Possible coolant leak

[RedNWhite]

Hey guys, in May of this year I saw that the coolant level on my FRS was low. I topped it up with distilled water. The last time I check the engine and level was probably a month or so ago, and it was at a normal range. Yesterday I went in to check the color of my brake fluid and BOOM I see that there was absolutely NO coolant in the reservoir!

I added a little distilled water to it to monitor if it leaks between yesterday and today, but I noticed that there is some debris underneath the hose. Do you guys see it? Does anyone see similar leakage in their engine?
free upload

[humfrz]

Yep, I see what you're talking about.

My 2013 has a very slight discoloration down there.

I figure you're looking too hard for something to worry about .....

I suggest you add some more distilled water, make a note of the engine temperature and car location, drive it a few days, then take another reading of the coolant level with the cat at the same relatively temperature and location.


humfrz

[RedNWhite]

Thanks. Yeah, maybe I am a little paranoid. Will do. The guy at the dealership quoted me $60 to do the coolant pressure test. I'll do that in case I see it lowering again

[ryoma]

I have had to top off my coolant a couple of times already on my 2015. it's normal, however, if you start seeing puddles of water under your car then you will need to start worrying lol

[carbonBLUE]

The reservoir has a breather hole and coolant evaporates through it over time, even splashes out of it on occasion too.

[RedNWhite]

Originally Posted by carbonBLUE

The reservoir has a breather hole and coolant evaporates through it over time, even splashes out of it on occasion too.

Interesting, didn't know. So the leak may be from that. Ha!

[86geek]

This happened last year with my car having same issue low coolant. Took it to dealership & they put some coolant in. Then this past labor day weekend my reservoir was bone dry. Once again the dealership topped it off for me. Since this was the second incident they recommended the service dept. check for leaks at my next service. It's coming up soon so hopefully no leak anywhere.

[RedNWhite]

Good to know i'm not the only one experiencing this. So far the coolant is at the same level. I'll continue to monitor it, if it goes down i'll need to get the pressure test..
Depending on your mileage, this could be something covered under the warranty. So keep a close eye on it if you haven't hit 60k miles yet.

[Tcoat]

For the 23rd time:

The coolant tank is for expansion of the coolant in your system and being low does not indicate a leak or any other issue. The tank fills up when hot and empties when cold. It is not an indicator of a full or low sealed system. This is why the line is at such a low level and we are talking 4 or 5 ounces in the tank.These expansion tanks were put on cars for environmental reasons since the old systems just used to pour any extra coolant of the ground when the systems got hot enough to pressurize and expand any extra coolant.
You do need to keep the small amount in the tank, not to refill the system but so that it isn't sucking air into the rad when it cools and attempts to recover the overflow. Just throw a cup of distilled water in there and don't fret.

[wbradley]

I think you are supposed to use super coolant only, not dilute. It has a very long life if you do.

[ryoma]

Originally Posted by wbradley

I think you are supposed to use super coolant only, not dilute. It has a very long life if you do.

if you live in an area where it does not go into freezing temperatures (Canada probably isn't one of them, but LA is) then topping it off with distilled water is fine. in Canada though, if you need to top it off often then you might want to top it off with a proper 50/50 mix of coolant

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by wbradley

I think you are supposed to use super coolant only, not dilute. It has a very long life if you do.

Originally Posted by ryoma

if you live in an area where it does not go into freezing temperatures (Canada probably isn't one of them, but LA is) then topping it off with distilled water is fine. in Canada though, if you need to top it off often then you might want to top it off with a proper 50/50 mix of coolant

If you are pouring massive quantities of either in there then you DO have a problem!
You are adding 4 or 5 ounces every few months not doing a full coolant change so you could probably piss in the thing without issues.

[ryoma]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

If you are pouring massive quantities of either in there then you DO have a problem!
You are adding 4 or 5 ounces every few months not doing a full coolant change so you could probably piss in the thing without issues.

what if you're stranded out in the middle of no where and you got a leak in your car with no water to pour in... do you piss in the filler cap? would it work?

[wbradley]

The super coolant costs more than regular but has a super long change cycle (I think something like 160,000 km or 100,000 miles). When my coolant reservoir was low the very first time I bought a jug and topped it up. Subsequently, after a small top up every year this year I just filled it a bit higher so it's maybe an inch above max level hot to extend the top up cycle. If you plan to keep the car several years you likely will need a few top ups, just seems to be part of the quirkiness of this vehicle. The dealer will top up if you mention it when in for service, or you can just buy a jug. Adding distilled water is OK for a stop gap but you will need coolant again eventually so you might as well keep the coolant at it's most effective undiluted solution. And if you mix with regular store brand coolant you will no longer have the super long change cycle. This is the type of stuff people buying their car used might not realize, their coolant might have been mixed therefore the change cycle in the manual may not be applicable for their car.