Where Did My Coolant Go?

Yesterday I detailed the outside of the Stealth. I parked it and went inside. Today I went out to pull it back in to do the inside when I noticed that the coolant level light was on. It has never been on before. I turn off the car and check the overflow and it was empty. The system was sealed, I've never seen any leaks, and where the car was parked there was no evidence that it had released the overflow on the ground.

I can only think that for some reason after I got home and parked the car to wash it the coolant released onto the ground from the overflow and not noticing it I started washing it and I would have never known. I also checked the oil and I can't see any white grease so I don't think oil is getting in the crackcase and I don't think a head gasket has gone. I've never seen steam from anywhere. I am getting a white smoke from the exhaust since using Sea Foam but it doesn't smell like coolant.

So, any ideas of what happened to the coolant? Slow burn off or sudden release? Also, what would cause either besides a cracked block or head, busted head gasket, or loss of pressure in the system?

My friend and I drove my IROC R/T Daytona over 5,000 miles and never saw evidence of a leak on the ground or in the engine bay, yet we used over 10 gallons of just antifreeze not including water. Although the car was overheating the entire way, but still there was no evidence of the leak. It ended up being a bad head gasket. So I would say it's possible to burn it off when leaking and not see anything.

Most likely a head gasket or possibly a crack in the head.

On one occasion I had a pinhole leak in the turbo coolant return line. It only leaked under pressure and would squirt down and back behind the K frame somehow. It wasn't until I pressure checked the system that I found it and that's when I noticed a clean spot on the steering rack. Another time I had a pinhole leak in the upper radiator hose and again it only leaked when I drove the car. It squirted right on the radiator and it wasn't until I replaced the rad and had the same wet spot that I pressure checked the system that time.

Well, after posting I went back out and stated it again for another 30 seconds or so. I took the radiator cap off and it spit out about 4 ounces of fluid. So, I immediately assumed it was a head gasket. Called the deal to find out the price. The service manager said it could be a seal on the pump and if it leaks there is a valley that the fluid can collect in that you can't see. He also told me that it can pressurize the system. So they are going to check that since they replaced the water pump in June of last year. I'm praying that's the problem since changing the head gaskets on these are nothing like a TD.

Uh yeah, I remember when a 3000GT VR4 came into our shop for something similar... Talk about a lot of plumbing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by minigts

My friend and I drove my IROC R/T Daytona over 5,000 miles

---

Sorry to hijack the thread but I remember when you did this! Awesome story and awesome pictures...I'd love to take the family on a trip out that way if it all looks like that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WickedShelby88

Uh yeah, I remember when a 3000GT VR4 came into our shop for something similar... Talk about a lot of plumbing.

---

Yeah, my buddy that's into VW said he would help me change the head gaskets on a weekend.

I said, the entire weekend? :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by blk86trbo

Sorry to hijack the thread but I remember when you did this! Awesome story and awesome pictures...I'd love to take the family on a trip out that way if it all looks like that.

---

Ah yes, I remember it all like it was yesterday. I would absolutely do that again and hopefully with another find like the one I got!

And I can only imagine the time it would take to replace the head gaskets on that car. Those engines are super tight under the hood, the few that I have seen. Best of luck!

I worked on a couple of Stealths a few years ago and nothing was fun to do on the motors in those cars. i would rather do 6 H.G.s on TMs than one Stealth H.G. yes, i believe it could take a whole weekend if never doing them before. hopefully it is the same thing as before so they fix it for FREE!

Thank goodness, it was neither. Stupid Checker gave me the wrong radiator cap when I first got the car.

Checker FTL.

Thanks everyone.

lol... well at least you can smile at this one.. I would not smile at blown hg...