Coolant problem....

[Boog]

Things I can rule off the list as of right now:

 

2) Not full on coolant smell, but definitely a hint of it.

3)Have reservoir, no coolant inside. Or, very little.

6)Spark plugs clean, just replaced them last week. 

 

Checking dip stick now, will pick up compression tester for this weekend.

[racerx]

not sure when you wrote 2). "not full on coolant smell".  You can smell coolant at the exhaust if your HG is gone.   Happened 2x, my 75 Celica and friend's Buick.

 

Be Wary if spark plug are too clean.  With HG gone, it cleans the plugs like a steam cleaner.  Spark plugs should not be that clean. 

[Boog]

Ok, to clarify previous post, I smell a little bit of coolant, but I guess any at all is bad. Don't have my plug sized socket with me, so I'll check the plugs in a day or two. The oil looked completely fine, standard color with nothing strange about it.

[racerx]

okay that's good that oil/water is not mixed when you checked.  Maybe you have a slight break in the HG. yes, definitely do a comp. check.  Good luck.

[banzai510(hainz)]

ck inside if a leak is from the heater inside hoses or the valve.  Dont know if you got carpet but ck that.

[Boog]

Checked, no leaks. Thanks for the comment though.

[Buzzbomb]

Seems to me like it all boils down (pun intended) to whether or not you're losing coolant and in what way as Datzenmike suggested on page 1. If you are adding coolant, the coolant you're losing has to go somewhere.

 

Honestly, that doesn't seem like a lot of white smoke to me for cold weather. HOWEVER, if you ARE losing coolant there's a problem. When my truck's HG failed, at least it was spewing a visible stream of coolant I could see. Took a lot of guess work out of the whole deal   :confused:

 

Hainz brings up a good point about inside coolant leaks..Be sure to check the WHOLE area around the heater core. Not sure how that's all laid out on Z car, though.

[BoostinBen]

I agree with buzz if you are having to add coolant its going somewhere.. if it isnt leaking somewhere visible then most likely its going past the headgasket into the combustion of the motor. If you start up the car and run it without the radiator cap on does it bubble up air continuously? a few burps of air is ok .. if they keep comming then that is exhaust comming through the coolant which = coolant getting into the exhaust.

[banzai510(hainz)]

if the head has a water passage make sure the intake bolts are tight. water can get sucked in from the heater manifold to the head via the passage hole.

youul tell if itw the inner cylinder if the spark plugs are clean

[racerx]

earlier he said he smelled coolant at the exhaust.  That's a fairly good sign of a bad HG.  He still needs to do a comp. check.

[Xnke]

The EFI L6 Doesn't have a wet manifold. That looks like normal cold-weather startup to me, but if you're loosing coolant, when was the last time you retorqued the head bolts? If you don't do it, it'll leak coolant down the spark plug side of the block when it's cold and will stop leaking when it warms up. If the leak path is already there, retorquing the head won't fix it...you need a new gasket.

[racerx]

He still needs to do a compression test.

[datzenmike]

A compression test may show a low cylinder. The hole may be so small that not enough compression is leaked to make a big difference. Just saying this is a diagnostic tool that may or may not add a symptom. 

 

A cooling system pressurizing test could also be done. The rad cap is removed and a compression tester screwed on. The cooling system is brought up to 12-14 psi and watched over time to see if the pressure drops. While pressurized, external hoses, heater core and water pump can be watched for leaks. If the pressure slowly drops but no leaks found then it can be assumed that the leak in inside.

 

My old slant six had two heater hoses at the front of the valve cover. When driving I had a monster cloud of steamy exhaust. Only found it by revving with the hood up. A pin hole leak would only spray when revved, and then directly into the air filter snorkel. Steamy exhaust is subjective. All exhausts 'steam' slightly on start. The colder the weather the more visible the exhaust on start up AND it lessens as the motor warms. You know your vehicle best. A sudden increase is a symptom.

 

Oil also does not always go milky. This depends on how bad the leak is. Small, and the steam just mixes with the exhaust and is blown out. The small amount that gets by the rings is sucked up by the PCV valve and recycled again. Milky oil could be a timing cover leak or coolant from the intake sucked into the engine from loose manifolds also so don't assume a head gasket leak.

 

Symptoms added together, like milky oil, low compression on a cylinder and overly steamy exhaust possibly with a coolant/anti freeze smell could be called a bad HG diagnosis..

[racerx]

yes agree in above..but he did say, he smelled collant at the exhaust and with a compression check, together will be a good indication that he has a blown HG and maybe it's just a slight one.