...look for? Ok long story short: I have an 02 Mazda Protege. I've owned the car for two years, never had any problems with the fluids. I just had to completely fill the antifreeze two months ago and it's now almost completely empty again. (I hadn't had to fill it at all prior to that. Between being serviced and my father checking stuff it may have been filled twice prior.) So my question is does an engine "use" more antifreeze as the car ages like it does with oil or do I need to check for leaks? (I haven't seen anything yet.)
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My car (02 Mazda Protege) is losing antifreeze. Is a leak the first thing I should...
- Thread starter livi
- Start date
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Brian D. C
Guest
It is not normal for a car to use that much antifreeze. Your car may be overheating, but you should be aware of that by your dash board. Your thermostat may be stuck. Your radiator may be plugged with sediment. You may have a bad head gasket which is allowing antifreeze to enter into the combustion chambers. You could have a cracked head or block. Your water pump may be leaking. Your fan may not be coming on when the engine's temperature goes up.
gooseboy78
New member
check for a bright green colour thats the colour of anti freeze. sounds to me you have a pinhole sized leak.
No cars doesnt use anti freeze yes do a complete visual inspec for leaks if you see a wet spot on underside of engine follow the trail up to source also check at tail pipe i water or coolant coming out is car blowing white smoke is it overheating. if there r no external leaks then i would look at blown or cracked heads. You did check oil right? make sure it is not milky if it looks like choc milk or thick goup then look at heads
Park the car on a flat surface and let it run for about 20 min. This will cause the car to circulate the fluid and you should be able to find the leak. If you can't find a leak you might want to have your head gasket looked at and soon. Also, check your oil and see if it is murky(tannish color). If it is the head gasket is leaking into the engine block. If the car is pushing white smoke out of the exhaust, it could be leaking into the exhaust system. In either case, get it fixed quick. Good luck!