Subject: Car Coolant disappears
Question: Hi, I have a '92 Mitsubishi Lancer (a uropean version abundant in Israel).
After reparing head gasket, I still see two things that annoy me
1. loss of coolant (small but exists)
2. bubbles in the coolant when system is open, but only until the fan starts.
is (2) normal ? (I'd guess (1) is not..)
regards,
- Shimshon Jacobi
Answer: Shimshon,
Your coolant shouldn't really have bubbles in it. But if after your engine reaches normal operating temperature, it should be fine as long as the temperature stay constant. Excess bubbles will cause a reduction in cooling efficiency may cause engine to overheat. You may want to "burp" the coolant system. It's very simple procedure, where you could even search for it on the Internet and it'll tell you the procedure for any car.

Any lose of coolant not normal. If your head gaskets was not seated right when installed, coolant may be slowly seeping past the gasket and burning up in the combustion chamber. You may want to check your exhaust while the car is running. If you see any white, sweet smelling smoke coming from your exhaust, that means you are burning coolant. Plus, if the head gasket is leaking, it's possible that is causing the bubbles in the coolant. Just keep an eye on coolant level and the engine temperature. If things do not stay normal, you may need to have your head gasket checked out.
Good luck!