Missing coolant

[Casey]

My mirage is losing coolant but it's not dripping out anywhere obvious. Any thoughts on where it's going?

According to the car fax, my mirage had the heater core replaced some time ago. But after owning the vehicle since May, a month or more ago I noticed at times a coolant smell in the passenger compartment, like the mapley burnt coolant smell. When I first noticed it, I checked the coolant level and it was fine. I didn't think much more about it except when I smelled it. Until last week, the AC wasn't blowing as cold and I noticed my scan gauge was showing 220 -230. But, it was a really hot Florida day and we were on a 25mph road for a long time. Once we got back up to highway speed everything was fine and has been for about 200 miles or so since. Today on a short trip at highway speed I noticed the dash temp light flash on a few times right before home. Scan gauge temp went up to 240 concurrently. When I got home and checked, coolant reservoir appeared empty and couldn't see any coolant in radiator through cap. Interestingly the cap wasn't too hot to hold on to. Anyways, I added maybe a 1.5 qts or a little more to the system. I didn't think that seemed like much until I looked in the manual and saw the capacity was 4.2qts.

If it's the heater core again, would I find some place wet?

I did my first oil change today in the mirage after all of this and the oil looked fine.

[Fummins]

KISS

Look for obvious leaks, then do a pressure test if you can't trace it.

Over the years, I believe 2 people on the forum had head gasket or a cracked head. I myself have never had a Mirage require a head gasket or head.

One member here had a coolant tube rust away somewhere near the front of the engine near the timing cover iirc. Might be worth a look.

Often when a heater core leaks it'll fog up the windshield when on defrost. I don't recall how the heater box is shaped, leaking coolant might make it's way out the drain tube for the evaporator but I doubt it.

Did you notice if the rad fan is working properly and spins freely?\


I believe one of Dirk's Mirages' has had the heater core replaced at one time. Whoever did the work pinched the tubes causing a minor leak. That may be the case with yours?

[inuvik]

My mirage is losing coolant but it's not dripping out anywhere obvious. Any thoughts on where it's going?

According to the car fax, my mirage had the heater core replaced some time ago. But after owning the vehicle since May, a month or more ago I noticed at times a coolant smell in the passenger compartment, like the mapley burnt coolant smell. When I first noticed it, I checked the coolant level and it was fine. I didn't think much more about it except when I smelled it. Until last week, the AC wasn't blowing as cold and I noticed my scan gauge was showing 220 -230. But, it was a really hot Florida day and we were on a 25mph road for a long time. Once we got back up to highway speed everything was fine and has been for about 200 miles or so since. Today on a short trip at highway speed I noticed the dash temp light flash on a few times right before home. Scan gauge temp went up to 240 concurrently. When I got home and checked, coolant reservoir appeared empty and couldn't see any coolant in radiator through cap. Interestingly the cap wasn't too hot to hold on to. Anyways, I added maybe a 1.5 qts or a little more to the system. I didn't think that seemed like much until I looked in the manual and saw the capacity was 4.2qts.

If it's the heater core again, would I find some place wet?

I did my first oil change today in the mirage after all of this and the oil looked fine.

If you recorded 240 degrees F on your coolant temp, just think how high your CVT temps got-yikes!

[Mark]

KISS

Look for obvious leaks, then do a pressure test if you can't trace it.

Over the years, I believe 2 people on the forum had head gasket or a cracked head. I myself have never had a Mirage require a head gasket or head.

One member here had a coolant tube rust away somewhere near the front of the engine near the timing cover iirc. Might be worth a look.

Often when a heater core leaks it'll fog up the windshield when on defrost. I don't recall how the heater box is shaped, leaking coolant might make it's way out the drain tube for the evaporator but I doubt it.

Did you notice if the rad fan is working properly and spins freely?\


I believe one of Dirk's Mirages' has had the heater core replaced at one time. Whoever did the work pinched the tubes causing a minor leak. That may be the case with yours?

Dirk found out the engine has been replaced in his G4 after he bought it. When they installed the new engine, they damaged/crimped the end of the coolant tube that goes through the firewall. Regardless of the story, it's a good place to check for leaks.

[Casey]

KISS

Look for obvious leaks, then do a pressure test if you can't trace it.

Over the years, I believe 2 people on the forum had head gasket or a cracked head. I myself have never had a Mirage require a head gasket or head.

One member here had a coolant tube rust away somewhere near the front of the engine near the timing cover iirc. Might be worth a look.

Often when a heater core leaks it'll fog up the windshield when on defrost. I don't recall how the heater box is shaped, leaking coolant might make it's way out the drain tube for the evaporator but I doubt it.

Did you notice if the rad fan is working properly and spins freely?\


I believe one of Dirk's Mirages' has had the heater core replaced at one time. Whoever did the work pinched the tubes causing a minor leak. That may be the case with yours?

Should the radiator fan run all the time?

[Casey]

Dirk found out the engine has been replaced in his G4 after he bought it. When they installed the new engine, they damaged/crimped the end of the coolant tube that goes through the firewall. Regardless of the story, it's a good place to check for leaks.

I did look there. What I could see from the engine side of the firewall anyway.

[Casey]

If you recorded 240 degrees F on your coolant temp, just think how high your CVT temps got-yikes!

I've got a manual trans but that's interesting. Are the CVTs cooled by the engine cooling system?

[allrock]

I've got a manual trans but that's interesting. Are the CVTs cooled by the engine cooling system?

yes, cvt have an oil cooler where coolant coming from the radiator also passes thats the reason CVT models have slight bigger radiator, and if you look at the front grill, the grill on the manual have a part with cover (i think rh part) while the CVT model is all holes, thats how you differentiate MT from CVT just by looking at the front.

[Top_Fuel]

Should the radiator fan run all the time?

No. If your radiator fan is running constantly, you either have the AC turned on or your engine coolant temp is getting too hot.

According to this post, the radiator fan turns on at 220 degrees and turns off at 206.

The fan also runs any time you are running the AC I think...but I can't remember for sure because I run my AC so infrequently.

[Dodge Aries K]

Yes the fan will run when the ac compressor is engaged. I second what Fummins says and pressure test the system. If it's not leaking coolant, it's burning it.