got a leak

[SINister]

hey im new to this place. just posted in the intro thing.

but yea just got this car used a lil while ago. noticed some wet spots under the car the other day. its a green/yellow sorta colour and its coming off the front part of the engine right by the radiator. so from what i been reading its a coolant leak. i taken pics of the general area the leak is coming from.

just looking for any help/suggestions i can get for now as i got no funds to bring it to a shop right now.

here is the pics i got of the area.

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w...p/_MG_0427.jpg

nothing above there is wet so i figure its something leaking from that pipe right there?

sorry if im way out there on expectations or whatever lol

[sdavis11b]

Have you tried running your finger up that line and see if its coming from somewhere else or is it just dripping from a certain spot, fitting, etc.

[SINister]

no honestly as soon as i seen that i have not done anything. im guessing i would have to run the engine now to get something to leak and then check?

[SINister]

am i right to assume that green/yellow liquid would be part of the coolant?
and if it is a coolant leak and its not like big puddles under the car its still ok to drive short distances correct?
also the coolant reservoir thats on the passanger side wheel well how far should that be filled? i see hot and cold lines on it and dont wana put a bunch of coolant in there if its only supposed to be filled so high or something.

hope these are not dumb questions haha just dont know anything about these cars and i have searched but cant find what im looking for

[sdavis11b]

The hot and cold lines on your coolant reservoir are markings where the coolant level will be when the motor is either "hot(Normal operating temperature)" or "cold(just started it up in the morning)". If your coolant level is below the line, which I assume it is because you have a leak, go ahead and replenish the reservoir to the appropriate line depending on the engine temperature. Yes, the green fluid is Antifreeze/Coolant. It should smell sweet but dont taste it. Yes your car is safe to drive with a minor leak BUT, the leak could always increase to do engine temperature or line pressure, so drive with caution.

Honestly, I dont know what the fitting is for, maybe someone else could chime in on this. Im thinking maybe an AC compressor pressure fitting but I dont know.

[pman64]

What you've taken a pic of is the p/s hoses. Im assuming this pic is between the radiator and engine. Shouldnt be any coolant dripping from that area. Might have a pin hole in the radiator. But if all else fails, go to NAPA and get a bottle of stuff called Mendtite. It's kinda like Bars Leak but a whole lot better. Hope this helps

[SINister]

so i just checked and the reservoir is actually empty. there is still coolant in the lines tho. gf has gone to get me some coolant so i will fill it up and see what happens i guess.

thanks for the information. wish me luck lol

[SINister]

i dont get it lol maybe i missing something. i opened the rad cap and the rad is full of coolant. so im guessing thats not the problem.

[Scottydoggs]

i dont get it lol maybe i missing something. i opened the rad cap and the rad is full of coolant. so im guessing thats not the problem.

that plastic jug is a over flow tank, the engine gets hot and pushes coolant into the tank and sucks it back up when it cools off, thats why you have hot and cold lines on the tank. note the little hose at the radiator, where the cap goes on, the line to the tank runs from there.

maybe the tank its self has a crack in it and that's your leak?

[SINister]

just checked that out and its all good. im thinking maybe its wen i put oil in it i spilt some and its just dripping off the frame or something. i just didnt think i split that much. but i gonna bring it to a shop and get it checked out. it has a CEL on so its gotta get looked at. and i want to know what some of the stuff is thats on the car and just general questions that i have about it all.

[Scottydoggs]

you can always de grease the engine and keep an eye out for leaks that way, and as far as the cel being on, take the car to autozone and they will scan the car for free, and tell you what needs to be done to fix it, most of the time its a sensor or that can be easily changed yourself. or you may need a tune up, or something down those lines.

and you don't need fancy tools or nothing. a 30 piece kobalt or craftsman tool set is more than enough to do a lot of work on these cars.

[FordMan77]

What you've taken a pic of is the p/s hoses. Im assuming this pic is between the radiator and engine. Shouldnt be any coolant dripping from that area. Might have a pin hole in the radiator. But if all else fails, go to NAPA and get a bottle of stuff called Mendtite. It's kinda like Bars Leak but a whole lot better. Hope this helps

These cars have the rack in the back of the motor, so no P/S lines up front. Those are the A/C lines and trans. lines.

I would recommend you don't use Bars Leak or any bandaid like that on these cars. They are already prone to having the Dex gunk everything up, why hurry the process along? Find the leak and fix it.

Judging by where it's at I would say either the coolant sensor on the rad. is leaking or the side of the rad. is leaking where it crimps onto the alum. core. All else fails take it somewhere and have them pressure test the cooling system. That should show the leak.