The Add Coolant buzzer went off - Wow its loud ! There are no visible coolant leaks. I'm guessing
a housing has corrosion too close to the
water seal? My questions are:


1) Where is the water going, out the exhaust, into the oil:O ?

2) Is the car safe to drive?

3) Sounds like its time for an engine swap? Is
there a write-up anywhere for an REW -> TII
swap? I'm thinking Haltech.

Thx,
Steve

PS: tried to post this thread ~0700 edt - was unsuccessful. Sorry if this double-posts...

 

At the end of the day, carefully fill up the radiator. Top it off. Run the engine until it gets warm. Shutdown . Get up the next morning. Do not start the engine. Pull the plugs. Is there so much as a drop of water on them. Does water flow out of one of the holes. You get the idea. Even if you do not see water turn the engine over with the plugs out. Do you see any evidence of water? If not I have no idea where the water is going. No leaks. Not going into the overflow tank. Got me.

 

Any time I've ever seen a car loose coolant and not leaking it outside the engine, you are looking at internal leakage....probably a bad seal.....if this just started happening and it's a bad O-ring, you may be able to salvage the engine with a rebuilt kit.......however, if you have been driving it like that for a while and keep adding coolant, you are looking at some internal damage.... my 2cents

 

There's another potential source of your coolant leak. You could have broken a tension bolt. This is pretty rare for a car used primarily on the street, but it's happened to my race car (see post in this forum https://www.rx7club.com/vforums/show...threadid=14552).

Look for signs of coolant where the tranny mates to the rear housing.

While this is not a good situation, it's probably a little better than if there's internal damage.

Take care,

 

Check your hoses for leaks. There may be some small leak somewhere that when the coolant system gets under pressure it sprays coolant out. Now the reason it's not on the ground and/or you can't smell it is because it hits the hot block, and instantly evaporates. Then, when you park, and the coolant system cools down and loses pressure, the leak stops, and it doesn't drip anywhere. That's my assumption as to what's going on. Check all your hoses.

 

The coolant system can cause may problem. The coolant loss with no visible signs are the most common I have seen.


1. Pressure test the coolant system both warm and cold.
While pressure testing reomve lower belly pan check
foam seal under radiator. With a bright light look for
coolant(green) it should shine and be easy to spot.

2. If step one is fruitless, using a UV light shine light
while looking for a neon color glowing off any coolant
system parts. This tool when used right will show any
and all leaks.

3. Well if you are at this point it is time to go to the bank
And a quality repair shop that has a 5 gas analyzer.
Have the exhaust gas tested for presence of trace
coolant, which if there means bad/good news.

A. good news is that you know where the coolant is
going. Also you will have a new engine sooner than
later. Fresh engine means fresh power.

B. Bad news, engine coolant seal is bad. Time for a
rebuild. Also if coolant is being burnt in the exhaust
there is a high chance that the O2 sensor has flat
lined.

I hope that this is helpful to anyone and everyone.

 

That's interesting , about the o2 sensor. Had no idea.