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I can hear my coolant "swooshing" around inside my engine?

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Nofear20

15+ Year Contributor
345
0
Aug 9, 2007
Yakima, Washington
2 days ago I put a bottle of Water Wetter in my coolant. Just a few minutes ago I went to start my car and I can actually hear coolant moving around inside my motor. It sounds like coolant rushing through pipes or something. I can only hear it from inside the car when its started, not from the the front of the car with the hood opened. Help!!!
 
How do you know it's coolant rushing through pipes?

On a properly running car with a properly running cooling system, there is no coolant circulation when a cold motor is first started.
 
The motor wasn't cold. I was driving it around about 30 mins before I went and started it again. I just figured it was coolant because I don't understand what else could make that type of noise.
 
I basically just drained a bit of coolant from the radiator and put some Water Wetter in its place. The level was a bit low so I then added a bit more water into the thermostat housing.
 
I get a swooshing sound like that, nothings broken and I have already replaced the water pump and got new fluid for it....

So I do not think somethings going to break
 
My water pump is basically brand new as well. How long has your car been making the noise? And did it just start doing it one day out of no where?
 
Well that figures. Thousands of members on this board and I'm one of the select few that have a dumbass problem that no one knows how to fix.
 
2 days ago I put a bottle of Water Wetter in my coolant. Just a few minutes ago I went to start my car and I can actually hear coolant moving around inside my motor. It sounds like coolant rushing through pipes or something. I can only hear it from inside the car when its started, not from the the front of the car with the hood opened. Help!!!

Exactly the same experience for me except that I normally hear it in the morning when the car is cold. I too presume it to be coolant rushing around.
I also think its normal for my car.

50k+ on a stock water pump
 
Are you sure you got all the air out of the cooling system?

I have no idea. I'm not even sure how to do this.

Another note (not sure if it makes any difference), my overflow bottle is looking a bit low.
Another note: It just seems strange that it starts doing this 2 days after I put in a bottle of Water Wetter. Coincidence or no?
 
You shouldn't hear "swooshing" in a proper coolant system. The coolant system should be full at all times.

I would take the cap off and fill it up with some coolant(either 50/50 pre-made, or regular mixed with DISTILLED water). Also, throw some in the overflow bottle, just so there is enough for the engine to "suck in" when it gets cold.

Then drive it around and let it warm up. After warm, check the tubing going to the radiator, it should be pressurized. If you can easily squeeze the tube together then you probably have a leaking radiator cap.

I recently had to change my radiator cap, which is no big deal ($5). Just make sure to get a .9 bar (13psi) cap.

Other than that, i don't know why the coolant would be sloshing around...
 
You know I never questioned that sound, happened in both of my turbo DSMs and I just figured on a cold morning/cold start the water wasn't full in the "pipes" because it hadn't expanded. Very unscientifical of me, but it did make sense at the time.

I will be sure to fill up and redo the radiator liquid.
 
Thats the AIR in your coolant system. You either need to burp it or you have a leak somewhere letting in AIR...which also LOWERS the pressure of the cooling system.:notgood: I 'm betting that's why you bought watter wetter....to try and lower the temps. Right? That's only a badaid fix if you're engine is getting too HOT.

I hate to say it, but I once had that rushing water sound and it turned out to be a bad heater core :toobad:
It was leaking into the heater box which has a drain for the A/C evap coil. So it was draining out the hole and I never saw any leaking. Till I realized my heat was weak...then I open the heater box and saw the green surprise in there.
 
ah crap i hear the same whooshing sound, and i always wonder were my anti-freeze is going, and my heat is poor, ah WTF
 
Thats the AIR in your coolant system. You either need to burp it or you have a leak somewhere letting in AIR...which also LOWERS the pressure of the cooling system.:notgood: I 'm betting that's why you bought watter wetter....to try and lower the temps. Right? That's only a badaid fix if you're engine is getting too HOT.

I hate to say it, but I once had that rushing water sound and it turned out to be a bad heater core :toobad:
It was leaking into the heater box which has a drain for the A/C evap coil. So it was draining out the hole and I never saw any leaking. Till I realized my heat was weak...then I open the heater box and saw the green surprise in there.

Yes according to link my temps are around 210 to 215 at idle which is pulling timing. My heater seems to work very well though.
 
Well you probably have a leaky hose somewhere. First you can try burping the air out.

Open the Coolant system cap while the car is cold. Is the Fluid right there at the TOP? If not pour some 50/50 in till its up to the top of the filler neck. Then start the car with the cap OFF and let it idle till the Temp reaches Normal Operating temp. Some coolant will overflow a little so put an old towel around to catch the coolant. Once the car is at Normal Operating temp you can put the cap on.

More than likely you have a leaky hose somewhere. Check around the Throttle body, Heater hoses, Radiator/upper and lower hoses. I always reccomend renting a cooling system pressure tester from autozone or some other parts store. Then you can pressurize the system and check for leaks! Its like a Boost leak test for your cooling system!!
 
I'd say it's coming from the heater core. Not sure if it's bad or what. Easy thing is check coolant level.
 
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