Coolant disapearing?
 

I'm back again with yet another problem!

So i fixed the overheating boiling problem that i had encountered before and now i have a new problem.

I seem to be losing anywere from 1/2 cup - 2 1/2 cups of coolant a DAY.

I have a new radiator cap. no steam in the exhaust. no coolant in tranny or oil and its not dripping on the ground that i can see.

The only thing that i can think of that may have had something to do with it is the reservoir. The cap to it was stripped out and always misthreaded and i know its a pressurized system but i wouldnt think that the overflow would be a crucial piece of the puzzle.

Over the weekend i wrapped plumbers tape around the overflow cap and tightened it on so it had a nice seal and i noticed today that when the engine is hot the coolant hoses are quite pressurized to the point that they are more rigid and less pliable when before the engine would get hot and i could still squeeze the line closed no problem. Is it supposed to be hard to squeeze closed? or did i screw up the system even more?

UPDATE: The car cooled down a little bit to the point i could safely open the radiator and the hoses were softened up and were very pliable and felt nearly empty. i checked the radiator and the fluid was just below the top of the cooling fins and i had to add coolant to top it off to the stem. The overflow i had filled halfway last time was also empty and i filled it last time when the engine was cold. so it appears the system now pressurizes like it should but coolant is still vanishing to somewhere.

Yea, it is going somewhere. You might be able to rent a pressure tester to help locate the leak.

I did so friday. and none of the adapters would fit my radiator or the cap.

Anyone have any ideas? im running out of money here and im still losing coolant but not as much. Can someone at the very least tell me if a stripped coolant reservoir cap can cause coolant loss? when i squeeze the upper hose with the radiator cap on the pressure goes right to the reservoir with very little effort so that also makes me wonder. Im just wondering if the radiator cap i got is faulty or if i need a new coolant cap and reservoir. I was hoping to iron out the problems before summer because i have a LOT of miles to cover this summer break.

I used one from advance auto parts and it had about 30 different adapters, IIRC. You might want to try theirs. Some of the people in there may be able to show you what adapter works. Your accord is common enough that you should find a loaner tool with the proper adapter.

The cap will hold pressure to about one atmospehere (15 psi). The cap will have that pressure labeled on it.

I think that pressure testing the radiator will reveal your problem. You should be able to pump up the radiator and have it hold ~15 psi for at least ten minutes. The cap is the same way.

I hate telling you to replace parts without testing. Those loaner tools are free once you return them, so find one that works on your car.

Yea, im going to have to find out where the local advance auto is then. I got one from Autozone and it had 2 adapters which were both too large.

also,
Is the radiator cap supposed to hold pressure in the system and seal the pressure from the reservoir unless the pressure becomes to great? Because cleary there is a direct connection from the cooling system to the reservoir. im not sure if the reservoir is supposed to be part of the pressurized system or not.

The plastic overflow bottle is not under pressure.

The pressure is held by the radiator cap. The cap does two things. It seals to the radiator and allows coolant to flow into the over flow bottle when the pressure is above 1.1 atm (hot coolant). It also allows coolant to flow back into the radiator once everything cools down.

Check coolant lines to FITV and IACV valves on the throttle body. Tiny leaks here may escapte notice. Same for heater hoses to heater core. Also check the weep hole on the lower timing belt cover behind the driver's side wheel. The water pump can leak water from the weep hole, if pump is worn badly. Usually will squeak before they leak badly.

good luck

So 1.1 psi is plenty low enough to explain why when i squeeze the lines it goes to the reservoir. but i thought the system was under more pressure than just a mere 1.1 PSI which would cause everything over that pressure to be diverted into the reservoir. I'm lost now. when my engine is hot, it sucks up everything in the reservoir and it never goes back it just disapears. no drips on the ground to indicate anything.

I made a mistake, it is 1.1 atm, which equals about 16 psi. I'll correct my earlier post.