Coolant Loss

#1
Ok guys, I'm new here. A little background...

2006 Corolla LE 158,000 miles
Bought in December from Toyota dealer when my wife's old corolla died
runs strong, 35 mpg+
Healthy engine oil and transmission fluid

Ok now the issue...

I noticed the radiator leaking from some cracks in the seams down the sides. So, I ordered a new radiator from rock auto, installed saturday (today is thursday) along with new radiator cap. Filled radiator and overflow tank.

Noticed another leak onto the ground from lower hose on tuesday after adding roughly another quart of coolant earlier in the day. So, I crawled underneath to inspect and was able to tighten the lower hose clamp significantly. This ended that external leak. I topped off the reservoir and drove home.

So now... I checked the level yesterday morning, and it had dropped probably a half inch overnight. I assumed it was from contraction of the fluid. I checked again last night, and the level in the reservoir had dropped from the "max" to the "min" line, and my wife had driven it that day. This morning it had dropped probably another 1/8 inch, so I filled it up to dead center between min and max.

Just had the oil changed and it was healthy, still looks healthy. Clean transmission fluid. No external leak. No white exhaust smoke. My question is where is the coolant going? Could it really take this long to bleed the air out of the system? I hope that's all that's wrong, because we are in college and dead broke college students can't afford huge repairs! We need this car to survive! Help!
 
#2
Check your Radiator Drain Petcock and make sure it's on tight, be careful because it's can be brittle.

Summer & Winter hard driving w/ a lead foot can also cause coolant to drain as well. :)
 
#3
Check your Radiator Drain Petcock and make sure it's on tight, be careful because it's can be brittle.

Summer & Winter hard driving w/ a lead foot can also cause coolant to drain as well. :)

Thanks man! I don't think my wife is much of a lead foot (it's her car, I have an '06 sport that I drive everywhere), so I'll check the petcock. wouldn't I see a leak though if it was loose? I would see it dripping wouldn't I?
 
#4
Ok I'm almost afraid to ask this... but there's another variable for you guys.

I live in Idaho and there's been crazy fluctuations in temperature and humidity the last little bit. My wife drives the car probably 6 or 8 miles MAX a day to work and back. I just checked the coolant level and it looks fine now. But, I just checked the oil and theres small, white streaks in the oil. I know condensation can occur in the crankcase and cause the white residue in some areas of the engine, so could that be the case with her car? It's not mixed in the oil and creating the "coffee milkshake" indicative of a blown head gasket, so I tend to believe that it's just the condensation from weather up here causing the streaks. But what do you guys think? I'm kinda nervous!
 
#5
As long as your temperature gauge is not dancing, you are okay.

Regarding the “white streaks”… if your Corolla venting major white smoke from the muffler, then you have problems.
 
#6
Yeah there's no white steam coming out the tailpipe. The engine runs like a million bucks. No exhaust in the cooling system either. So I'm gonna say it's probably just condensation from short tripping the car for 3 or 4 weeks in cold weather?
 
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