Small coolant leak?
 

I think I have a small coolant leak in my Z. I was looking at the overflow bottle yesterday and it was bone dry. I'm not sure if the previous owner just never filled the bottle up or what. The radiator fill cap was slightly low. So I added some anitifreeze to the radiator, and to the overflow bottle. Now when I turn the car to the auxilliary power that little diagnostic light in the center of the dash will display OK then go out. I even pressed the button and had it run through and it still displays OK. I think it's a leak simply because the exhaust smells fine, and there is no smoke that comes from the exhaust. My 91 Dodge Caravan seems to be doing the same thing. Neither of them overheat either. It seems like it takes along time for the coolant to really run out, so I'm guessing it's gotta be a very small leak. Or I'm thinking it's a small leak. Is this sorta of thing unusual? Maybe a line has a pinhole in it or something? I'm not sure about coolant lines, but are there a bunch of coolant lines that run throughout the car other than the hoses from the radiator, and the overflow bottle?

My car is the same way. I think the overflow bottle has a slow leak somewhere. I could never find the leak. The bottle would end up empty in a week but the radiator never leaked.

Maybe it's just a Z thing (among those Z drivers that have this problem, which obviously excludes Rod) cause my over flow is the same way. I've given up on filling it. I just check the radiator every once in a while to make sure it's not low. It never is though, just the overflow reservoir. And duowing, there are a couple coolant hoses on the intake manifold that run through the TB and the air regulator. There are also heater hoses running along the passenger side of the engine that are known to leak at their connections. There are also heater hoses in the passenger compartment that can leak, as well as the heater core itself. Check the radiator periodically to see if it keeps losing coolant. If it's staying full and but the reservoir keeps emptying then the reservoir probably just has a leak. And the button will say OK as long as the reservoir is full. If it's empty (or defective) then it will flash red.

Mine doesn't do that...

Must be your Z thing...

Rod.

I got no leaky's here...

well my little warning light on the dash, I checked it and it flashes red when I'm driving. It only shows a pic of a red light that says Stop, but I'm pretty sure all the brake lights are fine.

pretty sure? i don't think it will say "STOP" if there isn't a brake light out. Have someone step on the brake petal while ya look.

Mine does that too. Wierd. And NO I don't have a brake light out. I think its the sensor or controller or whatever just acting up. I've checked it several time, even asking complete strangers if all my stoplights are coming on. And they're always working. After a while if I push the button again it'll usually just cycle through and say everythings OK. If I hit a bump hard or something though it'll come back on. I've even wedged my "hatch hold" (glorious name for a broom stick) onto the brake pedal to check it myself and they're always on. I do have a taillight out though :D No light comes on for that though. Maybe the circuits are mixed up :confused:

when i push my button it says, my brake lights are gone, my battery is dead and my headlight washer flasks arer empty lol, they all work fine except for the headlight washers caus ei removed them.

Mine used to lead a little had to refill the bottle after every few weeks or so. then it got a really really BIG leak that ended up in a new water pump, and me disconnecting the heater (in summer), its just getting over winter here now and after freezing my ass off for a few weeks its all good now....

but now the leaks completley gone....well the leak in the cooling system...now to deal with that damn sunroof...and the window... and the other window and the...........damn old cars :)

where was the leak at? It was in one of the lines?

IT'S NOT A LEAK ......zx's were meant to run with the overflow tank about half full....
the water in the tank bleeds back into the system ...keeping the rate full ...that is why there is a fill line on the tank ....the air bubbles in the rate work there way out then tank fills the system back up ... keep filling it the air blubbles in your rate will go away after about five or six fills and then you wont need to fill it any more it will stay at the line ....mine did this untell i figured out what is was doing :)

you hit the button. And it says you batt id dead, Wtf? what good is that for. nothin will work if batt is dead. I think they had some extra time on there hands when making that check system.

I generally thought the battery thing meant the charging system, and that generally meant that the alternator was going bad.

Maybe not, but mines a leak. Been a few months since I last put coolant in my radiator. I've had to fill the reservoir EVERY time I drive it. Which up until a little while ago was every day. Plus when I did fill the system I bled it twice. Jacked the front of the car up and let all the air come up. Then I took her for a cruise and bled her again. Still empty every day. Not a drop from the radiator though. But that's just mine. Plus all the dirt caked around the reservoir hose and the rusted clamp on the bottom look like signs of leakage too.

Too true though for anyone who doesn't properly bleed the cooling system. Air can trapped in there pretty easily. Easiest way to do it is to park the car on a driveway facing up, pull the radiator cap, give the lower hose a few squeezes and bounce her up and down (make sure the wheels are chocked first ;) ). That should get most of the air right out. Repeat after driving. Hard stops help jar air pockets loose too.