Coolant leaks into the crankcase dilute the oil and can damage the bearings in your engine. The head gasket may leak coolant into a cylinder, or into the crankcase. The other is that internal coolant leaks can be very expensive to repair.īad head gasket -Internal coolant leaks are most often due to a bad head gasket. One is that they are impossible to see because they are hidden inside the engine. There are the worst kind of coolant leaks for two reasons. Other troublesome applications include the intake manifold gaskets on Buick 3800 V6 and Ford 4.0L V6 engines.
The intake manifold gaskets on these engines are plastic and often fail at 50,000 to 80,000 miles. Some engines such as General Motors 3.1L and 3.4L V6 engines as well as 4.3L, 5.0L and 5.7L V8s are notorious for leaky intake manifold gaskets. Intake Manifold gasket - The gasket that seals the intake manifold to the cylinder heads may leak and allow coolant to enter the intake port, crankcase or dribble down the outside of the engine. Some have found that an aftermarket copper/brass replacement heater core lasts longer in these applications than the original equipment aluminum heater core. Some Chrysler vehicles have a reputation for developing coolant leaks in the heater core, and repeat heater core failures. Look for stains or wet spots on the bottom of the plastic HVAC case, or on the passenger side floor. But if the heater core is leaking (or a hose connection to the heater core is leaking), coolant will be seeping out of the bottom of the HVAC unit and dripping on the floor inside the passenger compartment. It is out of sight so you cannot see a leak directly. Heater Core - The heater core is located inside the heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit under the dash. On V6 and V8 blocks, the plugs are most easily inspected from underneath the vehicle. The flat steel plugs corroded from the inside out, and may develop leaks that are hard to see because of the plug's location behind the exhaust manifold, engine mount or other engine accessories.
#Coolant fluid crack#
Sometimes the leak may only occur once the hose gets hot and the pinhole or crack opens up.įreeze plugs - These are the casting plugs or expansion plugs in the sides of the engine block and/or cylinder head. A corroded hose connection or a loose or damaged hose clamp may also allow coolant to leak from the end of a hose. A hose leak will usually send a stream of hot coolant spraying out of the hose. Hoses - Cracks, pinholes or splits in a radiator hose or heater hose will leak coolant. Pinch hoses to check for age cracks, hardening, soft spots, blisters or bulges. If the radiator can't hold pressure, your engine will overheat and lose coolant. Most cooling systems today are designed to operate at 8 to 14 psi. Internal corrosion caused by old coolant that has never been changed can also eat through the metal in the radiator, causing it to leak. The core itself is also vulnerable to stone damage. On copper/brass radiators, leaks typically occur where the cooling tubes in the core are connected or soldered to the core headers. The seams where the core is mated to the end tanks is another place where leaks frequently develop, especially on aluminum radiators with plastic end tanks. Radiator - Radiators can develop leaks around upper or loser hose connections as a result of vibration. This radiator is badly corroded and is not worth fixing Look for stains, discoloration or liquid coolant on the outside of the water pump or engine. The gasket or o-ring that seals the pump to the engine front cover on cover-mounted water pumps can also leak coolant. If the water pump is a two-piece unit with a backing plate, the gasket between the housing and back cover may be leaking. Water pump - A bad shaft seal will allow coolant to dribble out of the vent hole just under the water pump pulley shaft. The most common places where coolant may be leaking are: A worn seal on the water pump shaft can leak coolant. You may also notice a sweet smell, which is a characteristic odor of ethylene glycol antifreeze. The color of the coolant may be green, orange or yellow depending on the type of antifreeze in the system. If you suspect your vehicle has a coolant leak, open the hood and visually inspect the engine and cooling system for any sign of liquid leaking from the engine, radiator or hoses. But your car may also have a Low Coolant indicator lamp. The first symptom of trouble is usually engine overheating. Nine out of ten times, coolant leaks are easy to find because the coolant can be seen dripping, spraying, seeping or bubbling from the leaky component.
#Coolant fluid how to#
Auto Repair Library, Auto Parts, Accessories, Tools, Manuals & Books, Car BLOG, Links, Index How To Find & Fix Coolant Leaks by Larry Carley copyright 2019 Ĭoolant leaks can occur anywhere in the cooling system.
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