Antifreeze leak?

[Synyster97XLT 10+ year member]

I do believe I have one. I have to put a new bottle in my radiator every month or so, and when I was idling in the same spot for like 30 mins, there was a wet spot under my right front fender well. I'm thinking that I just need to check the hoses around that area, but any expert mechanical advice would be appreciated.

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[audioatg 10+ year member]

Take a peek at the Radiator. At my shop its crazy we been having alot of cracked radS lately.

 

[93dakota 10+ year member]

1.are you putting a whole gallon of rad fluid in every month but not needing draining any?

2. are you only putting antifreeze in or are you mixing it 50/50 water antifreeze.

3.is the liquid that is on the ground smell like radiator fluid?(it may be water from your a/c condenser)

 

[kraco 10+ year member]

Most AC evaporators drain at the right fenderwell. Since you're in WV, how about hookin me up with a bottle of the homebrew?

 

[1lowZ56tahoe 10+ year member]

the heater control valve leaking is a very common problem on these. ASE cert tech for 19yrs

 

[audioatg 10+ year member]

the heater control valve leaking is a very common problem on these. ASE cert tech for 19yrs

ASE's mean crap. Just means you past a test. congrats. No offense to you 1lowZ56tahoe

 

[93dakota 10+ year member]

ASE's mean crap. Just means you past a test. congrats. No offense to you 1lowZ56tahoe

true that... I have a ASE cert.... **** is a joke.

 

[fasfocus00 5,000+ posts]

look in your rear view mirror next time your driving and see if you have smoke (preferable white) blowing out the back. if so you got a bad head gasket.

 

[johndoe1234 10+ year member]

You could have a leaking water pump. When the internal seals go bad, they leak and you want to replace it before it seizes and tears up your timing belt and you bend valves.

Just take a look at where your water pump is and see if there is a leak. And also check all your hoses. when its running just look for antifreeze leaking out.

The whole blown head gasket thing would be something different. You would have sludge and **** in your radiator from the oil/antifreeze mixing and thats a whole different/WAY more expensive problem

 

[pilyin 10+ year member]

look in your rear view mirror next time your driving and see if you have smoke (preferable white) blowing out the back. if so you got a bad head gasket.

This. If you have a bad head gasket, the coolant can be being pushed out of your reservoir tank. Take a dry cloth, bunch it up, and put it close to the overflow drain on your coolant reservoir. Make sure your coolant is not overfull and drive around. See if the cloth gets wet. If it does, you very well might have a bad head gasket. You might also check if there's water in your oil.

If your car only leaks when it's hot, it's probably not your radiator. Drive it around and then stop and see if you can spot where the leak is.

 

[pilyin 10+ year member]

You could have a leaking water pump. When the internal seals go bad, they leak and you want to replace it before it seizes and tears up your timing belt and you bend valves.Just take a look at where your water pump is and see if there is a leak. And also check all your hoses. when its running just look for antifreeze leaking out.

The whole blown head gasket thing would be something different. You would have sludge and **** in your radiator from the oil/antifreeze mixing and thats a whole different/WAY more expensive problem

Not necessarily. A leaking head gasket in an older car I had reacted just like this. A leaking head gasket can cause back pressure on the coolant, causing it to be pushed out of the reservoir. Water pump is also a possible problem. Run the car for a while, see if you can spot the leak.

 

[fasfocus00 5,000+ posts]

You could have a leaking water pump. When the internal seals go bad, they leak and you want to replace it before it seizes and tears up your timing belt and you bend valves.Just take a look at where your water pump is and see if there is a leak. And also check all your hoses. when its running just look for antifreeze leaking out.

The whole blown head gasket thing would be something different. You would have sludge and **** in your radiator from the oil/antifreeze mixing and thats a whole different/WAY more expensive problem

you obviously have never had a blown head gasket. you must have x-ray vision if you can see in each fin on a radiator. you will not have sludge in the radiator instead you get milky oil. first thing he should do is drive is car to see if smoke comes out like I said than do an oil change and see if the oil comes out milky.

 

[jdawg 5,000+ posts]

i vote heater control valve

 

[1lowZ56tahoe 10+ year member]

ASE's mean crap. Just means you past a test. congrats. No offense to you 1lowZ56tahoe

this tells me you cant pass it

 

[1lowZ56tahoe 10+ year member]

true that... I have a ASE cert.... **** is a joke.

i have likely been turning wrenchs longer than you have been alive