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coolant leak

U

UmmScott

CEG'er
Joined
May 4, 2009
Messages
292
Location
Omaha, NE
hey guys, car is leakin coolant. sometimes i hear boiling coming from the heater core inside the car.

When i hear the boiling, there is coolant dripping on the ground by the front passenger wheel area. Im thinking its a heater hose, i know its not the water pump or lower radiator hose cuz i just replaced them 2 months ago.

haven't had time to get a good look underneath or with the wheel off, u guys have any suggestions?

(on the side: some guy has a 2000 SVT he wants to sell for $500, reason is the starter is broke. should i strike while the irons hot?)
 
UmmScott said:
hey guys, car is leakin coolant. sometimes i hear boiling coming from the heater core inside the car.

When i hear the boiling, there is coolant dripping on the ground by the front passenger wheel area. Im thinking its a heater hose, i know its not the water pump or lower radiator hose cuz i just replaced them 2 months ago.

haven't had time to get a good look underneath or with the wheel off, u guys have any suggestions?

(on the side: some guy has a 2000 SVT he wants to sell for $500, reason is the starter is broke. should i strike while the irons hot?)
Click to expand...

Betcha that starter isn't broken and just needs to be taken apart and cleaned.

Anyways, when you replaced the water pump, did you use a new gasket? If so, how did you install it? I am having a continuous problem with my water pump leaking.
 
zorrex said:
Betcha that starter isn't broken and just needs to be taken apart and cleaned.

Anyways, when you replaced the water pump, did you use a new gasket? If so, how did you install it? I am having a continuous problem with my water pump leaking.
Click to expand...

When i installed it, i scraped off all the old gasket material, used a new gasket, and installed pump. I had an EXTREMELY tough time gettin that lower radiator hose on tho. (after, i learned that if u move the p/s pump its easier lol :mad:)

I should add: first, it was coming from where the lower radiator hose attaches to the radiator. I tightened the clamp, then the leak moved to a spot behind the passenger wheel. I don't think is the water pump, cuz the leak is behind the engine
 
Is there a heater hose that runs behind the engine on the passenger's side?

If so, then that might be my problem. Still weird how it only leaks when the system pressurizes. I thought a hose was either good, or blows out completely.
 
yes, it runs from the lower radiator hose, down along the subframe, and then back up over the axle and to the heater core. most of it is solid tubing, but there is a connection right off the lower hose (actually part of the molded lower hose) that would be behind the wheel.
 
k, i'll check when its nice outside. god, these problems have to happen when its freakin 5 degrees outside:laugh:

I just installed a new water pump/gasket about 3 months ago so im praying that its not the problem.

(from earlier post: the SVT starts, just poppin the clutch way only, has 56k on it, and the old guy said he'd sell it for 500 cuz he said he knows i'll take good care of it.... im REALLY thinking i should buy it. plus manuals and a V6 are far more fun:laugh:
 
As I said before, it isn't uncommon for the starter to get gunked up and bind up. Might as well buy the SVT for that price, wow.
 
K, so today, i got a better look behind the wheel on the passenger side and i found 2 things

1: Coolant is dripping off the oil filter.
2: Coolant is dripping of the end of the rack/pinion boot

I got called into work so i couldn't look any further, but the coolant on the oil filter could be from that heater pipe/hose that goes above it.

As for the coolant on the end of the rack's boot, maybe that's there cuz of the coolant being blown back on it from driving.
 
One thing about coolant leaks you'll find is that coolant gets EVERYWHERE. The most important thing is to find the highest point that is wet with coolant. The absolute highest.
 
zorrex said:
One thing about coolant leaks you'll find is that coolant gets EVERYWHERE. The most important thing is to find the highest point that is wet with coolant. The absolute highest.
Click to expand...

Ok, as far as i can see ,without jacking the car up or taking the wheel off, the highest spot is the dripping off the oil filter. That leads me to look at that heater pipe/hose that kinda wraps around that area.

The only other thing higher than that would be the water pump, but i think if it were leaking it would run down the block and the oil pan
 
Found the leak. New prob

Found the leak. New prob

k guys, so my car recently started this new problem and i think it might be tied with the coolant leak..

It will randomly die when i come to a stop. It idles fine and will start right back up when i restart it. I think maybe the motor is overheating because of my coolant leak..

By the way, whoever said that they're having continuous problems with their water pump leaking, I'll join the club. That's where my leak is..

Ugh..gotta take that whole area apart AGAIN.. and its F**king snowing in omaha..AGAIN lol.. whats a guy to do?
 
I've been having recurring leakages at the water pump. I've just been keeping a bottle of prediluted coolant with me. In the summer, I just keep a jug of water. :shrug:
 
ok, its coming from the water pump no doubt about it...

I think, just to be safe, I'll take it back to orielly's and get a replacement one plus a new gasket and do it again.
Im 90 percent sure that i did everything correctly. The only problem was that i put that spacer on the crankshaft in the wrong spot and the timing belt rode so close to the engine that it rubbed a shiny spot on the water pump. That could have aggravated it and broke it maybe, but regardless i have to fix it anyway
 
Thanks for all the advice guys.. I finally got the oil seal fixed, got the spacer in the right place so the timing belt rides in the right spot, and fixed the water pump.

As of now im officially problem free! (now if we could just keep it that way...haha)
 
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