Can a clogged radiator be the cause of the coolant slowly disappearing..?
Clogged radiator will not cause loss of coolant but it can cause overheat. If coolant is disappearing, and there are no external leaks, puddle on the ground or under the dashboard, you likely are dealing with a blown head gasket. Is there white smoke from exhaust especially upon initial start up? If yes, it definitely is the problem.
Head gasket may deteriorate for no reason other than time and mileage but overheat - possibly caused by a clogged radiator - will take the gasket out.
Can a clogged radiator be the cause of the coolant slowly disappearing..?
The radiator has lots of tiny holes. When you add water, it takes time to fill them. Also, some watter settles back down into the engine block. Did you add the water when the engine was hot or cold? It makes a difference.
only if you overheated it. the most likely is that the gaskets of the plastic tanks will leak when cold. make sure bottle is up to the right level, and that the rad cap is working right. the tabs can be recrimped, but has to be taken of the car. if i'm wrong then it may be the head gasket. a rad shop is the only place to have it tested to know for sure.
you can tell if the radiator is clogged.after you have driven the car and got it completely warmed up,shut it down and feel the inside of th radiator(next to the fan)to see if you can feel cold spots on the radiator.if its not hot all over the fins,then its partually clogged up.
