TwinCharged RX7

iTrader: (14)

Good idea. idk if anyone has seen my previous post where i thought i did have a leak, but now i'm pretty sure its just from my resevoir overflowing all the time.

Also, the coolant level now that the car has sat is somewhere towards the bottom of the top hose, so i'm pretty sure its not the coolant seals, this much coolant loss in the engine, i hope would have smoked a lot of white smoke. but i have none unless i start cold when its real cold out for a few minutes, which i think is just condensation.

I've got the intercooler out now, but i've confused myself. is there a line at the bottom of the resevoir? I don't see one going anywhere, i have a small hose that goes from the tstat housing to the bottom of the radiator, and another small hose that goes to the top of the resevoir. I need to go check again, but where does the hoes go that ties into the bottom of the resevoir if there is one? I had just asumed it went to the tstat housing, which it does not now that i have it appart. i'm running to the store to get the new cap and then i'll jack it up and find the hose at the bottom.

Thanks again everyone, i'll keep you posted

seanfd3s

+1 for the air check, when you cars cold pop the cap and start it and see if bubble come out.

TwinCharged RX7

iTrader: (14)

i just checked again, i am definitely not seeing a hose at the bottom of the resevoir, does the hose on the top of the resevoir have like a straw that goes to the bottom of the resevoir instead?

TwinCharged RX7

iTrader: (14)

Until nows its been kind of hard to tell exactly how much flid is in the resevoir, but i took the hose off the Tstat housing that goes into the top of the resevoir and blew into it, it bubbled right out the top of the resevoir, so its completely full.

i sucked on the hose too (carefull not to swallow any haha) and it came back up real easy so there must be a straw that extends down into the tank, which explains why there is no hose coming from the bottom.

This hose goes right under where the cap was, so i'm hoping its the cap, i got a new cap, without the pressure release, so i'm going to fill it up and burp the system with the cap off and a funnel in the tstat housing a few times.

It should be fine for atleast a day, i'll just have to keep tabs on the level in the tstat housing when it cools off, should this come right back up to the top?

DaveW

Just read your last post, and this may not apply, but...
There should definitely be a small (~3/8" dia or so) tube (the OE version is in 2 sections, with a plastic union in the middle) that goes from the bottom of the reservoir to the AST (or to the filler neck if you don't have an AST). It should run from the top of the AST across the small subframe that supports the OE intercooler to the bottom of the OF tank. If the tube is going to the top of the OF tank, there (as you had already figured out) is no way to pull the overflow back into the engine. Maybe someone changed it to fit a different intercooler or something, and didn't know what they were doing.

TwinCharged RX7

iTrader: (14)

I see what you mean, something must be different about mine. I have the PF Supercars race intercooler (stock mount) and no AST. It was all done before i got it so thats why i'm kind of figuring it out as i go along.

Here is what I'm sure of:

There is no hose for the bottom of the resevoir.
The tube going from the top of the resevoir to just under the radiator cap on the tstat housing must have a straw stuck down into the resevoir- i sucked on it and it pulled fluid right out. There is another hose going from the front of the tstat housing to the bottom of the radiator. that flows freely both ways as well. So at least i know there are no clogs in those.

The system used to work, so hopefully my radiator cap failed. either that or my coolant seals blew and its pushing so much gas from the combustion chamber in that it creates an airbubble and doesnt ever allow the system to suck coolant back in from the resevoir.

And i don't think that i just missed a hose on the bottom of the resevoir b/c I would have a massive leak coming from somewhere around the waterpump or tstat housing.

I've been squeezing the hoses and getting alot of bubbles out of the system, its full now, so i'm going to cycle it a few times and try to get some more bubbles out. then i'll have to wait till i drive it a bit to see if i'm still loosing coolant. Thanks again for the help, and if you have any new ideas please throw em at me.

Azcamel

iTrader: (1)

sounds like air in the system to me, i would by an aftermarket air bleeder system. it attaches to your coolant cap and will relaease all the air out once the engine is warming up. easy simple and youc an make sure all air is out of your system. My Rx did this when i changed out the coolant, it pressurized the system fast but then the low coolant light would come on, it took like 4 times of full warm up and cooldown for me to bleed all the air out by hand, if i did it again i would buy the bleeder kit.

TwinCharged RX7

iTrader: (14)

thanks. I just took it out for half our. everything is good for now. i'll check in the morning to see where the coolant level is at, hopefully its full. and if its not, hopefully i just need to burp it a few more times.

TwinCharged RX7

iTrader: (14)

I opened the cap this morning and it is not full to the top. The level is down a little ways in the upper radiator hose.

I'll be filling it up again tonight and driving it, hopefully its still just working out an air bubble. But in the meantime can anyone check there car to see what the level is after its cold? should it fill all the way back up to the very top when it cools off, or does it settle a little ways down?

DaveW

Mine is usually ~1" or so below the top of the filler neck (however, I rarely check it there), but I still have the AST, which, IMO, helps keep the level at the filler neck somewhat higher.

Dave

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

That sounds a bit low. Go to Autozone or some other auto parts place that rents tools and rent a coolant system pressure tester with the adaptor for imports. Use it to help you find a possible coolant leak. A car as old as this often has coolant hoses on their way out and even clamps that have loosened up.

TwinCharged RX7

iTrader: (14)

Autozone has theirs rented out, so that will have to wait a bit. Is there anyone without the ast they can comment on the normal coolant level?

DaveW

If everything is perfect, I would expect the coolant level to eventually get close to the tube off the filler neck that goes to the OF tank. That's close to where mine is. Much lower, and you SHOULD get the coolant-level buzzer going off. Does yours sound when you have these problems?

Dave

TwinCharged RX7

iTrader: (14)

The buzzer has never gone off, and i'm not sure if it works, i know the temp gauge works but thats it, any way to test the buzzer? And where is the sensor for the coolant buzzer?

My setup has 3 sensors on the front of the tstat housing, one for the aftermarket gauge, one for the TEC GT ems, and one that goes to something else and i dont know what it is.

Then there are 2 sensors on the back of the tstat housing, one is the thermosensor- the wire was deleted a long time ago i think, and then another sensor below that a little closer to the water pump, not sure what that one does but it is hooked up.

DaveW

The one below the thermoswitch on the back of the tstat hsg is the level sensor, see the picture below. It is part 15-610.

Dave

TwinCharged RX7

iTrader: (14)

Isn't 15-610 on the front of the tstat housing?

and if the sensor is up there it never goes off, if i were to start it now with the coolant level down in the upper hose, it wouldn't make any noice.

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

As Dave predicted, mine sits right at the level of opening for the overflow tank.

If it helps to clarify from the picture...the coolant level sensor is the black hex-headed plug with a single wire lead on the front of the filler-neck housing. If your coolant level is below the level of the sensor and the buzzer hasn't gone off then it's probably not working. Be extra careful.

DaveW

Yeah - you're right - sorry. I looked at the picture wrong - and I just replaced that sucker because it was leaking. DUH...

Dave

TwinCharged RX7

iTrader: (14)

So in any case, i dont think its working.

I just pulled the UIM off. I have a leak somewhere, i'm trying to find a pressure tester now. the leak is in the back of the engine, i think its the blocked off throttle body hose nipple on the passenger side of the block. whats weird is that its not wet at all, but on the side of the engine i can see a green streak. maybe it sprays when its hot and then doesnt get any coolant on the nipple itself.

I also pulled off the view plate into the bell housing on the top of the engine. the underside of the plate is covered in antifreeze. my guess is that the blocked off throttle body nipple is spraying into it somehow and managing not to make a mess on the top of the engine. Unless of course the engine is leaking out the back in the bell housing.

Is it possible to leak out the back of the block? the flywheel could then be spinning it around, and then its creeping out of the view plate on the passenger side of the engine that lets you see the flywheel, which would explain the green streak running down the side of the block. There aren't any other hoses back there, i think its either leaking out the back of the block if its possible, or out through the nipple where the throttle body line should be.

oh and the metal heater line running across the firewall does not look to have a leak. no drips anywhere on it.

any other ideas?

crcleofdst

You need that pressure tester. It's either that, or replace all of the coolant hoses on the back of the engine (which is not a bad idea btw). Then again, if your going to do that, you might as well replace all of the other coolant hoses as well...

mono4lamar

iTrader: (32)

Chudsoncoupe, I'm on the other side of the river (Ulster County). If you want to bring your car over to my shop I can check it out for you. I can pressure check the coolant system for you...

TwinCharged RX7

iTrader: (14)

crxleofst - i don't think there are any left on the back of the engine, its not stock anymore, the only thing on the back of the engine on the passenger side is the blocked off nipple for the throttle body hose, i put a new block off on that tonight for good measure, and the other side of the engine has only the heater hose but that isn't leaking. don't know what else can be there.

mono- thanks, want to work something out for the weekend? the car drives fine as long as its full of fluid. I found a pressure tester, they said it had the import adapter but when i got home i found out its only the adapter to test the cap, so i'll have to go back tomorrow and get the other piece.

crcleofdst

There are a few heater hoses on the firewall, and a quick disconnect for the heater hose on the drivers side. Any one of those could be leaking. I also missed where you said the TB line was deleted, and you capped the lines instead of re-routing them. I had assumed that you re-routed the hose.

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

Frost plugs on the rear iron.

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

Since your back there anyway, instead of blocking the rear nipple for the TB coolant line, you could use the opportunity to re-locate that temp sensor where it will read properly before the t-stat opens.