98 Windstar Loses Coolant

My 1998 Windstar with the 3.8L engine loses coolant. The cooling system has been pressure tested twice, no external leaks were found.

I understand these engines are prone to timing cover gasket and lower intake manifold gasket leaks. How do I determine if one of the problems is the reason I am losing coolant? I'm trying to make a decision about whether to repair or keep the car, so I'd like to know where the coolant is going.

The transmission has problems and needs to be rebuilt. Before I fix that, I want to be aware of all the problems so that I can make a good decision about how to proceed.

Reply to
KC
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If it's not leaking on the ground then it could be a small breech in the head gasket. I don't know what else it could be. Does anyone know if the catalytic converter would mask the symptom from the exhaust?

Reply to
Alan

Then the test was not performed properly, or you have internal leaks.

Timing cover coolnat leaks will cause coolant to mix with your oil. That should be easy to see on the dip stick.

Intake gasket leaks may cause oil and water to mix or may just leak coolant into the intake system.

coolant? I'm trying to make a decision about

Have a technician pull the spark plugs and read them for signs of coolant getting into the combustion chamber. An experienced tech should be able to tell. If they all show signs of coolant then the intake gasket is leaking. If only one or some of them show signs of coolant then the head gasket is leaking and /or you have a cracked head. A pressure test with the spark plugs removed or using a gas analyzer to sniff the radiator filler will also verify a leaking head gasket (hopefully not a cracked head). Only disassembly will tell for sure.

Another test would be a cylinder leak down test. That will tell you if compression is getting into the cooling system and it will indicate which cylinders are affected.

There are ways to diagnose your problem. You just need to find a qualified technician. (sometimes easier said than done), but if you ask him about performing the above mentioned tests and he seems to understand how to do them, then at least you've got a chance.

Reply to
Kevin

Thanks for the detailed answer Kevin - it was very helpful.

Reply to
KC

When the engine is hot open the hood and look for a small amount off steam in the area to the rear of the timing chain cover.I had a small external leak that leaked onto the hot engine and burnt off before hitting the ground.All I noticed was a small amount of "steam"behind the engine. $480 for a timing cover gasket repair.

Reply to
DanFXR

Was thinking another option would be to get the engine oil analyzed and see if the lab finds any coolant in with the oil.

Reply to
KC

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