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Coolant leak just for starters! 94 sunbird
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Aeriydne
Novice
Jan 12, 2007, 12:15 AM
Post #1 of 5
(1787 views)
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Coolant leak just for starters! 94 sunbird
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Ok, i just got a 94 sunbird cuz im a college stundent and im broke as a hobo. Anyway when i drove it home on a 50 mile jaunt she almost overheated about 1/4 of the way. I saw the guage going up so i parked her at a gas station. Soon as i slowed down smoke was coming from under the hood. I opened up the radiator and hot air came out, but no fluid, it looked low so i added some water and anti-f. She drove the rest of the way home no problem after that, i thought i was free and clear. I drove it once after that to autozone and to a salvage yard to get a headlight, no problems again. 3rd trip to my g/f house temp went up quick again in the drive through at taco bell, parked her and checked it out, coolant leaking.
One thing to note right off the bat is that it seems to run cool right at the bottom of the guage and then jump up quick until the leak happened. It is appearing to be coming from the line going to or from the heater core i dont know which but both are going into the firewall. I cant tell if the leak is coming from where the hose connects or from inside the firewall somewhere.
I want to replace the clamp on that hose, but i dont know what i need to do to do that. I dont want to just take it off and spill coolant everywhere, i also dont want to drain the system and not know how to fill it back up properly again. So if someone could tell me exactly how to do that in baby steps that would be fantastic as i have about zero knowledge about cars.
I am thinking that i should check the thermostat as well, but i dont know where it is to see it the mechanics of it are working properly or what to do, again...
Also i am wondering if the heater core is not leaking how i could check to see if it is plugged, or how i could try to find a plug anywhere in the cooling system...
Im sure anyone who answers all these questions of mine is in for one long post, but if you are willing i will be most grateful, and it will most definitely earn you your good deed for the day, lol.
B.t.w. i have read that you can loop the lines to the heater core and bypass it. Are there any consequences other than not having heat in the dead of winter in michigan?
(This post was edited by Aeriydne on Jan 12, 2007, 12:20 AM)
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jan 12, 2007, 2:33 AM
Post #2 of 5
(1779 views)
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Re: Coolant leak just for starters! 94 sunbird
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Smile at your post - we are here to help,
Sounds like maybe you should just get a new thermostat if only to rule it out. They are not expensive in general and usually not that hard to do.
Forget that clamp for now unless it's leaking. They are a pest to remove sometimes and you COULD break a heater core over messing with it. No leak - no problem there with the clamp. Put your finger under suspect hose leaks and they should be dry.
DON'T MESS WITH ANTIFREEZE -- WASH HANDS IF TOUCHED AND DISPOSE OF IT PROPERLY IN A CASE WHERE YOU CHANGED IT. Nasty hazmat!
Try the thermostat and carry pre ready coolant with you and keep it full. Post back if that doesn't solve this, T
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Aeriydne
Novice
Mar 8, 2007, 12:24 AM
Post #3 of 5
(1746 views)
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Re: Coolant leak just for starters! 94 sunbird
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Well it would seem that i have fixed that problem for the most part. It was missing the thermostat. However there is still a problem that is there. The A/C | Heat system occasionally smells like antifreeze. I know that a leaky heater core can do that, but i fixed the leak that was close to the core.
Also the engine shakes quite a bit and i don't know why, i don't know what to look for in the motor mounts to see if they are worn or whatever, the engine shakes a lot more when put into reverse for some reason. A friend of mine told me that being that it was run over temp for a while that the heads may have been warped, what exactly does that do and can it lead to engine shake or the smell of antifreeze?
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Mar 14, 2007, 8:56 AM
Post #4 of 5
(1736 views)
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Re: Coolant leak just for starters! 94 sunbird
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Seems like a couple things are going on here. The motor/trans mounts can be checked with a helper putting car in gear, both forward and reverse while you look at them. Be sure to stand to the side NOT in front of vehicle for this test. Will take some throttle so used all caution.
That does not explain the rough running if you find a bad mount. I could explain but I've never seen it, the heater leak as perhaps the heater hoses can't handle the extra travel of the motor and the weak link would be the heater core.
Overheating: the weak link is the head gasket first then if hot enough warping the head. Easy check is to look at spark plugs that should all look about the same. Next a compression test, T
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steve01832
Veteran
Mar 16, 2007, 2:57 AM
Post #5 of 5
(1723 views)
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Re: Coolant leak just for starters! 94 sunbird
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Just to add to Tom's post about the head. With the engine stone cold, drain the cooling system into a clean catch pan and close the radiator drain. Start the engine and note the idle. If it is smooth, start adding the coolant to the radiator. If the engine suddenly starts to get rough, suspect a head problem. By running it dry there is no water entering the cylinder(s), therefore the engine runs ok. If it starts to suck water in as you fill the system, that confirms that you have a problem that needs to get checked out. Whatever you do, add coolant right away. Don't let the engine run without water very long.
Steve
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