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Too broke to go take it to the shop

  

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Hey Scotty, 

I have a 2003 Nissan Pathfinder 4wd automatic. I’m losing about a cup or two of coolant a day but after a quick glance I see no obvious signs of a leak, more like a seep. I’ve had a pulley whining for a couple months before I ever noticed the coolant loss. No leaks around the water pump. Could it be going bad and causing the coolant loss? Should I start with a coolant flush? Worried I may knock some corrosion loose and make the leak worse. Thanks, I’ve been watching your videos a couple years now, big fan. 


4 Answers
4

I’m losing about a cup or two of coolant a day but after a quick glance I see no obvious signs of a leak

Sounds like a head gasket!

The coolant must be escaping somewhere, it might be through the head gasket being burned.

https://youtu.be/v0U8Iyf0kk4


3
Posted by: @rocker24119

after a quick glance I see no obvious signs of a leak, more like a seep.

Are you seeing wetness somewhere? Your statement is a little confusing. They make leak dye for antifreeze. Throw some in your radiator and trace the cooling system with a UV light.

https://www.autozone.com/test-scan-and-specialty-tools/uv-light-and-accessories/p/autopro-antifreeze-coolant-leak-detector-uv-dye-1-oz/210227_0_0?cmpid=PLA:US:EN:AD:NL:1000000:ACC:816522434&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-fmZBhDtARIsAH6H8qju-QFWlFe_pBXqXhmRi-SlI-Q7LvTIPg2xXDbQ6ttJywX8oOuchBEaAhnEEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Also pressure test the cooling system. It should hold whatever PSI rating your system is for 15-20 minutes. If it doesn't, there's a leak you need to find. 

With the dye, unless it's seeping through the head gasket and into the cylinders, you will see where it's leaking. 


3
Posted by: @rocker24119

Should I start with a coolant flush?

No. A flush will not fix a leak, and it's pointless to put new coolant in a leaking system.

 

 


1

If you find no leaks, consider testing for a blown headgasket. Has there been puffy white smoke in the exhaust?


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