mysterious coolant leak

[michael]

My mysterious coolant leak had different symptoms.  I report it hear  
because so many of you kindly offered your suggestions.
My symptoms were loss of coolant during the Winter as noticed by the  
reservoir going to minimum (telltale) over the Winter but with no  
drops visible below the engine.
Three weeks ago the source became obvious, the hose fitting on the  
bottom of the reservoir broke off.  I believe it had been the source  
of the leak during the Winter when a hair line crack in the plastic  
contracted and expanded.
I replaced the reservoir and sensor with an after market one that was  
a perfect match, bolt holes and everything.
- Michael

On Jan 2, 2008, at 2:00 PM, 200q20v-request at audifans.com wrote:

> Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 04:44:59 -0500
> From: <alancordeiro at att.net>
> Subject: trying to find a mysterious coolant leak,	could it be a water
> 	pump going bad?
> To: <200q20v at audifans.com>
> Message-ID: <000801c84d24$241dbff0$6707c6c6 at alce3100>
> Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Over the last few days, the car has begun to drip coolant from  
> under the engine pan.
> I have not been able to pin-point the source.
>
> Last night I recalled that there has been a recent startup clatter  
> that has been bothering me.
> It started about two weeks ago, begins at the first cold engine  
> start, and goes away after a
> few minutes of running. I suddenly came to me that perhaps the two  
> are related and I have
> a water pump going bad. If this really is the case, and the pump  
> seizes while operating,
> I could lose the engine......
>
> Has anyone else seem such a problem. The water pump and idler  
> pulley were
> replaced along with the last timing belt swap about three years and  
> 55k miles ago.
> The miles have been mostly freeway, the timing belt looks brand  
> new...I figured
> I could stretch this change out another 10k miles beyond the 60k.
>
> Has anyone else seen a similar issue. and found a coolant leak not  
> related
> to the water pump. Else has someone had a water pump go bad....what
> are the symptoms when it does? Nothing in the archives describes  
> this case,
>
> Thanks,
>
> Alan