|
|
1990 chevy corsica fluid leak...Am I in trouble?
|
|
|
| |
|
|
dreamregent
User
Sep 4, 2010, 6:10 PM
Post #1 of 17
(4316 views)
|
|
1990 chevy corsica fluid leak...Am I in trouble?
|
Sign In
|
|
YEAR: 1990
MAKE: CHEVY
MODEL: CORSICA
ENGINE: 2.2, I think.
MILEAGE: 100,600
I've had the car 3.5 years and it had only about 59,000 miles on it when I got it. I've used it normally in an urban setting...expressways, city streets, etc. Today, after I ran over some train tracks that were pretty rough (at only about 15-20mph) I started smelling what seemed like antifreeze. I looked in my mirror and did not see myself leaving wet spots or a trail so I continued on my trip home (driving on city streets). The car did not overheat. When, I got home, quite a bit of antifreeze (or some other green fluid) leaked out onto the driveway from somewhere behind the engine. It was enough to puddle and run across the driveway...hard to measure but maybe about a pint (1/2 a quart), maybe less. We looked and we can visibly see it leaking/dripping out of what appears to be a drain spout coming out of the dash (not the engine) through the back surface of the engine compartment. The leak is coming from the same side and area behind the engine where the water would drip when you turn the car off after running with the a/c on. The tube/spout comes out of the dash horzontally about midway down the back wall of the engine compartment, has a small 90-degree bend, and terminates facing down. The bottom lip of it rests against whatever is mounted on the back of the engine compartment. There are other pieces mounted both above and below this spout on that back wall but I don't know what those parts are. My brother looked at it from the top and from underneath...the tube/spout does not appear to have had a hose or anything attached to it and he could see no other thing back there that was missing a connection so we think it might be the water drain from the a/c system???? However, this fluid is distinctly green and my a/c has not worked for 2.5 years.
About a year after getting the car, I parked it one afternoon and smoke started rolling out from under the hood in front of the engine. I thought it was the a/c thing when I looked and this was confirmed at the shop. When it siezed, it broke my belt too. Instead of getting the a/c thing (compressor??) replaced, I just had them put on a shorter belt that bypassed it.
We are unable to determine why this new leak happened, though. I called an auto parts store and they were no help. We checked the radiator and it is not full to the top, but there is still plenty of fluid in it and some still in the bottom of the overflow container to the side. My brother thinks maybe something overflowed in the cooling system when I went over the tracks. He suggested I keep checking the radiator fluid and watch for overheating during the next few days but he didn't think I had a major problem. The car still runs and everything. After being off for a while, the drip slowed until almost stopping. However, the drip picked up a little bit after cranking it again...but nothing like it leaked after I got back home earlier. I have not driven it since as it just happened this afternoon. Firstly, how did radiator fluid find it's way back there to be leaking out of that tube/spout? Is this just an overflow that will stop leaking whenever the fluid in there is gone or will it continue to leak until the fluid is gone from the radiator? Is it ok to drive? Also, do you think I have a problem that needs to be dealt with and how much do you think it will cost? I'm kind of jobless and poor at the moment so I hope it's not a major problem.
Thank you very much for any help you can give me.
(This post was edited by dreamregent on Sep 4, 2010, 6:17 PM)
|
|
| |
|
|
dreamregent
User
Sep 4, 2010, 6:38 PM
Post #2 of 17
(4311 views)
|
|
Re: 1990 chevy corsica fluid leak...Am I in trouble?
|
Sign In
|
|
ADDITIONAL INFO:
I've been doing searches on-line and found similar problems mentioning heater cores but also there was a note saying those usually leak to the inside. Within the last month (unsure of the date), the passenger's side carpet was wet one day. The window had been left open so I figured rain had gotten in there and the carpet just didn't dry yet. However, that was at least a couple of weeks ago. If the heater core went out and the antifreeze has been leaking since then, why hasn't it leaked all the way out yet and why was today the first day it leaked a lot and caused the smell? The heater has not been used since last winter because I live in florida (Tampa Bay). I also saw a post saying you could bypass the heater core to fix the problem temporarily. Is this something that I can do permanently? I ask because I planned on getting rid of this car within a few months anyway.
Also, if I can bypass it, will the only downside be the lack of a heater? If so, I'm prepared to live with that.
(This post was edited by dreamregent on Sep 4, 2010, 6:42 PM)
|
|
| |
|
|
chickenhouse
Enthusiast
Sep 5, 2010, 9:27 AM
Post #3 of 17
(4298 views)
|
|
Re: 1990 chevy corsica fluid leak...Am I in trouble?
|
Sign In
|
|
Some heater cores can be by-passed, but you will lose the ability to de fog the windshield on cool moenings, leaving you wondering where the road is. Hopefully, Hammer time won't be going the other direction! It does sound like a heater core leak but to prove it- or anything else that may be causing the leak, you will need to pressurize the cooling system. That should show where the leak originates. Sounds like coolant is gathering in the a/c- heater box. Good luck, I know what poor is.
|
|
| |
|
|
dreamregent
User
Sep 5, 2010, 1:55 PM
Post #4 of 17
(4295 views)
|
|
Re: 1990 chevy corsica fluid leak...Am I in trouble?
|
Sign In
|
|
How about putting Bars in the radiator to see if that will stop the leak? As far as bypassing goes, I see a metal tube going from my reserve container back to the dash but I don't know where the coolant goes after that. Is the coolant supposed to go somewhere else or does it get sucked back into the overflow container?
As far as the heat and windshield defroster go, I believe I can live without them for a while in Florida. Rain-X makes an anti-fog chemical (which I use on the inside of the windshield, anyway). Can that be used to prevent fogging on the outside also?
|
|
| |
|
|
Sidom
Veteran
/ Moderator
Sep 5, 2010, 5:14 PM
Post #5 of 17
(4285 views)
|
|
Re: 1990 chevy corsica fluid leak...Am I in trouble?
|
Sign In
|
|
Stop leak is a very bad idea an more than likely won't fix this problem.....
These heater cores aren't too bad to do......You don't have to pull the dash. They come out the bottom....
2 options.....Fix it or bypass it.............Don't use stop leak
|
|
| |
|
|
dreamregent
User
Sep 5, 2010, 5:19 PM
Post #6 of 17
(4281 views)
|
|
Re: 1990 chevy corsica fluid leak...Am I in trouble?
|
Sign In
|
|
Ok... How do I bypass it? I see the tube going back there but I don't know where the coolant goes afterwards. Could I just cut the tube going back there & basically cork it?
|
|
| |
|
|
Sidom
Veteran
/ Moderator
Sep 5, 2010, 5:36 PM
Post #7 of 17
(4279 views)
|
|
Re: 1990 chevy corsica fluid leak...Am I in trouble?
|
Sign In
|
|
With any heater core, you have an inlet & an outlet. You disconnect the 2 hoses, get a flushing tee or any means of securely joining the 2 hoses together and this takes the core out of the loop.
You could be possibly be looking at the wrong spot.....The hoses should be near the center of the firewall towards the bottom, you may be able to see them from the left side a little easier.
|
|
| |
|
|
Sidom
Veteran
/ Moderator
Sep 5, 2010, 6:50 PM
Post #9 of 17
(4267 views)
|
|
Re: 1990 chevy corsica fluid leak...Am I in trouble?
|
Sign In
|
|
Sounds like you are looking at an a/c line.
Go over to the other side by the master cyl and look at the firewall way down close the the center......There should be 2 rubber hoses close together going into the firewall
|
|
| |
|
|
dreamregent
User
Sep 5, 2010, 7:40 PM
Post #10 of 17
(4260 views)
|
|
Re: 1990 chevy corsica fluid leak...Am I in trouble?
|
Sign In
|
|
Ok... I will check that out in the daylight tomorrow and report back. Thank you very much for helping me, guys.
|
|
| |
|
|
dreamregent
User
Sep 6, 2010, 5:35 PM
Post #11 of 17
(4238 views)
|
|
Re: 1990 chevy corsica fluid leak...Am I in trouble?
|
Sign In
|
|
I've got a couple of photos here...
-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
Are the hoses in photo B the ones I need to disconnect and join together? If so, what do I need to get in order to do the job? It appears that it will be pretty simple and they are easy to get at from the top.
(This post was edited by dreamregent on Sep 6, 2010, 5:43 PM)
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 6, 2010, 5:44 PM
Post #12 of 17
(4231 views)
|
|
Re: 1990 chevy corsica fluid leak...Am I in trouble?
|
Sign In
|
|
Yep, that last picture is the heater hoses
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
|
dreamregent
User
Sep 6, 2010, 5:54 PM
Post #13 of 17
(4226 views)
|
|
Re: 1990 chevy corsica fluid leak...Am I in trouble?
|
Sign In
|
|
What do I ask for at the auto parts store? I'm not very mechanically inclined but this doesn't look very difficult so I'm gonna try it.
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 6, 2010, 5:56 PM
Post #14 of 17
(4220 views)
|
|
Re: 1990 chevy corsica fluid leak...Am I in trouble?
|
Sign In
|
|
The most difficult part will be getting those clamps off.
Just tell the parts store what your doing and tell them you need a union for the hoses and a couple of clamps.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
|
dreamregent
User
Sep 6, 2010, 6:27 PM
Post #15 of 17
(4215 views)
|
|
Re: 1990 chevy corsica fluid leak...Am I in trouble?
|
Sign In
|
|
A friend of mine just told me I should also remove the thermostat if I bypass the heating core. Is that desirable or necessary?
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 6, 2010, 6:29 PM
Post #16 of 17
(4211 views)
|
|
Re: 1990 chevy corsica fluid leak...Am I in trouble?
|
Sign In
|
|
Definitely not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That would be the worst move you could make.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
|
dreamregent
User
Sep 6, 2010, 6:34 PM
Post #17 of 17
(4206 views)
|
|
Re: 1990 chevy corsica fluid leak...Am I in trouble?
|
Sign In
|
|
Ok... I'm listening to you, not to him. Thanks again for the help. I'll let you guys know how I make out tomorrow.
|
|
| |
|
Auto Repair Home
SEARCH
WHO'S 
LOG 
(@PURE)SSD CHEMICAL SOLUTION IN UK +27672716140
