Greetings from Michigan

[rowlands57]

Those pictures are pretty tight so it's hard to tell if the coolant is coming from higher up. If the leak is on one side of the radiator is the hose on that side leaking. It could also be the radiator end-cap leaking. Most modern radiators are plastic ends with metal fins and the connections between the metal and plastic end caps often 'let go'. I'd look further up to pinpoint the actual spot that the coolant is coming from.

 

[Mordru]

Yes it was pretty tight up in there. I think you're right, I was messing around in there again and those hoses coming out of that "collar" do not contain coolant, they are probably for air? So the leak must be higher above and dripping down on it?

If there even is a leak... That wetness could've been my sloppy coolant refilling and spilled a little... Check this out:

I hooked the pressure tester up last night, brought it up to 16psi (system pressure) and left it. I laid some fresh dry cardboard all under the engine bay to catch any new drips and left the engine plastics off.

This morning when I checked, the tester lost about 8 psi, and there were NO wet spots on any of the cardboard.

Also last night, I actually topped off the radiator instead of just the reservoir. The radiator drank maybe 1/4 gal, little less than. Once full I squished the hoses to move any air bubbles around, and it drank a little bit more.

That has me thinking that maybe the reservoir emptying wasn't because it was leaked onto the ground, but rather the radiator drank it up? Still slightly alarming there wasn't enough coolant in the system. Again, no overheating issues whatsoever.

Now that I 100% know the system is full, I will keep an extremely close eye on that reservoir and see if the level changes still.

 

[rowlands57]

Check your oil. Does it look 'milky'? If so the leak is internal to the engine.

 

[Mordru]

No the oil looks healthy! No smells of burning coolant at all. Engine runs/idles smooth. No overheating.

Maybe I'm being optimistic but I think I'm seeing "good" signs here. I hope someone just did a bogus coolant flush on it and didn't refill with enough coolant. Just need to keep driving it and keep a close eye on that reservoir level I think.

 

[Z31]

The reservoir/overflow will change level as you drive. Best to just monitor, check same time of day before driving for a few weeks and if no change, then you're fine.. Only suggestion would be if you're topping up coolant, use the Mazda stuff just to reduce any more variables.

2021 should be solid. I'm also not 100% convinced that this oil consumption issue is really that severe, as long as you're not pushing oil change interval. There was a post somewhere on here where the consumption seemed to lessen with age, and perhaps the seals swell up slightly with time?

 

[PTguy]

the infamous head gasket leak

The head gasket is not the problem. On earlier years the cylinder head wall cracked from the weight of the turbocharger. After the coolant was lost through the cracks, if the car wasn't stopped & parked in time, the engine overheated, parts warped, the gasket gave way, coolant entered the oil, and the engine became junk. If the head cracks green coolant runs down the back of the engine. It'll dry and leave a green residue.

The turbocharger aftercooler (intercooler) is located beneath the radiator. Coolant leaking from the radiator or a connection may drip across the aftercooler. There is no coolant in the aftercooler.

 

[Mordru]

Update - Coolant level seems to have regulated at pretty much exactly half way between F and L after the last topoff around 3 weeks ago.

I did an oil change a couple weeks ago, the drained oil looked healthy. Current oil in the engine still looks clear/clean after a few hundred miles and the level has remained the same.

 

[Z31]

2022 here. When it was new, it was slightly above the F, but now sits around the mid mark whenever I’m checking it. I still keep an eye on it, but it hasn’t moved in over a year.