Using a pint or so of coolant every 2K, problem?

My Mazda MPV (2001, 2.5 L) needs to have it's coolant topped off every 2K miles or so. Probably no more than a pint. Is that normal?

Reason on ask is that it still has that low idle miss. No problems at speed, mileage has not changed. It's got 105K on the clock and is using about 0.5 quarts of oil in the same time frame. Oil looks good, no froth.

Thanks

Where's it going?

When's the last time rad cap was changed?

Coolant System Pressure Tester - rent it from Autozone and test your system.

A pint of coolant in 2K would concern me. That's too much to attribute to evaporation etc but too slow to be a big leak. Dump some fluorescent dye in the coolant, run it a K or so and then check it over carefully. Something I learned from dirt biking: run the engine outside in the dark and shine the blacklight at the exhaust. If you see little yellow twinkles in the exhaust, you got something going on.

Low idle miss and coolant loss would concern me.

My guess is that one of the small coolant lines attached to the water pump is seeping.

Thanks for the info. I'll start with a pressure check. Then I'll do the dye trick. I hope it's nothing big, that van is a PITA to work on.

Is that the Mazda 2.5L (as in the MX6/Probe) or the Ford 2.5L (as in the Contour/Cougar)? My Ford 2.5L had a leaky water pump gasket (after about 180,000 miles) that caused the same problem. I replaced the entire water pump just to be on the safe side, but the gasket by itself is available from Rock Auto.

Bob