Anti-freeze evaporates in reservoir 97 MARK

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Megaboink

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Does anyone know why is the anti freeze on my 97 lincoln mark evaporates after filling it up on the full line cold(car sits for over 3 hrs before filling to full line, on cold engine) it was check today the mechanic dont find any leak or damages, i mean the radiator, I was told a few months ago that the it had a pin hole leak and not to worry about it for now itill it gets worst. it hasn't ut sometimes it leaves very little drops on ground when park exept for that empty coolent resevoir. i fill it up and it empty the next morning then fill it up and empty again. lost the heater in the process, but i notice today it might had caught up and i got heat. another thing my mechanic mention the engine gasket, he gave me another name forgot. he said that might be the problem when i drive the heat dries up the anti freeze, that is why i dont see much of it, I HOPE THAT NOT IT!!:( ANYONE HAS ANY INFO ON THE CAUSE?
 
Sounds like you already answered your own question. And yes, the coolant will evaporate. Plus the system is pressurized when the engine is running, so it will leak more when you're driving.

I had to replace my radiator for the same reason. rockauto.com has them cheap. Replacing it wasn't too bad of a job, although the bottom hose was a real pain in the ass.
 
It will not evaporate that quick. You are loosing fluid somewhere. It could be going into the engine, but at the rate described you would have rather white exhaust. The Oil Filter Adapter Gasket ($35) could be the problem also, when it goes both oil and coolant can be lost. But you would have a puddle since the coolant does not cool that fast and once hot is always pressurized, engine running or not.

Is it over-heating? It may be without you even knowing. If you let the tank get too low air can enter the system. The air eventually gets up to the crossover tube, thats that black tube in the top from on the engine, in front of the alternator. In you 97, it may be covered by that ugly plastic thing.

Anyway, if enough air gets in there the car can not move coolant properly and flow is lost. The result is that the coolant boils and escapes from the tank cap - but its hot enough to evaporate quickly. You can loose a lot this way. Generally if coolant is low enough to do this there is enough air in the crossover for the temp sensors to not be submerged so they read normal temp when in fact you are over heating! I've done this, car reads normal when in fact is over-heating. (I have a custom cooling system)

So in short, remove that plastic cover on the engine towards the front, and while COOL, open the crossover cap. It may be tight, when you put it back on don't tighten too much, its only holding back 16 PSI. If there is air in there, fill it up with coolant mixture. DO NOT USE TAP WATER!

If this looks good, come back and we can check out the oil filter adapter gasket and radiator.
 
Also if you smell anti-freeze inside the car be sure it's not your heater core. A good back flush of you heater core wouldn't hurt. Also a pressure test on your radiator and a new radiator cap can make a world of difference. These are all cheap ways to check for any leaks and not brake your wallet. Keep us posted and good luck. :cool:
 
I've actually had this problem in my last two marks and never found the problem. Seems to be leaking near the resevoir. Remove the battery and see if you have rust under it. That's been my problem on the past two. If you aren't getting heat, that means your coolant isn't filled up properly and you've got air in the system. That's a good way to have air lock up your thermostat and overheat your car.
 
no i'am not overheating, but i notice my temp guage stay on cold of course till it warms up, but i remember that the temp guage used too go up slowly as the engine temp rises, what is doing now is stay on cold longer and then it decides to rise quick but stay on normal. today i check my reservoir and it did not empty out completely, only a lil bit. oh by the way i did find a lil colant around the cap area during those times. thanks so much guys and will keep you posted. can't work on the car yet cause is going to be 10 degrees tomorrow:eek: tooo cold.
 
Gauge takes a while then jumps? Your overheating! The temp gauge is reading the air temp in the crossover tube, hence the slower then normal climb. Then it boils, hence the jump. But the boiling action is mostly bubbles, not "pure" coolant so the temp reads lower than an over-heat. The hot coolant cant flow through the crossover so it has to go somewhere, the tack cap.

Open that crossover tube when cool and check for air, or start looking for a new car!!!!!
 
Oh, I should add that the temp gauge in 97/98 is computer controlled, not real. Its like the gas gauge and has a sorta "leveler" that makes the gauge read nice and pretty and not bounce around radically. This is also why Gen 1 can read all over the scale from car to car, yet most Gen II are right on "R" or whatever.
 
today i check the reservoir and lost very little, so far so good. i guess it might had caught up . oh about getting a new car i relly wouldn't i will get it repair i love my car, and thers no car out there yet that i woukd replace it wiht. unless i have over $50.000 to spare lol will continued to monitor the anti cooling. will inform. thanks again all!
 
it been a while

It finally caught up and it's fine now. i have heat and temp guage is on normal. reservoir full. what started the problem dont know, but maybe it was the pinhole leak on the radiator. will replace that next. thank you all!!
 
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