Losing coolant, but no leak

[AlphaCrow]

Hi (yet) again! I'm losing coolant, but no leaks or drips. I have once or twice smelled coolant in the air vents, but that was rare. Advice I got was that it might be burning up in the heater core somehow. I know it's possible that it's getting into the engine block, though I've had no side effects of that. How would I find out if it's being lost in the heater? Is that through a hose, thus repairable?

[gmtech1]

Have you pressure tested the system? look very closely at the intake gaskets and water pump. The leak may be just enough to get your smell, but is burning off before you see drips on the ground. Look for crusty residue at gaskets, around hoses and the radiator tank seals.

[FishFind]

The heater core would have a leak and you would get fluid on the floor of the pass side. Also if you put on defrost it would fog it up fast.

If you can't find the leak It could be the heater core, Blown head gasket or just that it comes out under higher rpm like when driving.

You can bypass the heater core. Pressure test the cyl. Also check under the oil cap for sludge.

Check the level of the oil and tranny fluid as they both have cooler lines in the radiator and it could also be leaking into one of them.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by AlphaCrow

Hi (yet) again! I'm losing coolant, but no leaks or drips. I have once or twice smelled coolant in the air vents, but that was rare. Advice I got was that it might be burning up in the heater core somehow. I know it's possible that it's getting into the engine block, though I've had no side effects of that. How would I find out if it's being lost in the heater? Is that through a hose, thus repairable?

any coolant leak in the heater core would cause you to have a strong smell of coolant and the windshield will also get a film on it. leakiing on the internal floor may not occur. the air box drain may discharge the coolant..

using about 10 psi of pressure remove the heater hoses from the engine and pressure test the heater core.

most likely the mysterious loss of coolant would be the water pump gaskets or the weep hole.

with head gasket failure you should get DTC check engine light. also poor engine performance and for sure running at higher temps.

pressure testing the complete coolant system would be a start.

I would use a dye product , and by adding this to the coolant use a black light to see the area of leak .

[Booch]

My water pump seal went out and I lost a ton of coolant, but never knew until I pulled the radiator cap off and looked.....no leaks, drips or puddles, and really didn't even smell. Could be the same thing happening to you as well

[AlphaCrow]

Thanks so much! Recently changed out the water pump and gasket. Changed radiator about 2 years ago. I power washed the engine a few times, and only see oil residue on the bottom, I never catch any leaks from any lines or gaskets. I did have a power steering gearbox leak I had to fix a few weeks ago, but that's it. While I see that it could still be getting into the engine block, I think it's less likely because I get no codes or side effects. I did almost panic when I checked the exhaust and saw clear water dripping out, but a knowledgeable friend says that's because we're in 100% humidity, and is normal during warm up. I hope he's right. I'll start with the heater core. I live in Texas, so the defrost/heater get used 2 weeks out of the year. I wouldn't call it a "film" but there is something light on the inside windshield that could normal dust/build up or it could be a clue. Thanks again