I have a 2004 XC70. I am experiencing coolant leakage but never found any leaks anywhere. However the coolant depletes to the point where I get the warning message in the dash.

Is this a generic issue with 2004 model year? As previously, I have a V70 with exactly the same issue?

One garage mentioned a leaking rad (but I have never seen coolant on the driveway or any white smoke).

In the V70 case the dealer took the car back after less than a month of driving in exchange for the XC70 (paid the diff). But now the XC70 is having exactly the same problem a year later.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Desi

 

Maybe the heater core is leaking some.

 

I have the exact same issues.
Weird.

 

Are the passenger floor mats wet?

 

This is reality, not science fiction, so the coolant is going somewhere besides another dimension or universe. Heater core? That's what interior wetness shows. Slow leak in engine compartment? Check hoses carefully. Ditto for radiator (let the car idle). Another usual suspect is a bad head gasket which might let it leak into the combustion chamber and through the exhaust. Any white smoke at start up or other time? Worse yet, a cracked block. But that would likely show coolant under the car where you parked it, particularly where warm.

A shop can pressure test the cooling system. You need to get that done. No coolant leak ever seems to cure itself.

 

remove the shield and see if coolant is being caught before goes to ground.

 

any cabin smell? heater cores can have slow leaks that don't really wet the carpet but the car will give off a slightly sweet smell when the heat first comes on. You should be able to pull off the trim on the sides of the center console to see the bottom of the heater core and its hose connections (I think they are on the driver's side - not sure). As to the head gasket/cracked block scenario, there is also a tester to see if any combustion gas is finding its way into the coolant (head gasket/block leaks often work two ways).

 

If you haven't found it yet, check the coolant overflow bottle. They tend to crack right around the little nipple where the small hose attaches. It will bubble out there, but it does so slowly enough that it all evaporates (it's coming out as steam anyway) before it can pool and leave a puddle on the ground.