Where's my coolant going?

[Pat Korach]

Alexander

I had the same thing happen to me on my 89200TQ.  I would slowly loose fluid
over time.  Once I replaced my water pump that corrected the problem.
Something to think about.

Pat Korach
Kirkland, WA

Alexander van Gerbig wrote:

>     Now that I have replaced the heater core I still seem to loose coolant,
> just as badly as before.  Though sometimes I pop the hood in the morning and
> the coolant level is at MIN, other days it's below MIN by enough to trigger
> the level sensor when I accelerate hard while cornering.  I longer smell
> coolant in the car, so the heater core ain't leaking anymore.  My mechanic
> did a pressure test and he said the coolant system lost pressure pretty
> quickly, but he didn't see any leaking, anywhere, and for that matter I
> don't see coolant leaking anywhere myself.  For the past year or so I've
> noticed lots of water dripping from the downpipe / catalytic junction.  It
> doesn't smell like coolant when I sniff it.  Lately the car has been making
> water evap clouds out the rear for longer than usual, but it is pretty cold
> here.  I can go for a 20 mile drive and still have an evap cloud behind me
> when I jam on the gas, but it usually goes away after 20 miles or so.  I am
> deathly afraid this might be a headgasket problem.  What else could be
> happening?  The system loses pressure, no visible leaking or spotting
> anywhere, no foamy white stuff in the oil, no oil in the expansion tank, new
> heater core, cloud tailpipe for longer than usual, and I think that's it...
>
> TIA!
>
> Alexander van Gerbig -- '88 80
>
> The Audi  80 Pages-----------------
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>
> North Ferrisburg, VT 05473