2016 3.6R 24,000 miles - I found a puddle about the size of a soft ball under the car one cold morning. I found drips of coolant coming from the plastic pan under the engine. I checked the coolant level and it was basically empty. I added coolant up to the low level and drove it to the dealer. They pressure tested it and instpected the underside of the car with a blue light looking for leaks. Of course they didnt' find anything and said that it was probably over serviced. Fast forward a month and on another cold morning there is more drips. The level is still ok. Looking down from the top side of the engine it's impossible to determine the source of the leak. The plastic under the engine looks like a nightmare to remove and the car is covered with salt and nastyness so ideally I don't remove the plastic myself. Any thoughts?
Leaking Coolant
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Submissions are now being taken for MAY OUTBACK OF THE MONTH
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Good idea for you to NOT try a DIYS mission....if it's an "over-serviced" item, who did the last service...the dealer who you took it to for the leakage?
I always push issues like this, when the car is new, BACK to the dealer. It's under warranty, right? Let the dealer figure it out and get this documented as a reported problem, just in case it becomes worse AFTER the warranty is done.
By removing the plastic shield under the engine, you could unknowingly hide the leak source not locate it.
Good luck and, of course, report back with progress........even consider calling SOA directly and notify them so they're aware of the issue and the dealer's attempts to fix or excuse the leak......
Steve
I always push issues like this, when the car is new, BACK to the dealer. It's under warranty, right? Let the dealer figure it out and get this documented as a reported problem, just in case it becomes worse AFTER the warranty is done.
By removing the plastic shield under the engine, you could unknowingly hide the leak source not locate it.
Good luck and, of course, report back with progress........even consider calling SOA directly and notify them so they're aware of the issue and the dealer's attempts to fix or excuse the leak......
Steve
Here is my .02 cents...
1) If the weather permits, wash as mush of the salt dirt away so that you are able to see parts clearly.
2) For the immediate future, monitor your coolant level on a regular interval. This can help determine when and how much coolant loss
you have. Check the level when the engine is cold and check the level when warm after your driving day is over.
3) Note your trips (short trips, long trips, etc) to see what conditions highlight the loss.
4) Keep a container of coolant in your car until you have made a positive determination of a leak.
5) Monitor your temp gauge to see whether the temp goes higher than usual (you are looking to see if the thermostat plays a roll in
this)
6) When you check for puddles/drips... check to see if they happen away from home
Also... What was your understanding of "overserviced?" I am leaning toward assuming that the coolant reservoir was overfilled when the car was cold. In THAT scenario, as the car heats up, excess coolant would be expelled. If coolant reservoir's cap was not sealed and coolant made it out of the bottle from the top, it could flow anywhere along the metal/plastic before it gets to a low spot to drip.
Give additional details as you get them.
Cheers!
1) If the weather permits, wash as mush of the salt dirt away so that you are able to see parts clearly.
2) For the immediate future, monitor your coolant level on a regular interval. This can help determine when and how much coolant loss
you have. Check the level when the engine is cold and check the level when warm after your driving day is over.
3) Note your trips (short trips, long trips, etc) to see what conditions highlight the loss.
4) Keep a container of coolant in your car until you have made a positive determination of a leak.
5) Monitor your temp gauge to see whether the temp goes higher than usual (you are looking to see if the thermostat plays a roll in
this)
6) When you check for puddles/drips... check to see if they happen away from home
Also... What was your understanding of "overserviced?" I am leaning toward assuming that the coolant reservoir was overfilled when the car was cold. In THAT scenario, as the car heats up, excess coolant would be expelled. If coolant reservoir's cap was not sealed and coolant made it out of the bottle from the top, it could flow anywhere along the metal/plastic before it gets to a low spot to drip.
Give additional details as you get them.
Cheers!
The car is under warranty. The “over serviced” diagnosis meant that the resovoir was over filled. I never added coolant since new so that diagnosis is bogus. I’m taking it to a different dealer next week. Hopefully they find the culprit.
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