Coolant loss with no visible leak? The first thing to check!

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When I have a small coolant leak or coolant loss on a car like this Honda Civic, the first things I always check is.. look for obvious leaks on hoses and the radiator tanks, then I inspect the radiator cap. I am looking for rotted, cracked, dry seals or a weak spring on the radiator cap. If the car has the original radiator cap. ↓↓↓↓ More info Below ↓↓↓↓
The radiator cap is responsible for keeping the cooling system under a specific pressure, if the seals are faulty or the spring is worn, the cooling system will not hold pressure and the radiator cap will allow coolant to escape, and then once enough coolant is lost, the car will start overheating.
Radiator caps usually cost between $10-$15 for most cars, so if you suspect it, might as well replace it to eliminate it as a suspect in your coolant loss issue. Radiator Caps on Amazon: amzn.to/2oDzg9K Verify Before Purchase
If you are losing coolant but there is no visible leak, check your radiator cap!
My guide to diagnosing overheating cars: zipzapdiy.com/overheating-cool...
Every repair situation is unique. ZipZapDIY cannot guarantee that your repair will be the same as depicted in this video. You should use this video as one information source of many, and you use this information at your own risk. Any tools, parts recommendations links used in this video must be verified by you to be applicable to your situation. ZipZapDIY cannot be held liable for any results from your improper use of tools or repairs. ZipZapDIY highly encourages you to seek out multiple sources of information regarding the repair depicted in this video. There is no warranty expressed or implied warranty or guarantee that you will experience similar results. You are solely responsible for the safe use of tools and equipment during your repair.
zipzapdiy.com
Tools and Parts on Amazon: amzn.to/2on8iab

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2 авг 2024

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Комментарии : 525

@rajaatiq9509 3 года назад

And i my car was dropping water level in radiator without any leakage sign. After watching i found that the radiator cap is faulty. Thumbs up.

@Zincink 4 года назад

Do not open when the engine is hot or you'll become a burn victim. Also, great tips.

@strikevyyper334 4 года назад

you can open the radiator while its hot as long as the engine is running, i do it all the time, never been burnt

@raiderscorpio5629 3 года назад

@@strikevyyper334 yep , just do it slowly

@liamduval2093 3 года назад

You can open the radiator cap with the engine hot theres no reason to do it with the engine running just be careful I've noticed Chevrolet are the systems that really pop and can really give some extreme burns but just take caution and if a vehicle seems to hot it might just be give it 10 minutes to cool and you're good to go

@jameshunt5316 3 года назад

Liam Duval my Honda Civic three years ago shot three quarts in my face one time in a Burger King parking lot 😂 with immense pressure when I decided to open it up while hot as a teenager. At running temp if it is not extremely hot already you can slowly, although if you’re overheating do not attempt 😂😂

@kagoatleonard4019 3 года назад

@@jameshunt5316 Do you realize how lucky you are. If you would’ve done that after a long trip in your Honda you would’ve literally cooked your face and wouldve got permanent scars

@deedall 6 лет назад

Thank you so much!!! Nobody could figure why my Honda civic was overheating I found your video + immediately bought a new radiator cap and presto! It's fixed. I can't thank you enough;)

@davidhendrickse2256 8 лет назад

GREAT VID! No loud useless rock music and you explain things simply and in quietness. THANKYOU, THANKYOU THANKYOU. u rock!!

@ZipZapDIY 8 лет назад

Thanks!

@badhabitz69 8 лет назад

Agreed!!!!

@carljohnson4996 6 лет назад

Talking about scotty Kilmer?

@michaelabercrombie7698 5 лет назад

Actually he didn't rock. Pay the hell attention to what you wrote.

@R0ssMacPherson 5 лет назад

SCOTTY IS A SAINT HOW DARE YOU

@johnstaif846 5 лет назад

The cause of a mystery coolant loss on my Explorer turned out to be a failed pressure regulator built into the cap. I didn't think to check this until your video. Thanks for the tip.

@ZipZapDIY 5 лет назад

nice!

@calvinpryor 2 года назад

2010 Ford Explorer....coolant level in the reservoir was slowly declining over a 6 month period and by the end of it I was going through a jug of coolant about every 2 wks....kept refilling to the "full cold" level but a few drives later and the reservoir was bone dry again. Watched this video and got a new $18 radiator cap from AutoZone and the problem is fixed. Soooo glad it wasn't the head gasket. Thanks for this video. Short and to the point.

@BALALOCA399 7 лет назад

My 2000 accord was loosing coolant and overheating at highway speeds, previous owner bought the wrong radiator cap. I replaced with the correct one,no more overheating or fluid loss.

@uncensoredhealth1453 2 года назад

Is your car loosing coolant from reservoir tank ??

@georgele872 7 лет назад

very good tips thanks very much dude, every day i filled 1 and 1/2 quark of cooling and monitor for cooling every time I moved my car, and no sign of pooling drifting of cooling every where.... will check the cap!!!!

@ZipZapDIY 8 лет назад

If you suspect the radiator cap is bad, you can grab one on amazon, be sure to check for proper fitment on your car before you order! amzn.to/1Vca3zR

@anonymike8280 3 года назад

You buy a radiator cap at the local parts store.

@VenturiLife Год назад

Radiator cap failures are pretty common, unfortunately opening them to inspect the coolant when cool, can reduce the seal life, so it's a bit of a trade-off. Expect to replace them every 3-4 years and just treat them like a consumable. It's a shame the seals aren't replaceable on most. The second big one is the hairline cracks on radiator headers, very common, and that glass-fibre polymer just gets brittle and cracks, it is nowhere near as good as the older metal header tanks. Temperature shock does it in pretty fast.

@tyriecarter9549 Год назад

I’m doing that now yo! Lol

@Jamestrus1 3 года назад

Excellent! This instruction cleared up my problem with my 2004 Ford Ranger 3.0 engine problem. I'm shocked, and I used 4 litres of coolant before discovering this video. After 5 days I haven't lost a drop in the overflow bottle. Such a sensible solution. Thank you. I pass this information on to people. Saved me a lot of money.

@ateeqafzal4444 2 года назад

Hey I have 2004 ford ranger 4.0 that seems to be having the same problem it’s loosing coolant like fast but I don’t see any leaks how is it loosing through the cap I don’t understand

@kurtrussell5228 Год назад

@@ateeqafzal4444 evaporation

@Thehippyoutlaw Год назад

Evaporation? From what?

@VenturiLife Год назад

Sometimes you can smell the coolant being burnt off, one way to sometimes locate a small leak is run the car until it's hot, then pull over, leave it idling, open the bonnet, (don't stick your hands in the engine bay), and hunt around with a torch etc. for an active coolant leak that is small often from near a hose clamp, with colour evidence of coolant leak green/red etc. I had one dripping leak that was dripping onto a hot surface of the engine and immediately evaporating, I could just barely smell it, and little pops of steam as it leaked. Reclamped it, replaced that small hose which was failing internally, and that saved the day.

@aestheticman2662 8 лет назад

ZipZapDIY...You're an awesome LIFESAVER! I don't know if you're a professional mechanic, but if so I wouldn't work with anybody else other than you. Thanks a lot man! Best of luck to you too!

@ZipZapDIY 8 лет назад

+Aesthetic Man Thanks.

@ZipZapDIY 10 лет назад

UPDATE: SOLVED. Replacing the radiator cap indeed solved the coolant loss problem on this Honda Civic. We tested it for a few days after replacing the radiator cap and we are no longer having any coolant loss.

@aestheticman2662 8 лет назад

+ZipZapDIY You made my day bro! God bless!

@TheJaydinrusnack 8 лет назад

+ZipZapDIY Hey I have a question, I have a 94' Honda Civic Si D16Z6 VTEC & just the other day I experienced my coolant overflow reservoir tank level dropped drastically & at that same time my car developed 2 puddles of oil leak, I have no idea of what to think or what to do, or where to start. Thanks! Have you heard of this problem or seen this at all before? Engine is not over heating at all & runs normal.

@bhandersen2 8 лет назад

+Jaydin Rusnack I have the same engine. It might be a blown headgasket. (water gets in to the cylinders) the oil leak might come from the oilpan gasket. try uv dye and a uv flashlight to find the leak. makes it waaay easier

@christeenazylstra8836 7 лет назад

Jaydin Rusnack

@stepfour 7 лет назад

ZipZapDIY wouldn't you see a mess if it was leaking out the radiator cap??

@advvaibhavvashisht9399 7 лет назад

I diagnosed this problem on my own, just watched the video to be double sure. Thanks.

@GoukiTehPwner 9 лет назад

Shpring.

@gtarules1 7 лет назад

He's German. lol

@jaytee9152 6 лет назад

...lol..i heard that too!

@ALTONBENALLY 5 лет назад

It's shnowing, in the shummer time!

@TheCentralflorida 5 лет назад

I saw your post before I finished the video. I heard it and went "ahhhhhh ha"

@MrChrissycrew 4 года назад

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

@bobskier4274 6 лет назад

Just replaced the cap. It also solved the no heat from the heater problem.

@lotsanoisy69 6 лет назад

Watched your video, went to the store, bought a cap, went home, opened the hood, looked at the hood and saw that it was wet, replaced old seal cap with new, problem solved. Also the oil was getting burnt up because the engine was running hot, so thank you for giving me a place to start.

@ZipZapDIY 6 лет назад

Good news! I suggest you keep an eye on the coolant and oil levels daily over the next few weeks, to make sure everything is ok.. when I hear about oil consumption with running hot that makes me think of head gasket. Hopefully all is well for you tho.

@Cappilot1 6 лет назад

I had this problem on a 2007 Ford Mustang. It was the cap at the reservoir. Wow! Thx

@CliffordEliAfedoh 5 лет назад

Thanks for the video. Was losing coolant rapidly. Watched the video and checked my hose and detected the leak. It was a tiny puncture that only leak when the pressure is high.

@margotungston1055 3 года назад

Thanks for the video, My wife's hyundai was losing coolant and replacing the radiator cap fixed it.

@ZipZapDIY 3 года назад

NIcE! keep an eye on it for a bit, just in case it wasn't just 1 of a couple issues..

@marianatonu8535 6 лет назад

Yes it's true,Just i changed the cap on my Honda Civic 2002 and coolant stay on his level.Thanks

@ZipZapDIY 6 лет назад

Nice!

@MajorCulturalDivide 3 года назад

I have a 2002 civic too. The caps do not have springs.

@VenturiLife 4 года назад

Always, always check the radiator caps / hoses. Sometimes it's a very slow drip leak from an eroded/failing hose onto a hot part of engine/turbo and evaps straight off and you can't find it easily. Overheating can also cause the radiator seals to swell up badly and start to fail.

@elvisdave2004 9 лет назад

Good job...I was losing coolant with no visible leaks and tried everything and you were right...I replaced my old radiator cap - problem solved for $5.49. THanks :)

@ZipZapDIY 9 лет назад

Elvis Dave happy to hear that!

@jairoz5412 3 года назад

Imagine if you take your car with a mechanic with this same issue, how much they would charge you ? Lol. 🤣

@AngelRodriguez-br8vh Год назад

They would make you buy and change lots of pieces before fixing the problem

@channeldeleted9452 Год назад

@@AngelRodriguez-br8vh yep :/ that's what they did to me. Or at least they tried...

@noelleonard2498 Год назад

Have you throw a million parts at it before they tell you that you have a blown head gasket

@Hafiz_G_Lumber_1 Год назад

My mechanic asked 20,000 bucks for an engine overhaul, I told him that my whole car worth 15,000. He said ok then hive me your car, I will overhaul it on my iwn

@user-tf5kr4qp2i Год назад

Had a similar era accord in last week with a coolant loss and the cap was bad. The customers bill was 63 and some change. For us to look at it and then put a new cap on it. Which was a bit cheaper than that head gasket job he was quoted by a shop across town. 😊

@sigsxi8458 6 лет назад

What a beauty of a civic!!

@mssn3166 3 года назад

Thanks for the video. Put coolant on my car April 1 and April 18 it’s below minimum almost finished. Car use 2x a week.

@kudalaMangalooru 9 лет назад

Hey Zippy! U R Da Man! You gave me very practical and simple solutions I could have otherwise ignored and spent thousands of Rupees (I am in India) in expensive diagnostics or even repairs. I thought my Mazda was either leaking coolant in to the engine or radiator hose leakage or something catastrophic, but based on your wisdom I replaced the radiator cap! It never lost coolant level again! Thank you so much. Talking about Tech support! :)

@orettasmith6871 3 года назад

Thanks a million!! I'll try these techniques tomorrow.

@jking3892 4 года назад

Great video ,, yes the cap does more than screw on the radiator ,,

@Tahsin_Hussain 2 года назад

Well explained. My Ford Mondeo 2010 Diesel, recently loosing coolent without visible leak and sometime engine overheats and stalls. Still don't know what's wrong with it.

@anonymike8280 3 года назад

Other causes - the aforementioned seams in the radiator where the ends join the core. And the water pump. The water pump does not fail to pump water (aka coolant) just because it has a leak. The pump has both a gasket and a shaft seal. It also has a weep hole which depending on the model can be located in various place. If the leak is too small to drip under the car, you may not notice a water pump leak. You may not notice the other leaks either. The core can leak. So can hoses, especially especially where they connect to pipes or fitting. The heater hoses are in back and it can be easy to overlook a leak coming from one of those. Good luck, you might need it.

@HotdogSosage 2 года назад

Hi! I realised mine drops coolant if I'm driving more aggressively. If I'm cruising gently in high gear, it takes many days to empty. If I'm fast, It can use all the coolant in 1-2 days. Any idea what I could try checking for this specific issue?

@anonymike8280 2 года назад

@@HotdogSosage Sorry to say, head gasket or cracked head is a possibility. If you are losing coolant that fast and you don't see leaks reaching the ground, you have to consider that. But it could be the water pump. Maybe it all evaporates before it can drip. Beyond that, it could be one or several of many things.

@wthomas415 6 лет назад

Had the same problem with my 2009 Accord. Every few days i had to refill the coolant reservoir. Stumbled across this video, replaced cap with an OEM and problem solved. Thanks for sharing this video.

@ZipZapDIY 6 лет назад

Sweet! you're welcome!

@macuse2008 8 лет назад

I had the same problem, coolant loss, boiling coolant, overheating, I was about ready to pull the head to look at the HG then saw the cap was melted. replaced it, good to go.

@MRrwmac 6 лет назад

‘97 Honda Accord. Mystery loss of coolant without leaks. So I’ll get a new thermostat from Honda to ensure it is the correct one. Hope this fixes my mystery loss of coolant. Thanks for the tip!

@ZipZapDIY 6 лет назад

I think you mean to say cap, not thermostat

@MRrwmac 6 лет назад

ZipZapDIY Oops, yes I meant radiator cap.

@beverleypearson2646 5 лет назад

THANK YOU I’ve gone through a litre of coolant in 48 hrs , heating cold last night and I’m just about to throw the towel in on this damn car of mine. I’ll check the radiator cap now. Thanks for the advice 👍🏻

@ZipZapDIY 5 лет назад

That is a lot of leaking. Chances are a bad cap is not the culprit, I suggest to look for leaking at water pump weep hole.

@beverleypearson2646 5 лет назад

ZipZapDIY Many thanks - my mate is under the bonnet at the moment 🙄

@95TurboSol 2 года назад

My B18C was losing coolant with no leaks, over fill tank kept getting emptied. Turns out it was the radiator cap gasket, a chunk deteriorated and broke off causing the system to send steam/vent the hot coolant to the overflow tank and evaporate, then when the system cooled off it would pull whatever was left in the oveflow back into the system thus explaining why it kept being empty after about 3 weeks of driving. Anyways, I'm very happy it wasn't the head gasket!

@withoutadoubt9091 4 года назад

Hey Chris and Hollie try replacing your radiator cap. That happened on my F150 the seals on my radiator cap were bad. Just a thought.

@AMuuse-ih2oo 3 года назад

I had same problem & replaced cap of Hyundai sonata 2013 @ today. I hope it works. Thanks🙏

@Med-rb7lk 2 года назад

Thanx for the easy info without intro or bs 👍👏

@felipealvarez5148 5 лет назад

Well it's a start I hope this works on my chevy Express. Good video thanks.

@ZipZapDIY 5 лет назад

thanks, good luck, hopefully this works, keep an eye on the levels and inspect the seam at the plastic tank and metal of radiator

@nikolerae8623 6 лет назад

Have an 02 Sunfire- just had the head gasket fixed, broken fan replaced, new radiator, all new plugs, wires, etc. even after the fan was replaced the car was running hotter than normal but not overheating. Now, it started to overheat and the coolant reservoir is completely empty. Hoses look fine from what I can see

@ZipZapDIY 6 лет назад

i'd check the reservoir for cracks. look for water at weep hole of water pump,, inspect the thermostat, they should fail open but there is an off chance that it is failed close.

@littlejohnnyturtle8770 3 года назад

Thank you, that may be of great help.

@MrGino4shino Год назад

I've changed thermostat coz it needed one n I thought thts why my Acura MDX was running hot and loosing Good advice never thought to check the radiator cap. Radiator cap is in bad shape so thank you

@eeyyaakk6801 4 года назад

wish you showed a close up shot on the defective cap so I could see what to look for.

@MajorCulturalDivide 3 года назад

Same. I have the original cap but it looks fine. Also there is no spring.

@russellstraight9991 8 лет назад

What would you look for if you fill the reservoir to the full line and fill the radiator put the cap on and don't see any leaks but the radiator over flows into the reservoir to the top. What could be causing this any ideas ?

@ezzanz961 4 года назад

thank u great upload 👍

@nia6849 4 года назад

Informative, thanks

@unbiassportstalk463 2 года назад

I really hope this is the situation cause a head gasket problem is gonna kill me 🤞🏽

@anthonybarahona8149 5 лет назад

What wheels do you have and tire specs?

@davidlovell7724 6 лет назад

Hi its a leak going to put it on ramps tomorrow, as the leak is running down the gearbox on my 206. thanks again

@georgerosado5194 4 года назад

Radiator cap...ima check this out now..Gracias 👍💨

@ZipZapDIY 4 года назад

Excellent, hope you luck out and it is the simple fix!

@ismaeldelgadillo2828 4 года назад

I have same car the same problem thank for the video

@cakepower1 2 года назад

My honda civic coolant overflow bottle would overflow with coolant when idle and leak. I checked everything from hoses, water pumps, to thermostat... I wanted to do a bubble test with the rad cap off, car running to see if it was a head gasket leak and when I finished I took a look at the rad cap amd the middle piece of rubber and the spring were missing and the rubber left was not where it should be. Simple new rad cap solved my problem

@jennysierra2732 5 лет назад

Car over heats at idle,changed thermostat n fans work.no visible leaks but when I had put water at 1st it worked but then a few days later started doing it again,this time I put coolant in.hopefully it works

@iambilly610 7 лет назад

I think i have this problem. It literally leaks from under the cap when i squeeze the hose. So i tightened the cap harder and no leak. Went for a drive and came back with a crack in the plastic part of the rad. The weird thing is its not overheating. The temp is perfect. I plastic welded the radiator and now have to grab a new cap. If the problem is solved ill spend the money on a new radiator but as of now im just hoping its not something serious.

@carnahangreen1391 4 года назад

How in the world are you able to see the actual coolant level in the reservoir on these Civics? Have tried flashlights, etc.., but cannot see the level b/c the lines are so far down below the battery. thanks.

@muhammadsaad7638 6 лет назад

Same problem on 06 Altima 2.5L. I have some engine oil in cylinder 1 spark plug hole so I think its a head gasket leak. But ill replace my radiator cap and see if that fixes it!

@ZipZapDIY 6 лет назад

sorry to say if you've got oil there.... chances are a head gasket problem :( I'd do a leak down and a compression test to confirm..

@toddh6234 5 лет назад

You might have a couple different issues going on with your car. May be your spark plug tube seals are worn. Those Alitma's you have to buy a replacement valve cover because they don't just sale the seals. May as well replace the valve stem seals and valve cover gasket while you are in there.

@1912SimpleTune 2 года назад

Same problem.. however after driving..I get smoke vapor off the window and hood area...any suggestions

@garysmart1 4 года назад

Did it fix the problem

@l-jahlu-l 5 лет назад

Thank you!

@ZipZapDIY 5 лет назад

you're welcome!

@360whiplash 2 года назад

I'm having that problem, since I bought the radiator cap at Autozone last year, I may have to get a new one elsewhere.

@silversun371 25 дней назад

Great help ,thanks! Has the car been in a accident &repeated.Couldn't help but notice sorry. The front wing is a different colour from the driver&passenger doors. Just wondered if I still had the eye. Used to spray cars?

@silversun371 25 дней назад

Sorry Re-sprayed (not repeated ) error on my part

@rockybulhassankhan4541 5 лет назад

My radiator hose is soft bit water get hot.high. After axellaration water get back tito reservor bank i change cap,nonwork work

@Forseenlife 4 года назад

2010 Infiniti G37 and I could smell coolant when it was running and getting in the car. No leaks I can see anywhere and the reservoir was empty. Going to change the cap tomorrow and pray it's not a head gasket.

@ZipZapDIY 4 года назад

Good luck! If no joy, check the waterpump weep hole next (or thereabouts in the engine compartment)

@dm1922 4 года назад

i brought my 3 year old nissan rogue to a mechanic when i had blowing cold air on my heater. he replaced the two thermostat and tapped my coolant. it worked but after weeks i noticed the level of coolant going down a little bit. was it really those thermostat causing the problem or other else? i think i got ripped off , lols

@yonatanghebre 9 лет назад

I have the same issue but my problem isn't with the radiator cap and there is no leaks. What do you think my issue is?

@1gtmach 2 года назад

So where did the coolant go then? Must have came out the cap ontop of the radiator. No signs though. Burn off? Please explain. Thanks

@JasonTylerRicci 6 лет назад

If the cap is faulty(bad spring or faulty rubber gasket), then where is the coolant leaking/evaporating to?

@ZipZapDIY 6 лет назад

bad gasket: the water/coolant passes by it, usually as vapor. if the spring is bad the pressure in system is not maintained so the coolant boils, expands, then exits through the overflow tube.

@MajorCulturalDivide 3 года назад

I have a 2002 civic. The cap does NOT have a spring.

@edubb2491 2 года назад

@@ZipZapDIYthank you for your video. I've noticed a dry white residue on top of my 2016 honda accord engine cover, and residue underneath the very back of the hood. I've read in forums that this is dried up coolant. your thoughts? IAM also loosing coolant slowly, and thinking bad cap as well. Hoses look good! I make sure the cap is on properly..feels like it is!🤷

@y2nsamy2nsam3 2 года назад

Thanks most useful

@gavin9873 2 года назад

Hello I just changed my expansion tank and the thermostat and since then I drove 2000km and the coolent level has dropped down about 1 inch is that normal or could thay be a problem

@jamescc2010 6 лет назад

2001 Honda Accord Just lost coolant level again after refilling this morning. Will check the cap. How about bad head gasket? Car overheated yesterday. Wish me luck

@TonyAdams95 5 лет назад

Did you ever fix the problem?

@hayypapi4281 4 года назад

How do you know when you loosing coolant

@mrsemifixit 4 года назад

Did the old one leak or?

@omarshariff8817 2 года назад

I have no leaks but losing coolant could this DE the problem?

@PsychoTsundere 3 года назад

why my car doesnt lose any? before its losing after a long drive but now the level doesnt change

@dexterlokes2137 2 года назад

Thank you 🙏

@randyd9805 Год назад

Can the radiator cap literally cause you to lose almost your entire coolant? My work van heater stopped working today and I first checked the coolant. Since I had distilled water and new coolant on hand I began putting it in there. To my shock, I've put almost the entire 2 gallons in, and nothing yet in the overflow. That means almost all of my coolant was gone and I see no obvious signs of leaks. I haven't driven it yet to see if it's leaking only when hot. I've had no leaks at all in my garage while it's parked.

@davidhilliard8130 2 года назад

Ok, did thag fix it

@narumonwongwilai346 Месяц назад

Thanks!

@ZipZapDIY Месяц назад

hope this works for you! thank you! fingers crossed

@anthonyvoss9150 Год назад

What about if the car runs hot then cools off and then hot again and the radiator hose gets hot and starts leaking?

@workliferecognition7002 2 года назад

Came real close to losing a couple jobs cause my car wouldn't take long before it overheats. This was after replacing the water pump, radiator, thermostat, cap, and housing. Found out the hose was supposedly leaking too. All problems solved. Took all summer to get the car back to good condition.

@drippingwax 7 лет назад

My 2000 Civic overheated the day it was supposed to be 120° here in Phoenix. I was driving on the highway, not running my air conditioning. There was an unbearable smell of antifreeze. I have not had any fluid in my car. When my car cooled down I learned I was low on coolant. Planning on flushing my system once I had everything figured out, I just added distilled water. Since then, my car has been fine on the highway and freeway, but from time to time started overheating in the city, and enthusiastically tried to overheat in my driveway. Everyone says it is the heater core, but I have had some difficulty accessing the hoses from under the car to bypass. I cannot find any leaks, nor do I see a film on the dipstick or oil cap. It did not maintain pressure, but I could not locate the leak, although it seemed to come from the top. I drove my Accord for a few weeks, but swapped the radiator caps, and the Accord is not losing any coolant, while the Civic is losing fluid even faster than before. I drove forty miles on the freeway with the AC on for part of it and the temperature was fine, but my next trip was several miles in-town without traffic and it started overheating. The fan only turns on when the air conditioning is running. The fuses check out. I replaced the relay and the other fan still did not turn on. The thermostat is fine, although it is missing the bit of metal in the pressure release valve; I am still replacing it. I am going to bypass the heater core now.

@ZipZapDIY 7 лет назад

do both fans turn on? one when ac turns on and the other when the car gets warm

@drippingwax 7 лет назад

Sorry for repeating some of my previous post. Only the condenser fan turns on, not the radiator fan.

@ZipZapDIY 7 лет назад

You need to fix that fan first, test the fan by jumping the wires if possible.. here is a great video on how to do that.. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ox7BA9FFXY4.html

@drippingwax 7 лет назад

That seems like the type of guy that would replace the engine on the side of the road! I jumped the fan and it ran, shorted the switch and it ran. I bypassed the heater core and the system now holds pressure. As I mentioned, I replaced the thermostat and relay. Oldschoolfunk has a harness he bought from a junkyard, but by the time I got to this point, it was late Friday afternoon, and I would not be able to go to a scrapyard until Monday. I could not find the plug anywhere, so I bought the switch from the dealer (all replacement parts have been OEM) and it still does not work, but if I start the car with the radiator cap off, after a few minutes the water starts boiling, there is steam and everything. The guy at one O'Reilly kept trying to sell me a new fan, but the guy at another location told me to undo the wire bundle and find the short.

@drippingwax 7 лет назад

I greatly appreciate all of your help! :)

@dari6795 Год назад

i don't know if you'll see this since this video is 8 years old now, but i have a question: i took my car to a mechanic who said the put pressure on the system to check for leaks and they found nothing. could the radiator cap still be an issue? or is it more likely to be something different?

@eondrew 8 лет назад

I have a 2006 town and country that is eating coolant and spiting it out of the reservoir. it runs fine as long as it has coolant. once the level has drooped it red lines hot

@toddferrell9180 8 лет назад

I have same problem...you get it fixed?

@christopherkapelczak3446 5 лет назад

Also maybe check your oil dip stick for water, could be a much worse problem especially for higher mileage vehicles

@ZipZapDIY 5 лет назад

Good point!

@Suzukimoto24 6 лет назад

I have the same problem but where the thermostat is under it in top of the transmission there cooliant i was goin to get some gaskets foe the thermostat and see if it will fix it but i cant see where its leakin from jus kno there is cooliant on top of the transmission

@ZipZapDIY 6 лет назад

Assuming we are talking about the thermostat housing which on many cars is where you describe..... The thermostat housing gasket can leak or the coolant hose that connects to it. If you want to replace the thermostat gasket, check the price for a new thermostat and housing, it is usually not that expensive to change both of those when working on the gasket. It is also wise to inspect and replace any old hoses while you have coolant out of the system.. (If you don't change any hoses on bottom of engine, you don't need to drain all coolant, just enough to get level below the thermostat housing)

@chuckmcbreen 6 лет назад

Thank You Man! Your video was spot on!

@ZipZapDIY 6 лет назад

Sweet, love it.

@ZayedGR 2 года назад

i have a 2003 accord it has a ruff idle and engine is shaking and it wot rev over 5k rpm like its on limp mode no check engine light i scanned it no code ... but the long term fuel was 20% and it was over 15 degrees spark advanced..

@stefanhoffmann8417 7 лет назад

My parent car has a leak on the water pump reservoir pipe section which is plastic. It has cracked and the crack will leak when the system builds up pressure. It's freezing cold outside and we decided to leave the reservoir tank cap slighly open to ease the pressure inside the system so no more coolant would disappear on the road. But this is the interesting question of mine: Does it have to be pressurized in order to get the water cycling through the cabin heater sink which is controlled by a vacuum valve? We are wondering if there's air or crap gloggging the sink from getting a flow but we also thought it might not work if the coolant system needs the pressure for getting that flow?

@ZipZapDIY 7 лет назад

Hi, If I understand your question correctly... pressure is not needed to have flow, the reason there is pressure in the cooling system is to keep the coolant from boiling, it will flow without pressure. Also, the system needs heat to fully flow, if the engine is cold, the thermostat is closed so you will not have full flow. If you are not getting heat into the heater core your problems could be, depending on the make/model of car... 1. The vacuum valve may not be functioning because of no vacuum or the valve is bad. 2. You may have an insufficient amount of coolant, there is not enough coolant to pump through the system. 3. There may be an air pocket that is causing a flow problem to heater core, some cars are more susceptible to this, my Porsche has a heater core that is high above the rest of the cooling system so this causes flow problems to heater. This is the Airlift coolant filling tool I use to avoid air in the system: amzn.to/2kXBxv2 (commissions earned on Amazon link) 4. Thermostat may bad, the thermostat may not be opening and allowing flow to the heater core. 5. The water pump may be bad, if you have a plastic pump impeller, it may be disintegrated and unable to pump coolant. 6. You may have a clog in the system, usually these are in the radiator or heater core.

@duanerackham9567 5 лет назад

My temperature gauge never moves past the middle point so I don't believe it's overheating.(but the heater gets hotter when highway driving) I put coolant into the reservoir, but the next day it was below the low level. I didn't see any leaks on the radiator.

@1990sweetsarah 5 лет назад

How did you get it fix? I am the same issue.

@1990sweetsarah 5 лет назад

Have*

@duanerackham9567 5 лет назад

@@1990sweetsarah I poured more into the resivour and it didn't leak this time. It did take some of the coolant, but not back to the low line. I think I may have had none in the radiator at the time idk. Heat still comes into the cabin durit acceleration and highway driving though

@garonburwell9008 4 года назад

@@duanerackham9567 its going somewhere

@duanerackham9567 4 года назад

@@garonburwell9008 It never went below the low line after that

@FealtyThoughts Год назад

Hi there ZipZapDIY, I was wondering if you have time maybe to help with an issue I am having. I am running in to an issue with a 2005 Toyota Camry V8 check engine light (only 52,000 miles on my dashboard so the car is not driven a bunch over the years). The last 2 years like clockwork a year apart i get the check engine. The first time I brought it to a show I was told to go to. They said after checking with their computer I have a faulty knock sensor. So I said okay lets do what needs to be done. They charged me $700 at the time in 2020. They said when taking apart the parts they found coolant in different parts of the engine bay (i do not know car stuff I am pretty sure that is what he said). This part of the problem is how I found your video here. I am wondering too what could cause the coolant leak. They replace the sensor and a few days later the check engine light returns. Same codes on their test so they replace the sensors again (for free). A year goes by and then just before inspection time Check engine again. Go to the shop... same code. Now they do the replacement again and charge me $300 just for parts they say (do not know if that is a reasonable price). It is now a year since then and once again I have a check engine light. Also I should say my coolant is about an inch lower than it was a year ago. Just trying to ask anyone and everyone for information. It is such a hard thing to find a mechanic in NY and since I am not knowledgeable (but trying to learn) it makes this soo much harder... especially in NY.

@yms1907 Год назад

The engine coolant reservoir level is the same all times, but the cooling system(radiator) consumes 1 lt of water every 30 miles. What is the problem? Can you advise me, please?

@phrosda 6 лет назад

This was my issue. Had gurgle sound when I stopped. All better now.

@ZipZapDIY 6 лет назад

Nice! love the cheap fixes

@23AndersonGray 8 лет назад

I'm loosing coolant but my radiator hoses are fine so as my radiator, and water pump. I see a little coolant dripping from my coolant overflow. can a bad coolant overflow tank beva problem?

@ZipZapDIY 8 лет назад

overflow tanks can crack and leak. You could pressure test it if you wanted to buy the tools.

@Wearefucked 9 лет назад

I have a 2004 civic ex , and I am having the same problem with my civic. I have replaced the cap with aftermarket skunk2 1.3 bar cap , I have a pressure tester and have used it on my radiator and I don't see any visible leaks. So could the high performance skunk 2 cap be the issue

@ZipZapDIY 8 лет назад

+stratman7000 Thanks for the chemical test idea, my LR3 is giving me headaches right now. Pressure test is how I discovered a bad head gasket on a friend's car... that he just bought and it overheated on the drive home. I don't know if I'd say they are known for bad head gaskets (I've driven 4 civics to over 175k, one from 18 miles only ever needing to replace the alternator) I'd say they are known to not take kindly to overheating, resulting in a bad head gasket. I think the seller ran it hot and killed the gasket, then sold it.

@yingcluk 5 лет назад

My radiator was replaced few months because I saw white residue all the way to the engine cover plastic. Now, I see some white residue around the cap area. The cap doesn't seem to have any cracks or damaged area, but I don't know how old the cap it. My car is 2000 corolla, and the cap seems to be Toyota OEM cap, so I kind of suspect the cap needs to be replaced. I am not sure exact how to determine if the seal is bad. How can I tell if the seal of the cap is bad if no cracks or damage ? Thanks

@ZipZapDIY 5 лет назад

There is testing equipment for radiator caps, this one is $216 amzn.to/2HMpZcE I bet you can find one cheaper.... unless you are a shop, in my opinion, it makes no sense to buy test equipment when a replacement cap costs well under $20 (commissions earned on Amazon Link)

@acekhmer 5 лет назад

My 04 Civic EX just recently over heated mildy reaching about 75% on the temp gauge. I pulled over and let it cool. It drives fine and overheated out of no where. I filled the coolant reservior as it was super low. My heater also doesn't really heat up till I'm driving at 30mph or more. Any input?

@ZipZapDIY 5 лет назад

I'd check for a bad water pump.. if pump is bad you will not get coolant circulation to the heater core.. so no heat or little heat.... and you won't have coolant circulation to the radiator when driving.. outside chance it could be the thermostat, but a stuck closed thermostat

@isauceso 6 лет назад

I have the opposite problem. I see the liquid under the car after driving. Checked my coolant level and it was fine

@brucethart 5 лет назад

It might just be condensation from your air conditioner, if you are running it. Very normal and no problem

@ameediking 6 лет назад

I have a 2004 jeep liberty and I've replaced the radiator bec it had a crack but I'm still losing coolant every week I have to fill it up I ordered a new radiator cap I'm not sure if that's the problem in not seeing any leaks nothing under the car dripping on the floor either please help

@ZipZapDIY 6 лет назад

take a look at the water pump, sometimes you will get a very small leak at the pump, a small bit of coolant may be visible at the weep hole.