Where is the antifreeze going.....

[Pajero]

I have a 94 Paj with the 2.8l engine. I have been having some problems which i have been posting before with The odd occasion where When I'm driving and espacially when accelerating I get huge clouds of white smoke, I have now noticed my coolent levels slowly dropping.......

Checked my oil and its not mikly and the level has not changed, coolent looks fine too no oil in it that I can see......

So I started to wonder...does the coolent go through the turbo? and if so is there a way for it to get burnt up in there??

Hoping its not a head gasket.....

Thanks

Joe

[audi4life20v]

I hate to say it but that sounds exactly like a head gasket issue.

Umm somewhere on the site there was a thread about this on a delica and http://www.rxauto.com/ was posted. I guess It can repair a cracked headgasket and thats an option if you cant get the proper reapair done. Good luck.

[Green1]

You often can't see the coolant in the oil, or the oil in the coolant, but there are "sniffer tests" to detect it.

The other simple test is to start with a cold engine, loosen the radiator cap and try to start the engine, if you get coolant spraying all over the place your head or head gasket is screwed. (the coolant should stay put.)

[Pajero]

romoved the cap with the engine running and all seems to be fine....

[Green1]

you could still have a minor crack, however I wonder if you don't simply have a leak somewhere, and a possibly unrelated white smoke issue...

Just re-read your original post, the coolant DOES run through the turbo on the newer (1994/late 1993) delicas... you could have a water cooled turbo on your pajero too... I suppose it is possible that your leak is in the turbo somewhere... not entirely sure how to go about diagnosing that though.

[Golf Cart]

Try pressure testing the system.

I think you can get a cheapo test kit at CT.

Look under the oil cap ( 710 cap for some) and see if it looks like a cappuchino. Another sign of agua au oil.

[Pacific JDM Parts]

The 4M40 engine has a water and oil cooled turbo when fitted to the V46/V26 Pajero.It could be the turbo seals leaking that is causeing the white smoke and coolant loss but it could also be the beginings of a failing head gasket/cracked cylinder head.Usually if its the headgasket/cylinder head it will normally produce white smoke when the engine is up to temperature to start with and then progressivly get worse until it smokes all the time and pushes coolant out the radiator cap.The sniffer test that Green 1 said about actually tests for combustion gasses in the cooling system not oil.
First step would be to get the cooling system preasure tested to ensure there are no other leaks causeing the coolant loss before jumping in and going too far.You may not find any coolant/oil mixing between themselfs on these engines as they normally just leak coolant straight in to the combustion chamber(but theres always a first time!)
Second step would be to have a sniffer test on the cooling system to eliminate the headgasket/cylinder head.
Its not going to be easy to find this leak with out someone looking at the vehicle who knows these engines.
I hope this gives you somewhere to start.

[Pajero]

Thanks lots of things to check, I think I'm just going to have to bring it in, the only problem i have is that everytime i bring it in to Japanoid its not doing it but thats just they way these things go! lol


thanks again.

[Golf Cart]

When Lordco doesnt have what I want , I will go to Napa

[Pajero]

Well the problem turned out to be the water pump, after I parked it today I could see a puddle under the truck.......looked under the hood and could see it stream slowly down the block....

Its sooo good to know what the problem is.....sucks it happed but good to know


Joe

[jessef]

Hey Joe

in the future choose a service shop that uses dye to trace leaks.

Coolant and oil leaks are very easy to trace with dye in the system.