Ok, I know from the various searches I've done around this forum and others that the loss of coolant without noticable leaking, sometimes along with other symptoms, is most likely indicative of a head gasket failure. However, is there any other problem that can cause a steady loss of coolant? I have to fill my overflow tank every once and a while, and obviously this shouldn't have to be done.

For example, I don't have the "chocolate milk" substance on the oil dipstick or cap problem (nothing but what appears to be brown oil can be seen, unless I don't know what I'm looking for). I only have steam from the exhaust pipe on cold mornings and it quits after a minute or so. It's not billowy or anything like that. Every other car seems to do this also, if not for longer at a time than mine. I don't have any noticable loss of power--engine runs and sounds great on all aspects. I assume that if I didn't fill my overflow tank, I would overheat, but have never "tried" this obviously.

Radiator, thermostat, water pump, coolant temperature sensor, radiator cap, and various hoses have also been replaced due to normal wear.

I had the headgasket done in 99 under the recall so I would think it to be odd to happen again.

So, essentially what I'm asking for is direction--if there is anything else that can cause this? If not, I guess I'm unfortunately in for a yet another headgasket soon.

 

Leaking intake manifold gasket i suppose could cause it.... if theres coolant passages that run through it, i cant remember. I know there is on the throttle body, i just can remember if they come close to the gasket to where a failed gasket could cause the leak into the intake. Concerning the headgasket, if its leaking into the cylinder, it would just burn it off, and you wouldnt get the milky oil.

 

Did you happen to replace the hoses by the fire wall? Mine was doing the same thing and it ended up being a heater hose that had cracked.

 

I'll check out the heater hoses.

It may indeed be the headgasket, but it's just too hard for me to believe at this point with nothing else being wrong!

 

seeing as you have replaced your w/p you dont have to worry about the weep hole in it. my w/p was pretty much toast and it was leaking quite a bit of coolant.

lee

 

there is a coolant hose (atleast in the 3rd gen runners) located to the rear of the engine that could be leaking.

that was what my problem was...they had to take off the top half of the intake manifold to get to it.

 

Look along the top of your radiator. Once you have a number of miles on them they tend to etch from the inside out. You will notice little white staining along the front of the top of the rad. It will also run down and pool on the lip before the core starts. You probably wont see and fluid, only the steamed off residue. I have gone through two radiators already and this is how I found them. (230,000 miles)

Matt