I know this sounds stupid but I have a coolant leak and from the puddle on the ground it looks huge. Its not so much a puddle as it is a large wet area. The wet spot starts just behind the front passenger side tire and spreads back to the front of the back tire. The only sign of leakage I can see from inside the engine bay is a very small drip where the hose connects to the reservoir. The strange thing here is that the reservoir always has coolant in it and the level does not seem to change enough to notice.

I thought about other fluids but its not oil, not trans fluid, not brake fluid. It's plain old coolant. Could a small leak like that cause such a huge wet area?

It has me completely confused. It does not drip when the engine is running either. It only seems to show up after Ive parked it for the night.

any ideas?

 

are you over filling your system?

 

not that I can tell. The reservoir on mine has the little plastic stem on the Inside, the coolant is less than half way up. According to the Haynes thats about where it should be.

So as far as I know it's not over filled

 

Mine has the same bottle,make sure the cap isn't poping up when it gets hot.You can replace the cap.I think I am one my second cap.I am looking into getting a better bottle.Ihave also been told some guys put a hose clamp on it.

 

Are you running your air conditioner? Dripping from right behind the right front tire sounds like the condensation from the AC system. Dip your finger in the fluid and smell it, if it had a sweet smell it is coolant and will be very slick when rubbed between the fingers.

 

no I don't run the a/c it's not working right now. Eventually Ill do the conversion so I can refill the a/c refrigerant myself.

Its just odd to me that the very small leak that I can see from that hose connected to the reservoir bottle would cause a massive wet spot. Could it just be some coolant mixing with overnight dew and taking longer to dry up?

I'm going to NAPA this weekend anyway ill pick up a new hose and a new cap along with the other things I plan on getting. Maybe that will help.

 

See if they offer the coolant system pressure tester on a loan a tool program. If not, try Auto Zone or Advance. Pressurize the system with the vehicle off and if there is a leak it will help you find it.

 

Definitely sounds like a small leak, if it is coolant. When the engine is running and things are hot they tend to expand...so perhaps that is why it is not leaking when it's running. With it sitting overnight (especially if it's cooler in your area), that crack could be contracting and allowing some fluids to leak out.

My old GC did this once...confused me for a couple of days as I could never find the leak when I crawled under there with it running (as I assumed it would leak worse with things pumping through and pressure on the system). Ended up being a crack in one of the hoses that would drain fluid when cold, but wasn't enough for it to burst.

 

"the reservoir always has coolant in it and the level does not seem to change enough to notice."

What about the level in the radiator? (always check it when it's cold) The hose to the bottle could be pinched or collapsed and only allow collant flow in one direction if at all. From the symptoms I would say to check the heater core.

 

Found the leak, It seems to be coming from the bottom of the coolant bottle where the hose connects, even with the clamp on there it oozes out. On a side note.. When the engine is running I can look into the reservoir and see coolant flowing back into it. Is that normal?