The Haunting Coolant Leak
#1
The Haunting Coolant Leak
Hello everyone! I'm brand new to the Saab Forums, and I've been a Saab owner for about 5 months now, and I really do love my Saab.
There are a few issues with it, though. Lately, I've been dealing with a pesky engine coolant leak. I've tried everything I know to diagnose it, but I'm in need of your help.
Here's the story: a few months ago, I started having clouds of coolant vapor coming out of the engine bay when my car would get up to operating temperature. I checked it out, and the intake nipple for the coolant reservoir had broken off, so I drilled it out and put in a metal one, and it works well. Fast forward to a few days ago, and I get the low engine coolant light again. I checked it out, and could find no discernable leaks. Filled it up again, and within a mile of driving at operating temp, I got the low engine coolant warning again, and sure enough, my reservoir was completely empty. This morning, I let the case run idle after filling the coolant reservoir, with the vehicle propped up on the curb, so I could see under the car. Once it got up to operating temperature, I checked under the car, and could not find any wet spots. At that point, steam started coming out of the radiator. Just a small amount, but it was definitely there. The steam didn't smell like coolant, though, it just smelled like sweat.
I've uploaded a video of it, so hopefully you can see exactly what's happening, and maybe we can figure this thing out.
Thank you, if you even read this and gave it a thought, I appreciate the support you guys provide. I'm excited to be a part of this excellent community.
Video link:
There are a few issues with it, though. Lately, I've been dealing with a pesky engine coolant leak. I've tried everything I know to diagnose it, but I'm in need of your help.
Here's the story: a few months ago, I started having clouds of coolant vapor coming out of the engine bay when my car would get up to operating temperature. I checked it out, and the intake nipple for the coolant reservoir had broken off, so I drilled it out and put in a metal one, and it works well. Fast forward to a few days ago, and I get the low engine coolant light again. I checked it out, and could find no discernable leaks. Filled it up again, and within a mile of driving at operating temp, I got the low engine coolant warning again, and sure enough, my reservoir was completely empty. This morning, I let the case run idle after filling the coolant reservoir, with the vehicle propped up on the curb, so I could see under the car. Once it got up to operating temperature, I checked under the car, and could not find any wet spots. At that point, steam started coming out of the radiator. Just a small amount, but it was definitely there. The steam didn't smell like coolant, though, it just smelled like sweat.
I've uploaded a video of it, so hopefully you can see exactly what's happening, and maybe we can figure this thing out.
Thank you, if you even read this and gave it a thought, I appreciate the support you guys provide. I'm excited to be a part of this excellent community.
Video link:
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