90% coolant, 10% water. And yes, that is a motor mount. Hope this helped, and you should check out the FAQ at the top of this forum, it has a lot of answers as well as links to download the FSM, which will answer many questions.

-Andrew

 

I would remove the subzero start assist tank. It will hurt your engine in the long run.

 

What you have is a lot of oil on the engine, not coolant. This is typical of any rotary of this age, as that area has experienced 20+ years of oil being split during oil changes, and then spread around by engine bay airflow. A can or degreaser, a brush and a hose will take most of it off.

The coolant hose on the BAC valve should be replaced before it pops and at best strands you on the side of the road or at worst cooks your engine...

 

Thanks for all the help everyone.

pitchblack7: well, while that gunk may be oil, there is a slight leak somewhere because i can see it drip from time to time. although, i haven't replaced all the coolant hoses yet, so perhaps that will solve my issue.

dwb87: yea, i plan on removing it when i do the emissions removal now that i know what it is (woot for living in nc)

nzconvertible: i'll get that replaced, thx for the head's up...

do you guys think it'd be eaiser to pull the motor to clean it or would it be more trouble than it's worth than to just reach down there with a brush and degreaser?

thanks again

 

oh, and part of the reason i thought it might be a coolant leak is because if i let it sit for a few nights, when i start it up, i get a little bit of white smoke for a minute or two

 

You will not see coolant being pushed through the system until the temp reaches a certain temperature and opens the thermostat. So, that hose could be hot but not hot enough for the thermostat to open. When you do the coolant hoses, replace your thermostat with an OEM Mazda thermostat. Some of the aftermarket thermostats are junk!

 

Is there ever any coolant on the ground? If you don't start a rotary for a while they tend to smoke a little. Does you exhaust smell like coolant (sweet smell)?

-Andrew