Frigid temps left coolant puddle but can't find a leak.

[BrianG]

I was away during Christmas when the frigid temps hit the east coast. There was a puddle under my '95 C10 that looked and smelled like antifreeze (it is parked under a carport).. Today I finally took the time to check it out. The antifreeze level at the filler cap is at the top. I started it up and let it run until the fan came on but I never found a leak. I could smell coolant during the first few minutes but not after that. What are your suggestions on where I go from here?

 

[Bud]

Look for loose clamps and keep an eye on it. If there's much of a problem, it will show up. I wonder if extreme cold weather would shrink sealing points to the degree that would allow coolant to leak. Once the weather warms along with the engine, things swell and the leak is gone. Does that make any sense?

 

[BrianG]

That certainly makes sense. It dawned on me that I did not check the for coolant in the reservoir tank. I don't think that would provide any additional clues but I think it would be wise to make sure it is at the appropriate level.

 

[brooke.benfield]

Your coolant reservoir may have a crack in it - 27 year old plastic..... Since it's not pressurized it wouldn't leak just because the engine is hot. It's possible to damage the reservoir if the 2 screws at the front of the fairing bottom piece are too long. They should have only like 1/4" or 3/8" thread length.

 

[BrianG]

Good thought. I know that there won't be screw damage because the screws are very short. A crack due to plastic fatigue is certainly a possibility though. I will check it. Thanks!

I was looking at the service manual this afternoon as saw reference to removing air whenever the cap is opened which didn't make any sense since the cap is open when bleeding the air. My thinking is that I should be fine since the coolant level was at the top of the filler neck when I removed the cap. The engine was cold at the time. Please let me know if my thinking is screwy.

 

[brooke.benfield]

I think you are fine, but.., if you haven't ever bled the waterpump I would encourage you to remove the radiator cap and crack open the bleeder bolt near the top of the pump until coolant begins to escape. There's also a bleeder on the thermostat housing but I never bothered with that one.

Afterwards, top up the system, reinstall the cap and you should be all set.

 

[chuckster]

Mine is doing the same thing. Mine is the cooling log at the rear of the head. O-rings are leaking. New o-rings and hoses on their way from Murphy's.

 

[gbyoung2]

Mine is doing the same thing. Mine is the cooling log at the rear of the head. O-rings are leaking. New o-rings and hoses on their way from Murphy's.

That would be my suggestion - ditto that for the log in the front side of the head. Mine occasionally weeps a little fluid from one / two of the joints that poke into the head, but it's not worth the effort needed to replace those o-rings.

 

[Cra-z1000]

I give my hose clamps a check almost anytime I have the plastic off . A couple usually need a turn .

 

[littletontall6249]

Glad to see that I’m not the only one with loose hose clamps. Here in the Chicago area we had a cold snap of negative zero temps in December and after there was a small puddle of coolant under the bike. Removing the plastic I found most of the hose clamps needed retightening. 1999 Concourse.

 

[olivia.turner.lf9557]

The worst thing about the lost pieces that it's with high probability will be hard to find to replace them. My friend who's crazy about such pieces even got this 3d printer to print the missing parts by himself because a dealer cannot do anything about it.