I know this is going to be pretty general, but I'm hoping to get some help diagnosing my problem. It's a 94 22re and it usually runs really well. It's fast for a 22re. maybe because I have 5.29's and 33" tires.

Anyway, lately it's using a lot of water and I can't figure out where it's going. There aren't any visible leaks. I've looked at it while it idles and even after turning it off with the engine hotter than normal and still no leaks. However, if I get on the highway for a while it will use a half gallon to a gallon of water a day. It only gets hot when it's low on water.

Also, I have a feeling it's related, but I don't know how, It idles rough when I first start it. It has to sit and idle for a couple of minutes before it sort of kicks in and idles better. While no one else could tell, even after it's warm it doesn't idle quite right. It has plenty of power though if I get on it.

I have timed it before and the timing never seems to get out of adjustment, but if it did could it cause me to use water? I have been told that it could but I don't understand how.

There is no CEL. there used to be. The TVV is broken and the vacume hoses were just plugged off. I just ran one of the hoses to both sides to close the loop and after a day or two the CEL turned off. I guess it's letting the EGR system work all the time now. However it runs no differently than it did before I did that.

Where should I start?

 

Usually , low coolant with no visible leaks means there is a leak internally . When I first read your post my first thought was head gasket. Does it smoke at all? what does your oil look like ?/ Do a compression test that will give you some idea.

 

It seems that is a possibility, but My oil looks fine and so does my coolant. I don't see smoke when I'm driving but I'll look under it later today and see if my exhaust smells like coolant. I've done everything but I've enver done a compression test. Can I find the method for doing it in the FSR?

 

I was also thinking head gasket. I had a similar issue with loosing coolant, I found the best way to see the smoke was to drive in reverse at night so the headlights would show the smoke better.
However if you are not loosing any oil it might be a frost plug???

 

Freeze plug could be a possibility ,but He states that there are no visible leaks .

Still a good Idea to check tho..

 

Not a bad idea. I'll look at that for sure although it hasn't frozen here in a long time, def worth a look. I still can't figure out the idling problem. It's only when I first start it but everytime.

 

Normally the symptoms you stated would scream crack head/block to me. Now not to worry I have not seen one on a 22re yet so probably just a head gasket. Do a compression test by pulling all 4 plugs at once and then put your compression tester on and crank it over for 4 compression strokes, thats all there is to it. the most likley cause for the initial start up rough idle is when you shut it down the cooling system still has pressureand allows a cylinder to get water in it through the crack/bad head gasket. As soon as it burns off the excess when you start it it runs better right but not perfect. A quick test is to remove the radiator cap prior to starting it while it is cold and crank it up if water pumps out you have a problem, compression is forcing the water out. any ways give that a try and let us know

 

could be head gasket.
could be the idle air valve under the throttle body leaking (it's heated by coolant)
could be the intake manifold gasket.

there is a tool you can buy or rent that will allow you to pressurize the cooling system from an air compressor (careful- not more than 10 psi or so) then go looking for leaks with a flexible scope, or maybe you'll be lucky enough to hear it.

 

its proabably a head gasket, u dont always get water in the oil with a blown head gasket.

 

Spark plugs tell the story too. Haynes, and probably FSM, will say a clean plug means water in cumbustion chamber. I've been through two 22RE's with water leak problems. They get a lot worse if you let it go.

 

I wont have time to do a compression test until later this week. I have taken the radiator cap off while it was cold and started it and the water ran right away which made me think that the thermostat, which is pretty new, was stuck open.

Also, I smelled the exhaust directly out of the tailpipe while the engine was running and there was no smoke and the exhaust did not have a hint of antifreeze smell. That's why I don't think it's a blown headgasket. I guess I still shouldn't make that assumtion until after the compression test.

The sputtering almost seems like a tune up problem. Later this week, when I do the compression test, I'll get some new plug wires and cap and see if that helps anything. I ran it in a dark area last night and I could see some very slight sparking at the bottom of a rev. It was actually hard to telll where it was coming from but it was definitely there.

Who makes the best head gasket kit for this? I think I used fel-pro when I built it a couple years ago.

 

Here's what happened this morning. I drove a few blocks to work. I was sitting at a light and was surging bad. It sounded like I was revving it at a regular pace. I know it has something to do with the water level. So when I got to work I opened the radiator. It wasn't hot but there was pressure in the system. It was low so while it was running (still surging) I topped it off. It took maybe a quart. I watched it and finally the thermostat opened and the water level dropped so I poured the rest of the gallon in which filled it up and the idle suddenly returned to normal. So maybe the bad running part is just to do with the water level and my main problem is just that I'm losing water. I still can't find that.

I'm going to drop my truck off at my parents house for a couple weeks and borrow a car until I can get around to that head gasket job. I also want to clean the goo out of my intake plenum. Whatever the problem is, I should find it while doing all that.

By the way, the head gasket in it only has about 25 or 30 thousand miles on it.

 

Well, I did a leakdown test this weekend and when I pumped up cylinder 4 it pushed water out of the radiator so there you go. You guys were right. I'll fix the headgasket over thanksgiving. Is there a prefered brand of gasket set?

 

I have a 92 4x4 with a 22re and I'm starting to have similar problems, did you experience any midrange rough running around 40-45 mph, especially when you get on it in 4th gear.? I've got 166,000 on the engine with no rebuilds, I'm starting to question the head gasket. I don't smell any antifreeze, and the only time I see smoke on start up is at night in reverse in extremely cold weather.