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I was topping up my coolant and noticed the reservoir is completely empty again after just a few weeks. I can’t find any obvious puddles under the car when it’s parked, and there’s no sweet smell or white smoke from the exhaust. I’m worried it might be leaking internally somewhere.

I had a similar thing once, and there were no puddles. It turned out a hose clamp on the reservoir hose was loose, so I tightened it and kept an eye on it.

I checked ground every week and there was never a drop, and no sweet smell from the exhaust. Then I swapped the cap because it felt worn, and that helped for a while.

I even took it to a shop for a pressure test. They said the system held pressure, which made me doubt a leak, but I still worried about a tiny crack that only leaks when hot.

Maybe it isn’t a leak at all and the fluid is just venting a bit when the system warms up, especially in heat. Hard to see unless you’re actively looking.

Is the real problem the reservoir or something else? Not sure, hard to tell from here.

I’ve had days when the numbers just didn’t add up, and I felt like I was chasing ghosts. I kept topping up and used less short trips for a while, and it seemed to plateau.

If you do decide to chase it, a quick check of the upper hose for stress marks or a pinhole at the clamp location can reveal a slow leak that hides in plain sight.

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