losing coolant until.....

I've been losing coolant from the tank alittle at a time but enough to make me start looking for a leak. Last week I changed my splash flaps in the wheel wells and on the driver's side found dried coolant where the heads meet the block. I changed the radiator cap and the leak stopped and it's been good for a week now. Any ideas what might have leaked back there?

 

Do a pressure test.

 

Yup, just ordered a tester on Amazon. I'm going to poke around the back of the block with a bore scope tomorrow. It's a 2013 4l TRD 130,000 on the clock. I'm hoping it's not the head gasket

 

If you still have the old cap, compare it to the new one. The old one may have the rubber part deteriorated, swollen and feel soft causing it to not work right.

Your new tester will probably have a cap pressure test adapter so you can test them.

 

Has the engine ever been run excessively hot before?

 

The old cap was a TRD 1.3 that runs at a higher pressure. It looks good at 11 years old.

 

No, never. It did get alittle warm on road trip from California to upstate NY towing over the mountains in Colorado. It did not show on the trucks gauge but it showed 210f on my scan gauge. I have the tow package with the transmission and oil coolers.

 

Head gaskets can leak externally. Do you have a pic of the leak?

 

Drivers side below bypass housing

 

Update: pressure tested today and it lost 3lb over 15 minutes. I pumped it to 15lb. Looking at the picture, is that a Crack where the bypass housing is bolted to cylinder head? What are the thoughts on using suberu coolant conditioner?

 

zoomungus<

Any updates on the coolant leak? Did you try the Subaru conditioner?

I've got an external head gasket leak on the passenger side of my 2010.

Thanks

 

Can't tell from the picture. Wash off the dried coolant and inspect. Could be a crack or failed bypass housing gasket?

 

I can't tell from the picture exactly where it is but but I also have a 13 sport and noticed an external head gasket "leak" with similar pink crust like this on the drivers side. I cleaned it off and not much came back after a few months, and I haven't added any coolant in 2 years since I replaced my rad. I just keep an eye on it and my coolant levels and keep driving it, 20k+ now no changes so may not be the end of the world.

 

So, there is/was no mayo around the oil filler cap BUT I did wipe around the top of the filler tube and there was a pink film. The pink film led me to do more research. I found a thread on a jeep forum about a crack leaking into the top of the cylinder head and leaving the residue on the filler.

 

I did put in the suberu coolant conditioner about 2 days ago. So far so good, heater works better and leak has stopped. I'm keeping a close eye on coolant levels and temps.

 

I'll wash it off when temps get alittle warmer, right around freezing in Alaska right now. I will be moving to the lower 48 come January and a road trip was planned. Getting stuck on the alcan with no heat would suck.....

 

Wash off and monitor as soon as you can.

Bring a few gallons of premixed coolant on your road trip, and a backup plan to stay warm..

 

Yup, already ordered some off Amazon and hopefully taking the ferry from Haines, to Ketchican then Seattle. Rode the Alcan to get up to Alaska in November 21, no leak then.