Where does the coolant go?

My respect for all the ones that make this possible.



This Doge caravan 1996, 3.0 with 150 k… Has oil leaking, about a 1/8 of a quarter a weel more or less… But now the same thing is happening with the coolant and there is no trace of of the liquid anywhere where the car rests. Now everyday I have top add with fresh coolant in the amount of almost 1/2 a quarter… Where does the coolant go? Thank you!

That little bit of coolant could easily escape through a leaking head gasket and escape through the engine undetected. You need to have a leak and compression test done by a reliable mechanic who does not rely on guesswork. Do not postpone this check. This type of head gasket problem is not unususal with your engine.

Your oil conmsumption could be just engine wear, and with brisk highway driving it is easy to burn that much oil without it showing in your exhaust. It could also escape past your valve guide seals. One way to check for this is in the morning when the car first starts up; if their is a puff of blue/grey smoke immediately after startup, you are likely losing oil through those seals. If you take you foot off the gas at highway speed, and look in the rear view mirror, you MAY see some blue smoke as well. Again, that would be engine vacuum sucking oil past the seals.

Also check if you PCV valve is operating properly and is not stuck.

Thank you Docnic… The oil leaking is visible … there is no doubt of that… There is trace of it wverywhere I go…
Concerning the coolant evaporation or any other thing…I am reluctant to do some work in the car that would be more valuable than the car itself. It cost $1600 more than two years ago… I am just trying to keep it running doing minor repairs on it by myself till I can buy another car… Maybe 4 or 5 month ahead.
Do you think that the coolant issue could stop me any time in my way and when I don’t expect it?

Thanks!

You are on a slow downhill path if the coolant leak is small. If you are not planning major work, a stop leak type of fix may be a good short term solution. I did this with a Chevy Caprice and eventually had to replace the radiator when it developed other leaks.

I would check underneath the car when it is on a hoist to see if their are any small leak signs that would not be apparent from looking under the hood. Al;so thighten all clamps on the hoses.

To answer your question, with a 13 year old Dodge Caravan anything is possible.