Mystery Coolant leak!

[Goku]

Ok...so my car has been outta commission for like a few months now on and off. I have a friend who is in my apartment complex who is a Porsche machanic. He is going to school right now (college) but we don't exactly have the correct tools/lift to really look hard into this (neither the time it seems). So here is the story.

I have had coolant leaks every so often (hose blows up etc). I got one fixed by a real shop.
Anyways...weeks later I park it in it's spot for a couple weeks. One day I go out after it has been sitting for at least a week (i think more like 2+) I see it dropped all it's coolant. So a few days later when I can get to it we put in new coolant in to see where it is leaking from. We put in coolant, bleed the system, and no leaks. Hrm maybe a fluke right? Well I drive it around the blocks a few times.
It keeps cool and doesn't drop an ounce of coolant. Then it sits for a few days. I drive it again for like 12 miles. Then I park it agian. It sits for 2 days and now has totally dropped the coolant.

So why does it leak all the coolant out all the sudden? And only after sitting for days and not when driving? This is boggeling my mind. Anyone have any clues?

As it says in my sig... 88' 951. 8XXXX miles.

P.S. I have a totally new hose kit I'm going to install sometime (at least the parts that need replaceing). But Kinda wanted to know whats up first.

[Rebert]

I had a similar problem .Loosing only a few litres every time it leaked and it leaked out of the bellhousing (so it looked).First I changed the heatervalve / that helped some .But still ...
It had been going on for a year .It would only leak once in a while and only when stopped and cooling down ........
Until I was so lucky to see it squirting out of a hoseconnection .
In my case it was the thermovalvehose to the heater .
It was a nonoriginal hose and also the connectionpipe was broken ...... So I left the thermovalve out completely ........
Result is no more leakage , Joepie !!!
But of course you may have more serious problems .

Have fun ! .....

Robert.

By the way , I am using the Texaco 'Havoline' coolingliquid .
Is it any good ??

[Rebert]

I had a similar problem .Loosing only a few litres every time it leaked and it leaked out of the bellhousing (so it looked).First I changed the heatervalve / that helped some .But still ...
It had been going on for a year .It would only leak once in a while and only when stopped and cooling down ........
Until I was so lucky to see it squirting out of a hoseconnection .
In my case it was the thermovalvehose to the heater .
It was a nonoriginal hose and also the connectionpipe was broken ...... So I left the thermovalve out completely ........
Result is no more leakage , Joepie !!!
But of course you may have more serious problems .

Have fun ! .....

Robert.

By the way , I am using the Texaco 'Havoline' coolingliquid .
Is it any good ??

[Panzer909]

To really look into the problem I'd try to find a jack and remove the plastic engine pan underneath the car. What's happening is that the leaking coolant is probably being caught by the pan only until it sits long enough to overflow on to the ground - this taking a while in your case. I have a semi-similar problem: mine leaks about a quart per month. Took the engine pan off and......damn.......it was a small leak in the waterpump seal. But the leak is so minute that I
ll just keep filling it until its belt time.

So do what you can to get the car up and take the pan off. Then just look in there with a flashlight. I'd bet you'll find the source soon afterward.

[Goku]

Well I'll look harder...but the thing is...I'll look that night...come out the next day there is a TON of coolant on the ground. Sometimes it takes 2 days other time it was over 2 weeks? And no other traces. boggle. But that sounds logical....I'll check it out...thanks for the ideas...more info would be great..thanks!

[Goku]

Well I lifted the car and checked a lot harder. I think it's the turbo water pump. Icky...anyone have a part number? It's an easy do-it-yourselfer. But if I remember it costs a buck or two

[Scott R]

951 606 130 00

Cost me $35 a few weeks back.