My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

--
Maggie

On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad gasket.
Any signs of it in your motor oil??

On 12/2/2015 2:05 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad gasket.
Any signs of it in your motor oil??


I just checked the oil and it looked like oil should look, so I don't
think so.

My mechanic said he checked everything because I put it in the shop
specifically because I thought it had a radiator leak somewhere.

The thermostat gauge moves from cold to warm(er) as the engine warms up,
so that appears to be working as far as I can tell. The mechanic
checked that thing, too.

--
Maggie

On 12/2/2015 1:09 PM, Muggles wrote:
On 12/2/2015 2:05 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad gasket.
Any signs of it in your motor oil??


I just checked the oil and it looked like oil should look, so I don't
think so.

You need to look at the *drained* oil to see what sorts of stuff
puddles on top. Looking at the dip stick is like trying to
decide how many people are at a party by looking through the keyhole.

[OTOH, there's some stuff you can use to check for water in *fuel* -- by
running a dipstick into the tank. Not sure if it works for oil, though]

My mechanic said he checked everything because I put it in the shop
specifically because I thought it had a radiator leak somewhere.

The thermostat gauge moves from cold to warm(er) as the engine warms up,
so that appears to be working as far as I can tell. The mechanic
checked that thing, too.

It's not the *gauge* but the actual thermostatic VALVE. Usually located
at the top of the block.

On 12/2/15 3:09 PM, Muggles wrote:
On 12/2/2015 2:05 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad gasket.
Any signs of it in your motor oil??


I just checked the oil and it looked like oil should look, so I don't
think so.

My mechanic said he checked everything because I put it in the shop
specifically because I thought it had a radiator leak somewhere.

The thermostat gauge moves from cold to warm(er) as the engine warms up,
so that appears to be working as far as I can tell. The mechanic
checked that thing, too.


If an external leak is not obvious, and the oil is normal, then most
likely coolant is leaking into a cylinder and being burned out the
exhaust.


Have your mechanic do a compression test to look for a blown head gasket.

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 3:15:29 PM UTC-5, Retired wrote:
On 12/2/15 3:09 PM, Muggles wrote:
On 12/2/2015 2:05 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad gasket.
Any signs of it in your motor oil??


I just checked the oil and it looked like oil should look, so I don't
think so.

My mechanic said he checked everything because I put it in the shop
specifically because I thought it had a radiator leak somewhere.

The thermostat gauge moves from cold to warm(er) as the engine warms up,
so that appears to be working as far as I can tell. The mechanic
checked that thing, too.


If an external leak is not obvious, and the oil is normal, then most
likely coolant is leaking into a cylinder and being burned out the
exhaust.


Have your mechanic do a compression test to look for a blown head gasket.

and pressure test the cooling system.

replacce radiator cap with one that caan be pumped with pressure.
pump to say 30 pounds, then let it sit and see if pressure drops

had a van once that lost coolant, it was perfect when checked, but lost coolant when hot

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 3:15:29 PM UTC-5, Retired wrote:
On 12/2/15 3:09 PM, Muggles wrote:
On 12/2/2015 2:05 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad gasket.
Any signs of it in your motor oil??


I just checked the oil and it looked like oil should look, so I don't
think so.

My mechanic said he checked everything because I put it in the shop
specifically because I thought it had a radiator leak somewhere.

The thermostat gauge moves from cold to warm(er) as the engine warms up,
so that appears to be working as far as I can tell. The mechanic
checked that thing, too.


If an external leak is not obvious, and the oil is normal, then most
likely coolant is leaking into a cylinder and being burned out the
exhaust.


Have your mechanic do a compression test to look for a blown head gasket.

or it is leaking onto an exhaust pipe and evaporating.
Had a Taurus that did that, and you could smell it easily.

Mark

On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 14:03:51 -0600, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

It degrades over time. You can test it with a voltmeter. If you have
no obvious leaks.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5860846_check-antifreeze-voltmeter.html

&

http://www.ehow.com/how_5890276_test-antifreeze-using-volt-meter.html

On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 15:15:23 -0500, Retired wrote:

Have your mechanic do a compression test to look for a blown head gasket.

If the head gasket was blown, between cylinders, the hot fluid would
be gushing out the top of the radiator with the cap off. Aside the
van engine would run erratically.

On 12/02/2015 2:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?
....

I'll bet you do have a gasket leak; probably intake manifold. Had
identical symptoms on '98 Chebby pick'em-up V8. Let it go for several
years and never got large enough to ever see the actual leak as it
evaporated from engine heat as fast as it seeped but finally took it to
the guy in town before a road trip to even more remote ground in NM for
a fence-building weekend last July 4 weekend--figured if it were to fail
catastrophically that'd be the time and that would _NOT_ be the place!!!!

Anyway, he did discover it was the intake manifold gasket leaking an
there was no leaking into the crankcase, it was all external (not that
it always is, just that it _can_ be).

OBTW, if this fits your case, don't use the standard GM replacement
gaskets; use the "upgraded" of "heavy duty" ones from Felpro or another
quality 3d-party vendor; they have a metal interface shim whereas the
originals don't...

--

Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:09 PM, Muggles wrote:
On 12/2/2015 2:05 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had
my mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he
didn't find a leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate,
or some other explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any
heat from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad
gasket. Any signs of it in your motor oil??


I just checked the oil and it looked like oil should look, so I don't
think so.

You need to look at the *drained* oil to see what sorts of stuff
puddles on top. Looking at the dip stick is like trying to
decide how many people are at a party by looking through the keyhole.

Nope , if there's coolant in the oil it will form an emulsion that closely
resembles grease . Other than that , antifreeze has some serious corrosion
problems with main and rod bearing inserts . Doesn't take a whole long time
to blow up the motor .
--
Snag

Oren wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 15:15:23 -0500, Retired wrote:

Have your mechanic do a compression test to look for a blown head gasket.

If the head gasket was blown, between cylinders, the hot fluid would
be gushing out the top of the radiator with the cap off. Aside the
van engine would run erratically.

As simple as worn out rad cap. If a mechanic does not do a pressure
test, dye test, observe tail pipe, taste tail pipe soot, what is he
doing to trouble-shoot. Old jalopies should be retired.

On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 15:04:25 -0700, Tony Hwang
wrote:

Oren wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 15:15:23 -0500, Retired wrote:

Have your mechanic do a compression test to look for a blown head gasket.

If the head gasket was blown, between cylinders, the hot fluid would
be gushing out the top of the radiator with the cap off. Aside the
van engine would run erratically.

As simple as worn out rad cap. If a mechanic does not do a pressure
test, dye test, observe tail pipe, taste tail pipe soot, what is he
doing to trouble-shoot. Old jalopies should be retired.

What does "tail pipe soot" taste like? :-\

Retired Jalopy...

Muggles laid this down on his screen :
My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Pull and check the spark plugs for contamination. If you find a sign of
coolant, you prolly have a blown head gasket.
There are several other places to check, so start with the hoses or
signs of a leak anywhere in the engine compartment.
Do you get a sound like a leak in the exhast?

Retired wrote :
On 12/2/15 3:09 PM, Muggles wrote:
On 12/2/2015 2:05 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad gasket.
Any signs of it in your motor oil??


I just checked the oil and it looked like oil should look, so I don't
think so.

My mechanic said he checked everything because I put it in the shop
specifically because I thought it had a radiator leak somewhere.

The thermostat gauge moves from cold to warm(er) as the engine warms up,
so that appears to be working as far as I can tell. The mechanic
checked that thing, too.


If an external leak is not obvious, and the oil is normal, then most likely
coolant is leaking into a cylinder and being burned out the exhaust.


Have your mechanic do a compression test to look for a blown head gasket.

A contaminated spark plug would do the same thing.

It happens that Oren formulated :
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 15:04:25 -0700, Tony Hwang
wrote:

Oren wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 15:15:23 -0500, Retired wrote:

Have your mechanic do a compression test to look for a blown head gasket.

If the head gasket was blown, between cylinders, the hot fluid would
be gushing out the top of the radiator with the cap off. Aside the
van engine would run erratically.

As simple as worn out rad cap. If a mechanic does not do a pressure
test, dye test, observe tail pipe, taste tail pipe soot, what is he
doing to trouble-shoot. Old jalopies should be retired.

What does "tail pipe soot" taste like? :-\

Retired Jalopy...

I was thinking the same thing. lol

Jalopy driver Eagle

"Eagle" no@not now.ever wrote in message
...

Pull and check the spark plugs for contamination. If you find a sign of
coolant, you prolly have a blown head gasket.

A v-8 I had with a blown head gasket looked like one of the spark plugs had
been steamed cleaned.

wrote:
My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?
Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.
--
Maggie

http://rokradio.com/
http://20thcenturyradio.com/
https://www.otrcat.com/


--
..

On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 14:09:35 -0600, Muggles wrote:

On 12/2/2015 2:05 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad gasket.
Any signs of it in your motor oil??


I just checked the oil and it looked like oil should look, so I don't
think so.

My mechanic said he checked everything because I put it in the shop
specifically because I thought it had a radiator leak somewhere.

The thermostat gauge moves from cold to warm(er) as the engine warms up,
so that appears to be working as far as I can tell. The mechanic
checked that thing, too.
Most common cause of "mystery dissapearing antifreeze" is bad hose
connections. Loose clamps etc. The entifreeze only comes out then it
is hot, and evaporates right away. The "tell" is white (or pinkinf,
greenish, or yellowish) deposits and sometimes gooey deposits around
the offending connection. Sometimes a bit of "sweet"smell under the
hood with the engine warm.

On Wed, 02 Dec 2015 13:13:51 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 1:09 PM, Muggles wrote:
On 12/2/2015 2:05 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad gasket.
Any signs of it in your motor oil??


I just checked the oil and it looked like oil should look, so I don't
think so.

You need to look at the *drained* oil to see what sorts of stuff
puddles on top. Looking at the dip stick is like trying to
decide how many people are at a party by looking through the keyhole.

[OTOH, there's some stuff you can use to check for water in *fuel* -- by
running a dipstick into the tank. Not sure if it works for oil, though]

My mechanic said he checked everything because I put it in the shop
specifically because I thought it had a radiator leak somewhere.

The thermostat gauge moves from cold to warm(er) as the engine warms up,
so that appears to be working as far as I can tell. The mechanic
checked that thing, too.

It's not the *gauge* but the actual thermostatic VALVE. Usually located
at the top of the block.
If the temp guage isn't going high it is inlikely to be overheating.
They will usually "bang" and make strange noises when they overheat
too - and the engine will "ping" under load when hot.

The biggest "tell" for antifreeze (or water) getting into the oil is a
white foamy deposit on the filler cap.

Anhydrous copper sulfate is white and will turn blue in the presence
of moisture but it doesn't work well in oil unless you can get it to
the bottom of the sump.

That's what was in the "waterchek" paste we used on the dit sticks for
the tanks at the gas station eons ago.

On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 15:15:23 -0500, Retired wrote:

On 12/2/15 3:09 PM, Muggles wrote:
On 12/2/2015 2:05 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad gasket.
Any signs of it in your motor oil??


I just checked the oil and it looked like oil should look, so I don't
think so.

My mechanic said he checked everything because I put it in the shop
specifically because I thought it had a radiator leak somewhere.

The thermostat gauge moves from cold to warm(er) as the engine warms up,
so that appears to be working as far as I can tell. The mechanic
checked that thing, too.


If an external leak is not obvious, and the oil is normal, then most
likely coolant is leaking into a cylinder and being burned out the
exhaust.


Have your mechanic do a compression test to look for a blown head gasket.
That is a possibility but will cause the exhaust to smell "sweet"
and usually cause the engine to run rough, particularly on a cold
start after a good warm run.

On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 12:33:41 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 3:15:29 PM UTC-5, Retired wrote:
On 12/2/15 3:09 PM, Muggles wrote:
On 12/2/2015 2:05 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad gasket.
Any signs of it in your motor oil??


I just checked the oil and it looked like oil should look, so I don't
think so.

My mechanic said he checked everything because I put it in the shop
specifically because I thought it had a radiator leak somewhere.

The thermostat gauge moves from cold to warm(er) as the engine warms up,
so that appears to be working as far as I can tell. The mechanic
checked that thing, too.


If an external leak is not obvious, and the oil is normal, then most
likely coolant is leaking into a cylinder and being burned out the
exhaust.


Have your mechanic do a compression test to look for a blown head gasket.

or it is leaking onto an exhaust pipe and evaporating.
Had a Taurus that did that, and you could smell it easily.

Mark
Can't get into the exhaust without going through the engine - head,
block, head gasket, or intake manifold gasket. On 3.0 (or was it the
old 3.8?) Taurus the timing cover gasket was a major leak risk

On Wed, 02 Dec 2015 15:51:26 -0600, dpb wrote:

On 12/02/2015 2:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?
...

I'll bet you do have a gasket leak; probably intake manifold. Had
identical symptoms on '98 Chebby pick'em-up V8. Let it go for several
years and never got large enough to ever see the actual leak as it
evaporated from engine heat as fast as it seeped but finally took it to
the guy in town before a road trip to even more remote ground in NM for
a fence-building weekend last July 4 weekend--figured if it were to fail
catastrophically that'd be the time and that would _NOT_ be the place!!!!

Anyway, he did discover it was the intake manifold gasket leaking an
there was no leaking into the crankcase, it was all external (not that
it always is, just that it _can_ be).

OBTW, if this fits your case, don't use the standard GM replacement
gaskets; use the "upgraded" of "heavy duty" ones from Felpro or another
quality 3d-party vendor; they have a metal interface shim whereas the
originals don't...
Is the van a 3800 (3.8) V6 GM??
If so the intake is a real possibility.

On Wed, 02 Dec 2015 13:05:32 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad gasket.
Any signs of it in your motor oil??


If your windows are fogging up, it could be a bad heater core.

On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 16:02:35 -0600, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:

Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:09 PM, Muggles wrote:
On 12/2/2015 2:05 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had
my mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he
didn't find a leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate,
or some other explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any
heat from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad
gasket. Any signs of it in your motor oil??


I just checked the oil and it looked like oil should look, so I don't
think so.

You need to look at the *drained* oil to see what sorts of stuff
puddles on top. Looking at the dip stick is like trying to
decide how many people are at a party by looking through the keyhole.

Nope , if there's coolant in the oil it will form an emulsion that closely
resembles grease . Other than that , antifreeze has some serious corrosion
problems with main and rod bearing inserts . Doesn't take a whole long time
to blow up the motor .
Particularly on 3.8 Fords. 2 tablespoons of antifreeze in the oil for
half an hour will make the sucker knock - and virtually impossible to
patch up.

On Wed, 02 Dec 2015 14:34:58 -0800, Oren wrote:

On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 15:04:25 -0700, Tony Hwang
wrote:

Oren wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 15:15:23 -0500, Retired wrote:

Have your mechanic do a compression test to look for a blown head gasket.

If the head gasket was blown, between cylinders, the hot fluid would
be gushing out the top of the radiator with the cap off. Aside the
van engine would run erratically.

As simple as worn out rad cap. If a mechanic does not do a pressure
test, dye test, observe tail pipe, taste tail pipe soot, what is he
doing to trouble-shoot. Old jalopies should be retired.

What does "tail pipe soot" taste like? :-\

Retired Jalopy...
Sweet if it's burning antifreeze. "salty" normally.

On Wed, 02 Dec 2015 21:12:24 -0500, wrote:

What does "tail pipe soot" taste like? :-\

Retired Jalopy...

Sweet if it's burning antifreeze. "salty" normally.

Maybe true. I'm not tasting any tail pipe though :-\

On 12/2/2015 2:13 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:09 PM, Muggles wrote:
On 12/2/2015 2:05 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad gasket.
Any signs of it in your motor oil??


I just checked the oil and it looked like oil should look, so I don't
think so.

You need to look at the *drained* oil to see what sorts of stuff
puddles on top. Looking at the dip stick is like trying to
decide how many people are at a party by looking through the keyhole.

[OTOH, there's some stuff you can use to check for water in *fuel* -- by
running a dipstick into the tank. Not sure if it works for oil, though]

My mechanic said he checked everything because I put it in the shop
specifically because I thought it had a radiator leak somewhere.

The thermostat gauge moves from cold to warm(er) as the engine warms up,
so that appears to be working as far as I can tell. The mechanic
checked that thing, too.

It's not the *gauge* but the actual thermostatic VALVE. Usually located
at the top of the block.


ok I'm starting a list on what to look for. Thanks.

--
Maggie

On 12/2/2015 2:15 PM, Retired wrote:
coolant is leaking into a cylinder and being burned out the exhaust

I'm adding this to my list of things to check. Thanks!

--
Maggie

On 12/2/2015 2:52 PM, Oren wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 14:03:51 -0600, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

It degrades over time. You can test it with a voltmeter. If you have
no obvious leaks.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5860846_check-antifreeze-voltmeter.html

&

http://www.ehow.com/how_5890276_test-antifreeze-using-volt-meter.html


ok Thanks for the suggestion. (adding it to my list.)

--
Maggie

On 12/2/2015 3:17 PM, Oren wrote:
If the head gasket was blown, between cylinders, the hot fluid would
be gushing out the top of the radiator with the cap off. Aside the
van engine would run erratically.

hmmm The only time it runs erratically is when I try to start it when
it's low on antifreeze. That's one *hint* that prompts me to check it
sooner than normal.

--
Maggie

On 12/2/2015 3:51 PM, dpb wrote:
On 12/02/2015 2:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?
...

I'll bet you do have a gasket leak; probably intake manifold. Had
identical symptoms on '98 Chebby pick'em-up V8. Let it go for several
years and never got large enough to ever see the actual leak as it
evaporated from engine heat as fast as it seeped but finally took it to
the guy in town before a road trip to even more remote ground in NM for
a fence-building weekend last July 4 weekend--figured if it were to fail
catastrophically that'd be the time and that would _NOT_ be the
place!!!!

Anyway, he did discover it was the intake manifold gasket leaking an
there was no leaking into the crankcase, it was all external (not that
it always is, just that it _can_ be).

OBTW, if this fits your case, don't use the standard GM replacement
gaskets; use the "upgraded" of "heavy duty" ones from Felpro or another
quality 3d-party vendor; they have a metal interface shim whereas the
originals don't...


OK Adding your info to my list. Thanks!

--
Maggie

On 12/2/2015 5:17 PM, Eagle wrote:
Muggles laid this down on his screen :
My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Pull and check the spark plugs for contamination. If you find a sign of
coolant, you prolly have a blown head gasket.
There are several other places to check, so start with the hoses or
signs of a leak anywhere in the engine compartment.
Do you get a sound like a leak in the exhast?

Last time I took it to my mechanic he didn't find any leaks other than
the spot where it has an oil leak.

--
Maggie

On 12/2/2015 7:58 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 14:09:35 -0600, Muggles wrote:

On 12/2/2015 2:05 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad gasket.
Any signs of it in your motor oil??


I just checked the oil and it looked like oil should look, so I don't
think so.

My mechanic said he checked everything because I put it in the shop
specifically because I thought it had a radiator leak somewhere.

The thermostat gauge moves from cold to warm(er) as the engine warms up,
so that appears to be working as far as I can tell. The mechanic
checked that thing, too.
Most common cause of "mystery dissapearing antifreeze" is bad hose
connections. Loose clamps etc. The entifreeze only comes out then it
is hot, and evaporates right away. The "tell" is white (or pinkinf,
greenish, or yellowish) deposits and sometimes gooey deposits around
the offending connection. Sometimes a bit of "sweet"smell under the
hood with the engine warm.


OK That's something I can actually do myself with a mechanic. I'll
look for any of those signs near the hoses. THANKS!

--
Maggie

On 12/2/2015 8:03 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 02 Dec 2015 13:13:51 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 1:09 PM, Muggles wrote:
On 12/2/2015 2:05 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad gasket.
Any signs of it in your motor oil??


I just checked the oil and it looked like oil should look, so I don't
think so.

You need to look at the *drained* oil to see what sorts of stuff
puddles on top. Looking at the dip stick is like trying to
decide how many people are at a party by looking through the keyhole.

[OTOH, there's some stuff you can use to check for water in *fuel* -- by
running a dipstick into the tank. Not sure if it works for oil, though]

My mechanic said he checked everything because I put it in the shop
specifically because I thought it had a radiator leak somewhere.

The thermostat gauge moves from cold to warm(er) as the engine warms up,
so that appears to be working as far as I can tell. The mechanic
checked that thing, too.

It's not the *gauge* but the actual thermostatic VALVE. Usually located
at the top of the block.
If the temp guage isn't going high it is inlikely to be overheating.
They will usually "bang" and make strange noises when they overheat
too - and the engine will "ping" under load when hot.

The biggest "tell" for antifreeze (or water) getting into the oil is a
white foamy deposit on the filler cap.

Anhydrous copper sulfate is white and will turn blue in the presence
of moisture but it doesn't work well in oil unless you can get it to
the bottom of the sump.

That's what was in the "waterchek" paste we used on the dit sticks for
the tanks at the gas station eons ago.


I saw the oil cap this morning when I topped off the oil when I added
the antifreeze and didn't see any why foamy deposit on the cap. I guess
that's good news.

--
Maggie

On 12/2/2015 8:04 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 2 Dec 2015 15:15:23 -0500, Retired wrote:

On 12/2/15 3:09 PM, Muggles wrote:
On 12/2/2015 2:05 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad gasket.
Any signs of it in your motor oil??


I just checked the oil and it looked like oil should look, so I don't
think so.

My mechanic said he checked everything because I put it in the shop
specifically because I thought it had a radiator leak somewhere.

The thermostat gauge moves from cold to warm(er) as the engine warms up,
so that appears to be working as far as I can tell. The mechanic
checked that thing, too.


If an external leak is not obvious, and the oil is normal, then most
likely coolant is leaking into a cylinder and being burned out the
exhaust.


Have your mechanic do a compression test to look for a blown head gasket.
That is a possibility but will cause the exhaust to smell "sweet"
and usually cause the engine to run rough, particularly on a cold
start after a good warm run.


The only time the van runs rough is when it's low on antifreeze, I've
noticed, lately. Otherwise, she starts up right away. We put a new
battery in a few months ago, too.

--
Maggie

On 12/2/2015 8:10 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 02 Dec 2015 15:51:26 -0600, dpb wrote:

On 12/02/2015 2:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?
...

I'll bet you do have a gasket leak; probably intake manifold. Had
identical symptoms on '98 Chebby pick'em-up V8. Let it go for several
years and never got large enough to ever see the actual leak as it
evaporated from engine heat as fast as it seeped but finally took it to
the guy in town before a road trip to even more remote ground in NM for
a fence-building weekend last July 4 weekend--figured if it were to fail
catastrophically that'd be the time and that would _NOT_ be the place!!!!

Anyway, he did discover it was the intake manifold gasket leaking an
there was no leaking into the crankcase, it was all external (not that
it always is, just that it _can_ be).

OBTW, if this fits your case, don't use the standard GM replacement
gaskets; use the "upgraded" of "heavy duty" ones from Felpro or another
quality 3d-party vendor; they have a metal interface shim whereas the
originals don't...
Is the van a 3800 (3.8) V6 GM??
If so the intake is a real possibility.


mmmmmmm It's a '98 Ford Windstar, the bigger engine ( I forget the size. )

--
Maggie

On 12/2/2015 8:10 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 02 Dec 2015 13:05:32 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 12/2/2015 1:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.

Could be boiling over (stuck thermostat). Or, could have a bad gasket.
Any signs of it in your motor oil??


If your windows are fogging up, it could be a bad heater core.


After I put in the antifreeze, the heater started working again, so the
defroster took care of any fogging.

--
Maggie

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 2:03:53 PM UTC-6, Muggles wrote:
My old van seem to use anti-freeze like it's soda pop. I even had my
mechanic check to see if there's a leak somewhere, and he didn't find a
leak. So, does it just get used up and evaporate, or some other
explanation?

Today, I filled up the radiator, plus I added more to the overflow
container. It took it quite a while before it finally put out any heat
from the vents, so at least my heat is working again.
--
Maggie

Make sure you have a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water. Either will boil at a lower temperature than the mixture of the two. If your radiator cap is the original, you can pick up a replacement at an auto parts store to try solving your problem. If the cap isn't holding the proper pressure, your coolant could be going back into the reservoir and overflowing it. When the engine cools down, the remaining coolant in the reservoir is sucked back into the radiator. After you make a short trip, stop, leave the engine running then immediately open the hood and look at the coolant level in the reservoir to see if the coolant is bubbling. The presence of a stream of bubbles could indicate a bad radiator cap. Imagine taking a drinking straw, putting it in a glass of water then blowing lightly in it to make a stream of bubbles.ヽ(€¢€¿€¢)ノ

[8~{} Uncle Bubbling Monster

DONT USE ANY LEAK SEALERS, like bards leak. I did that ONCE

it ruined the heate core, plugged it solid.

this occured in early spring, garage wanted 850 bucks just for labor the dash board had to be completely removed to replace the heater core, sadly the van went to the junkyard bcause i was dumb and used the leak sealer

found the real source of the leak, a bad hose.