Tons of Coolant lost, wonder why?

[TexasCrankwalkr]

Last night I was having some fun with my friends and we were boosting pretty hard, (15 psi on a T25) after we did a few pulls we pulled into a gas station and i let my car just idle while I talked with my friends for about 5 minutes, then I turned it off for about 5 more minutes. We then were about to leave and saw some friends so we drove over to the other side of the gas station, after I was parked for about 2 minutes I start seeing steam come out of my hood. When i opened the hood there was a ton of steam and coolant leaking from back and under the head. I have ARP head studs but a crappy $30 head gasket. We left the car there for about 3 hours and brought back a gallon of water to put back into the car. Less than one gallon filled the hose up to normal. When we drove it back home (about 1 or 2 miles) it never started to steam or even overheat...

I'm not sure what the problem is, I'm thinking head gasket or freeze plug. I'm also not sure if I could have just blown off a coolant hose behind the head (which I'm not even sure if there is any)

Thanks for you help, Matt

p.s. Is it safe to drive it still to work and back which is about 2 miles if I keep a good eye on the temp gauge?

 

[bling5tatus]

If it was a freeze plug you'd be boned already. Freeze plugs don't really intermittently leak, if they blow out they blow out and you'll know.

 

[EagleTalonTim]

do a compression test to see if you head gasket is blown. Is there water in the oil?

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

Compression test first since you have a cheap headgasket. Even though 15psi on a T25 is absolutely nothing. I would make sure your fans are operating correctly. Make sure you keep you heat shields on the turbo as well. No point in taking them off to show the tiny turbo under them. Keeps everything under the hood cooler as well.

 

[BUCK]

Top off the Coolant in the AM & find the leak - Sounds like a Heater Hose blown at the Firewall - but HELL NO - it AINT safe to drive to work like this, you'll TOAST it.

 

[Mr Peepers]

You may have overheated causing a coolant hose to split/crack/whatever as BUCK said. When you drove it after that the t-stat never opened and the system never got up to pressure, so you didn't force out any more coolant. Keep constant watch on the temp gauge and let it get up to temp(t-stat opening), then see where it is spraying coolant from.

Edit: If there is no coolant mixed with oil.

After looking at the OP's car, there was a loose clamp on the heater hose and also a tear. The fan had become seized causing it to overheat while idling, building pressure in the coolant system and forcing coolant out the tear/loose clamp. There has been no loss of coolant since.

 

[2GeNTSi]

I think i need to test out my fan, I've been getting loss of coolant as well but I don't see any leaks anywhere. The only leak I noticed was coming from the cap and I replaced that but coolant still is disappearing. Also my car starts to overheat only while idling, the second I start driving it drops back to normal.

 

[Mr Peepers]

I think i need to test out my fan, I've been getting loss of coolant as well but I don't see any leaks anywhere. The only leak I noticed was coming from the cap and I replaced that but coolant still is disappearing. Also my car starts to overheat only while idling, the second I start driving it drops back to normal.

x2 on the fan. Check the auxiliary fan switch as well.

For the coolant loss, just hope it's a hose leak...

 

[FL_TalonTsi]

I'm also not sure if I could have just blown off a coolant hose behind the head (which I'm not even sure if there is any)

there definetly is a coolant hose to the left behind the head, mine actually broke just a few days ago, i had the exact same thing happen. try pouring some water in and see if it leaks out immediately, if it doesnt turn your car on and see if anything is leaking out then. if it is the same hose as mine, it will be a pain to replace it.

 

[Mr Peepers]

there definetly is a coolant hose to the left behind the head, mine actually broke just a few days ago, i had the exact same thing happen. try pouring some water in and see if it leaks out immediately, if it doesnt turn your car on and see if anything is leaking out then. if it is the same hose as mine, it will be a pain to replace it.

Sometimes it's just a crack, and it won't leak until there is pressure in the system. That has happened to me a couple times... just when you think it's fixed...