I knew I had a bad coolant leak for a while and It's been riding below the the minimum line so I finally ordered some G13 to fill it back up. coincidentally the coolant alert went off a day before the coolant came in the mail. I filled it back up to the max line on the 14th and tonight I noticed one big puddle and one small puddle on the garage floor where the middle of the engine bay would be and somewhat more towards the passenger side. I checked the coolant in the reservoir and now it's holding below the minimum line like it had in the past and I'll probably be able to ride MONTHS until I need to fill again. why would it hold around where it is in the picture and steadily over months leak out slowly?

 

Inspect the heater hoses for leaks and pressure test the system to determine if there are other small leaks that can cause coolant loss over time. The coolant reservoirs are also prone to developing small cracks that can cause coolant loss.

 

HB is correct. Check heater hoses, since if they are leaking, they will leak into the battery compartment 'area' and those drain holes for the battery compartment area 'leak' or end up under the center/passenger side of the vehicle.

 

good call, I suspect it might be the coolant flange since that is most common but once it stops raining here i'm going to try and get some more coolant, start the engine and let it warm up and see if i see any leaks.

 

Good call since you have the 1.8....

 

If you have access to a pressure tester with the correct adapter for the reservoir cap, it is best to test the system when cold so you can see if there is any seepage from around the hose to flange connections.

Sometimes coolant will only leak when the vehicle is cold as the connections may have deposits on them that prevent them from completely sealing.

 

unfortunately i don't have access to a pressure tester. any idea on how much a pressure test would cost? if i could get it tested and they tell me where the leaks are i can replace the the leaking parts.

 

Here is one that is of reasonable price and quality with the necessary adapters for connecting to the reservoir tank:

Radiator Pressure Tester Kit

 

You really don't need to be buying any special tools to diagnose this. A leak towards the middle and towards the passenger side would point to the most common failure point, the coolant flange.

Use a mirror or stick your fingers back there to inspect for fluid. There are many DIY articles for replacing the coolant flange if you do a little searching. Save yourself a headache later and use an OEM flange and replace all the O-rings.

 

Thanks for the look up. I plan on buying some new tools after the holidays and if this is still an issue and still at that price I may add it to the list.

I'm going definitely check for leaks myself first. right now we're getting a lot of rain where we are so I'm waiting for things to dry up some. I'm betting on the flange right now and plan to star checking there. I've found some of the DIY's on this and think I have a good understanding on what I need to do to replace the flange.