I think I've figured out the pattern on my 88 TII. I will fill it up with coolant and bleed the air out properly. I'll start it up and drive it around for an hour or so. It runs great, no problems what-so-ever, runs very cool. When I come to drive it later on(hot start) or the next day(cold), as soon as I start it the add coolant light/buzzer will sound. I don't drive it like this long but the temp never goes past where it normally is. Then on the next cold start I'll open the radiator cap, then the cap near the alternator and then unscrew the bleed plug. When I unscrew the plug a bunch of air blows out taking a little coolant with it. I'll fill it up, bleed the air and drive it around with no problems. The cycle repeats. Of course I've eliminated the middle step, now i just make sure the air is bled everytime I go to drive it, which is usually on a cold start. I've only driven it around for an hour max so far. I'm not sure if/when the buzzer will come on after I've been driving it for a while. Does this sound like i've got a coolant leak or do I need a new radiator cap?

 

^

 

I would say rad cap cause mine did the same thing till i put a new rad cap and upper raditor hose on it.

 

My 88 TII does the same thing, except theres seems to be oil in the system as well. but it never overheats, but theres a signifigant coolant loss. A new cap didnt help me either.

 

You may have a small leak somewhere that doesn't cause you to loose too much coolant but, sucks air in when it cools down. when you shut the car off, the coolant temp rises because there is less airflow throught the radiator. it's designed to spit some coolant into the resevoir to relieve pressure and help it cool. then, when it cools enough, it slurps all the coolant back in. if you have a small leak somewhere, the suction will pull in air instead of coolant.

 

poweredbysatan. if it's oil then you're really screwed. it might not be though. any chance you had a turbo replacement recently?

 

I had a similar problem. I had a very small leak in a heater hose. The leak was so small the leaking coolant would evaporate and leave no easily visible trace.

Rob

 

Your friendly local mechanic should have pressure testing equipment and can easily tell you whether it is the cap or a system leak.No messing about if you have a test done.

 

ive had the heater hose leak on 2 different 2nd gens at the exact same spot...the clamp holding it to the engine cut into the hose. it started just like you described and i suspected my radiator cap. after several days to a week it would get worse, until the hose finally would just blow and spill out all the collant. its like a $35 dollar hose you can get at a dealership since its funky shaped. on one car i just got some L shaped pieces and joins to fix it, but on the other i wasn't anywhere near home and had to get a midas to do it...what a pain in the wallet for such a minor fix.