Where is my Antifreeze Going???

Every couple hundred miles or so, I have to add more than just a little antifreeze to my radiator. There is never any puddles or even drops under my truck, I never smell antifreeze while I drive or see any under the hood. Si where is it all going???? Can it really be as simple as a worn or cracked radiator cap causing me to lose so much?? Mine does look a little old n I could use a new one.

 

Blown head gasket or cracked head

 

How does your oil look?

 

Have you checked for any cracks in the radiator? But check the heads/oil.

By chance have you checked the tranmission fluid? Not common on tacomas but there is that milkshake problem with 4runners

 

it could be the beginning of a leak in the head gasket, and the coolant is going out the tailpipe.

 

Replace your radiator cap. You may have evaporation loss through a bad cap. I had a 1998 Corolla that mysteriously ran low on coolant and a new cap fixed the issue.

 

I have a leak like that my bottom Radiator Hose area

I might need to add a quart every 3000 miles .

Very seldom ever a spot in the garage

I tried New Clamps New Hoses New Water neck All these from Toyota

New Radiator Nada it still leaks a drip every once in a while.

 

Check this out: Pics are gone now, but yeah. I have the same issue. I'd get underneath and see if any coolant is dribbling down your transmission. Possibly onto the steering rack as well. That's where mine is leaking. I would check it after it has set for a while. Like a day. Because I think what mine is doing, is leaking more after it cools, but not So much at operating temp as things tend to expand so it's probly just enough to seal it up a bit.

So I suspect the heater bypass tube in the valley between heads is leaking. Or freeze plug. Or worse the heads. I have to start ordering parts and do a teardown soon. I've put it off for far too long. Hopefully this ain't your issue. But id crawl under there and take a quick looksee. Otherwise you can get a long mirror and a flashlight, and try to look at that 'x' plate under the manifold from the back of engine. Hard to see. That's the cover plate where it leaks out of when it pools up in there.

 

Replace the cap first, and cross your fingers.

I had a mysterious leak like this once, years ago, in an Acura. Coolant loss but no puddles or other symptoms.
It turned out to be a pin-hole leak in the top of the radiator. So the coolant was slowly escaping as a vapor.
The next time you drive it and it gets hot (system is now pressurized), pop the hood and look for a little stream
of vapor coming from the top of the radiator.

 

Had some slow loss that I couldn't see or find then 1 cold winter day heater core blew!