Coolant in Exhaust, Head Gasket?

[arcano]

I also doubt it's a head gasket problem. I have another theory:

 

When I had a '98 with the VG33 engine, I had a mysterious coolant leak which took months to diagnose. The problem turned out to be the heater hoses that come out of the back of the engine and go through the firewall to heat the cabin. Somehow one of the short hoses developed a pinhole leak, and would spray a fine mist of coolant towards the engine/transmission. When hot, the coolant would leak as a gas or evaporate on contact with the hot engine, transmission or muffler, leaving absolutely no trace, but right after turning the engine off some small amount of coolant would continue leaking while the system cooled down, and sometimes enough fluid would leak and remain in liquid state to drip down the engine, transmission and exhaust muffler to make it to the ground, where I would occasionaly find a few drops of coolant after letting the car sit for long enough. At first I could not even notice a significant reduction in the coolant level, and it wasn't until the leak got big enough that I began smelling coolant and finally could follow the coolant trail to the leak.

 

Since I live in Panama, where the cabin heater is completely useless, just got a U-shaped hose and bypassed the hole cabin heater system. Problem solved for less than 5 bucks and 10 minutes of work!!!

[piste]

I also doubt it's a head gasket problem. I have another theory:

 

When I had a '98 with the VG33 engine, I had a mysterious coolant leak which took months to diagnose. The problem turned out to be the heater hoses that come out of the back of the engine and go through the firewall to heat the cabin. Somehow one of the short hoses developed a pinhole leak, and would spray a fine mist of coolant towards the engine/transmission. When hot, the coolant would leak as a gas or evaporate on contact with the hot engine, transmission or muffler, leaving absolutely no trace, but right after turning the engine off some small amount of coolant would continue leaking while the system cooled down, and sometimes enough fluid would leak and remain in liquid state to drip down the engine, transmission and exhaust muffler to make it to the ground, where I would occasionaly find a few drops of coolant after letting the car sit for long enough. At first I could not even notice a significant reduction in the coolant level, and it wasn't until the leak got big enough that I began smelling coolant and finally could follow the coolant trail to the leak.

 

Since I live in Panama, where the cabin heater is completely useless, just got a U-shaped hose and bypassed the hole cabin heater system. Problem solved for less than 5 bucks and 10 minutes of work!!!

 

Wow...you might be on to something...or not. Here's where I'm at at this point. It's pretty inconceivable that it's a head gasket problem given no other symptoms or indications of such. To recap the facts....long highway drive over an hour...vehicle sits for 48 hours....snow falls overnight two nights later...next morning is very high humidity...start car and move it and observe coolant dripped from front and rear of muffler. So the coolant either got to the muffler via the interior of the exhaust and subsequently leaked out from the front and rear...OR it got to the muffler by travelling along the exterior of the exhaust. Let's look at each. If it got their by the interior it did so not in liquid form but in gaseous form and subsequently condensed out after the exhaust cooled. Reason for that is ...if coolant somehow got into the interior of the exhaust at full operating temperature I presume it would vaporize immediately due to the heat. Then...after the vehicle cooled down...the previously vaporized coolant left remaining in the exhaust system between the muffler and the exhaust manifold condensed back to liquid form...then would have to have been blown out of the exhaust via presumably pinhole leaks at the front and rear of the muffler (the low point in the exhaust system) when the vehicle was started. Alternatively, if it got to the muffler by the exterior of the exhaust system...well...as stated above it would vaporize on contact...or so I believe...if exhaust system is at operating temp. Also, hurting this theory is ...How could coolant have gotten to the BACK part of the muffler? as it would not been able to travel past the flange and front face of the muffler....

 

I just don't have time to do a pressure test at the moment..but I did check the oil and other than being dirty in need of a change..no signs of water/coolant. Coolant level in reserve tank was at low mark with vehicle cold...where it should be. No visible signs of coolant or any other leak elsewhere on the engine. This is my daily driver and not a drop of anything on the ground since the day of the "incident". Honestly, at this point I think the ambient weather/humidity that day which was very unusual played a role somehow...and also...despite the fact that I without question saw the coolant colored snow on the ground with my own two eyes...I find the sum of the observations extremely difficult to believe/understand/explain. Biggest questions are: HOW did it happen that day? and...Why did it not happen before nor after? I suspect the answer to the first may answer the second....but these are the two questions which totally stump me.

Edited March 2, 2011 by piste

[sewebster]

If it only happened once I might not worry about it until it happened again. There are some things in life that just don't make much sense.

[piste]

If it only happened once I might not worry about it until it happened again. There are some things in life that just don't make much sense.

 

I could not agree more...on all counts.... and this seems like it will be one of those nonsensical things. Will keep a closer eye on things...and unless and until something else emerges....chock it up to another mystery of the universe. If something does emerge...I'll post back. Thx.