Goblin blood on my garage floor

[snowtrooper1966]

Damn, Bart!
That's quite a gap betwixt posts...
You are still leaking? Obviously not a huge issue, besides having the mess and to keep an eye on another fluid level
Now you have me worried that I may be losing Dragon Blood.....
James

[nfpgasmask]

Damn, Bart!
That's quite a gap betwixt posts...
You are still leaking? Obviously not a huge issue, besides having the mess and to keep an eye on another fluid level
Now you have me worried that I may be losing Dragon Blood.....
James

Well, my original post was because there was actually a decent sized puddle on the floor that day. Since then, I pressure washed the underside of my VX and also washed under the hood. I have noticed since then only a very slight drip, and up until yesterday when I was parked in the driveway (which is on a slight incline) did I notice another couple drips on the ground. I do loose coolant over a long period of time. I think most of what drips off vaporizes under the hood. I don't really smell it either, so I know where ever the leak is coming from, it is slight. That said, it still annoys me and I would like to get it taken care of, as long as it doesn't cost me a fortune or make matters worse.

My scan guage has my water temp at about 180-184° while driving normal. In the worst of the summer heat (like while driving to Moab), I have had my temp exceed 200° a few times.

Bart

[tom4bren]

To me, the white crud looks like what is left after antifeeze evaporates so you're right on the money when you said that it's probably been leaking for quite some time.

Your reservoir level will change depending on if the engine is hot or cold. Your radiator cap will allow some antifreeze to bypass the cap (slowly) and flow into your reservoir when the engine heats up and pressure builds in the radiator. When the engine cools back down, antifreeze will be drawn from the reservoir back into the radiator.

You haven't mentioned any overheating issues so I assume you have none. That would rule out that the thermostat is not OK. It would also imply that the 2 major hoses that run from the radiator to the block are OK (I've seen one collapse so that no water can flow). But you said that your hoses all look OK & that the leak doesn't seem to be where the hoses connect to the radiator.

The problem happens more when you are using the heat? Unless Isuzu did something very unique with the heating system, your heater core is just another radiator located inside the cab of your truck (against the firewall) when you want heat, a valve opens to allow antifreeze to flow from the radiator to the heater core & back - that's why if it were leaking you would smell antifreeze inside the truck (& if it were bad enough - scalded legs for your passenger). That doesn't seem to be happening so we'll assume that the heater core is OK. BUT ... the valve to cut on/off flow to the heater core could be leaking or either of the hoses. I don't know where those are but I'll try to have a look in the shop manual.

Enough theory - what to do next: replace the radiator cap (it's cheap & can't hurt to have a spare if that's not the problem). Take her in to a radiator shop for them to pressure test your radiator (again - not very expensive unless you end up needing to replace the radiator - and they may be able to tell you in 5 minutes where your leak is really coming from).

The good news: if you aren't getting oil in your coolant or coolant in your oil and you aren't running hot and you keep an eye on your coolant level - you aren't likely to be causing any damage. You've got time to keep looking for the leak.

Not recommended: coolant additive to seal the leak. It may work but it may also cause more damage.

[etlsport]

Well, my original post was because there was actually a decent sized puddle on the floor that day. Since then, I pressure washed the underside of my VX and also washed under the hood. I have noticed since then only a very slight drip, and up until yesterday when I was parked in the driveway (which is on a slight incline) did I notice another couple drips on the ground. I do loose coolant over a long period of time. I think most of what drips off vaporizes under the hood. I don't really smell it either, so I know where ever the leak is coming from, it is slight. That said, it still annoys me and I would like to get it taken care of, as long as it doesn't cost me a fortune or make matters worse.

My scan guage has my water temp at about 180-184° while driving normal. In the worst of the summer heat (like while driving to Moab), I have had my temp exceed 200° a few times.

Bart

Bart that seems a good temperature, my scan gauge usually puts my temp at 173 for normal driving in cool weather, in warm weather 179 or a lil warmer, but rarely over 190 on the highway, sitting in traffic i used to see temps up to 215 but the addition of a 10" aux cooling fan has cured that and keeps me down in the 180 range even at a stand still

[Chopper]

Bart, you sure this isn't comming from the water pump weep hole? When the pump begins to wear out, small amounts of coolant will drip as a warning. Keep a close eye on that temp gauge till you find out. The pump goes, it'll take that engine with it pretty quick.

[nfpgasmask]

Bart, you sure this isn't comming from the water pump weep hole? When the pump begins to wear out, small amounts of coolant will drip as a warning. Keep a close eye on that temp gauge till you find out. The pump goes, it'll take that engine with it pretty quick.

Chop, I'm not sure about anything. Its been like this for well over a year with no apparent ill effects, so I don't know. Maybe I should take this issue to a radiator shop...

Where is this weep hole? Is this something I can evaluate myself?

Bart

[VXNIT]

How do you know if from water pump. Mine is coming from behind plasic cover on from of engine, drips out of bottom of that cover?

[Ascinder]

Your water pump sits behind that cover, up against the engine. So it is probably your water pump.

[nfpgasmask]

Well, my fingers and toes are crossed, and so far so good.

After the timing belt change and new water pump install I don't seem to be leaking any more coolant. I am just hoping and knocking on all sorts of wood that the water pump was the source of my leak all along.

Merlin however, thinks that I could still have the o-ring leak talked about above, but I am hoping he is wrong.

So, if you are leaking coolant on top of the black plastic timing belt covers and down over the front, than there is a very good possibility that it is your water pump leaking.

I will keep you all posting after a month or so of nothing on the garage floor.

Bart

[kodiak]

That’s good to hear. When I do my belt and water pump hopefully that with do the trick on mine as well.

[VXNIT]

Mine is still weeping when it sets for 24 plus hours but if I drive daily it does not leak to point of dripping. I believe it is water pump weep on mine. It comes from behaing lower part of timing cover leaks down on pan and cross bar like many pics of this thread. No collant near top of motor period. I have a date with Sandford Isuzu since I am still covered on warranty.

[nfpgasmask]

Mine is still weeping when it sets for 24 plus hours but if I drive daily it does not leak to point of dripping. I believe it is water pump weep on mine. It comes from behaing lower part of timing cover leaks down on pan and cross bar like many pics of this thread. No collant near top of motor period. I have a date with Sandford Isuzu since I am still covered on warranty.

Yeah, that's most likely exactly what it is since my symptoms were exactly the same. The reason you don't see it when you drive regularly is because it is blowing off and spattering allover the underneath of your VX. When you let it sit it pools up and then eventually drips down onto the floor.

I actually just checked under the hood today on my lunch break and it's still coolant leak free!!!

Bart

[rickshaw]

It's my turn for the Goblin blood on the garage floor. Over the weekend I noticed a small puddle starting to form. Thought it might be the water pump so I ran it over to have the dealer check it out. It was the water pump and it was covered under the 10/120 powertrain warranty. Also I had a small transmission leak that was also covered under the 10/120 powertrain warranty. I also had them replace the timing belt while they were in there.

It's great to be an Original Owner with that full powertrain warranty.

[Ldub]

It's my turn for the Goblin blood on the garage floor. Over the weekend I noticed a small puddle starting to form. Thought it might be the water pump so I ran it over to have the dealer check it out. It was the water pump and it was covered under the 10/120 powertrain warranty. Also I had a small transmission leak that was also covered under the 10/120 powertrain warranty. I also had them replace the timing belt while they were in there.

It's great to be an Original Owner with that full powertrain warranty.

GOOD NEWS!...

I love a story with a happy ending...

[VX KAT]

Warranty? What's that?
How refreshing, really refreshing!!
Way to go Gene!
What do we have here, maybe 5 others members with the 10 yrs?....and probably some expired, and some to be expired within a year or so.

Let's see if I can count them on one hand....circmand, deermagnet, rickshaw, SuperDave, dietz99vcross.....now onto two hands.....ummmm, can't recall any others....