Hi everyone,

I'm starting to get nervous - I'm having to add quite a lot of coolant into the reservoir since Christmas. The car has just shy of 130k miles on it. The (upper?) intake manifold was replaced back in 2003 around 65k miles due to all of the coolant getting into the engine during a road trip (that was fun). Over the last few years, I've made it a point to check the coolant levels every month or so. Usually it needed just a little topping off.

I think around 90k miles I asked the local dealer (Thompson) about having to add coolant every now and again. They supposedly did a pressure check and carbon check and both were ok at the time. The windshield washer fluid reservior doesn't really hold fluid so good anymore - I often find blue fluid near the front left wheel whenever I try to fill it up. Could it be a simple problem like that with the coolant? I generally don't do much work myself on the car. Just really basic things like air filter, oil change. Are there any fairly easy things I could look at or check to see what the problem is? Again, I'm nervous that I'm speeding toward another major breakdown (or even if not, a major repair bill). And I hesitate to just bring the car to the dealer since last time they acted clueless and I ended up paying for tests that showed nothing.

Thx!

Check your oil to see if it'* foamy. Check in radator to see if oil is in the coolant. Sniff exhaust right after it'* started first time in the day, is it sweet smelling? Inspect around the LIM to see i fyou have any coolant pooling up. If you have no puddles or drips on the ground, then it'* a good bet it'* going inside the engine. Might be time for another LIM gasket change. There'* a write up about doing it in the tech info section.

And since you mention you aren't overly mechanically inclined. Tell us where you are located and maybe a local person can give you a hand.