Antifreeze Leak

[EquatorHeat00]

Checked my exhaust pipes this morning at cold start up again. This time the exhaust was coming out clear right from the start.

[Joe 1320]

Air conditions will affect that greatly. If it were bad enough, you would be able to tell the difference.

[pandorasboyfriend]

This has me all bent up.

The guy is losing antifreeze and his car is not overheating.

(thinking)...If he had a bad freeze plug, that would show up on the preasure test too...

EH000, did you bleed the coolant system?

Even if you were told that it was, go back and double check. It's gotta to be something simple thats being over-looked.

And you know for a fact that there is no fluid under the passenger floor mat(possibly your heater core)?

[Joe 1320]

Car was checked today by a mechanic.
Pressure tested cooling system, and no leaks found.
Compression test was not done. He said that isn't going to show anything that would help fix this problem..

After reading this, I wonder if you don't need a new mechanic.

A compression and leakdown test combined with a cooling system pressure test is definately a required proceedure. By starting the engine with the cooling system pressure gauge installed on the radiator, the engine is warmed up and run a various rpms including a few good revs, any leaks in the fire ring with show fluctuations in the pressure every time the leaking cylinder fires. A leakdown test may even show the combustion gas leaking into the radiator fluids. You could have a coolant analysis done where a sample of the fluid is sent off to check for hydrocarbon contamination from a combustion event. If anything show up on that, you know what the cause is.

I've seen head gaskets seal just fine under a regular cooling system cold pressure test, yet they leak after warmed up. There could be several things too. Do you run the A/C at all?

[EquatorHeat00]

Just checked NO fluid under passengers side mate. I dont believe the system was bled. A mechanic looked at it. I mentioned the compression test, and having the car running, and warm. I wasnt there when he did it. The most experienced mechanic there looked at my car. Coolant hasnt leaked any in 3 days now. I'm sure the mechanic could spend hours looking at my car trying to figure out the problem from wires, to spark plugs, fuel injector, heater core, O2 sensors who knows maybe the coolant leak and missing at high rpms isnt even related, but I really dont want to spend the money on the time for him to find this problem either because its not bad enough anyways. As far as the missing its only MOST of the time when I absolutely floor it, and it gets over 4,000 rpm's. I rarely do that anyways, so besides that it drives normal with occassional hard starts in the morning. Just for it to get worse, or go away. lol Then we will know the problem without inspecting the car for hours on something so minor at this point.

[97Bandit]

water pump

I wish people lived closer to me sometimes cause I just saw the labor on that water pump install there at first, 300 dollars to get it fixed. I had to replace my optispark when i first got my car and thats goin from a dodge truck to a trans am. I do a pump replacement for cheap on peoples cars i dont think they are to bad to work on, plus its just a lil time and ur done. hmmm ya i was bored so i thought i would chat on here. maybe ill just open a f body shop or something lol. well good luck with the car , later.

[pandorasboyfriend]

After reading this, I wonder if you don't need a new mechanic.

I agree. Thats why I wanted him to do a coolant bleed check himself, because it's easy to do.only thing is we/or I might have to guide him through it. I do not mind!. I'll even show pics if I have to. I mean, this is why there needs to be more than one opinion to find the problem. Two or three minds is better than one right? ...anyways...

The most experienced mechanic there looked at my car.

Even "he" might not know how to do a LT-1. The Lt-1 is a reverse coolant system, and if you've never experienced it before, then you have to go back to school when working on it. Yet, it is very simple to learn. I'm not ragging on the guy/gal but they just simply don't have the experience with LT-1's.

I'm sure the mechanic could spend hours looking at my car trying to figure out the problem from wires, to spark plugs, fuel injector, heater core, O2 sensors who knows maybe the coolant leak and missing at high rpms isnt even related, but I really dont want to spend the money on the time for him to find this problem either because its not bad enough anyways.

Do it yourself bro. It's easy.

At this point I have to agree with Joe. You have a bad head gasket (more than likely on the pasengers side).

I'll do my best to send pics of which hose to bleed, on the coolant system. I hope it's just a vapor lock, but I don't see how, if you're not over heating.

Joe, do you have pics of the bleed hoses? I'll send some, if you don't have any on hand.

~Pando~

[Joe 1320]

I agree. Thats why I wanted him to do a coolant bleed check himself, because it's easy to do.only thing is we/or I might have to guide him through it. I do not mind!. I'll even show pics if I have to. I mean, this is why there needs to be more than one opinion to find the problem. Two or three minds is better than one right? ...anyways...



Even "he" might not know how to do a LT-1. The Lt-1 is a reverse coolant system and if you've never experienced it before, then you have gone back to school when working on it. Yet, it is very simple to learn. I'm not ragging on the guy/gal but they just simple don't have the experience with LT-1's.



Do it yourself bro. It's easy.

At this point I have to agree with Joe. You have a bad head gasket (more than likely on the pasengers side).

I'll do my best to send pics of which hose to bleed on the coolant system. I hope it's just a vapor lock, but I don't see how if you're not over heating.

Joe, do you have pics of the bleed hoses? I'll send some, if you don't have any on hand.

~Pando~

I don't happen to have any, so send them to him if you have 'em.

And yes, I've seen supposed "experts" try and put a standard thermostat in an LT-1. The reason???? it is a small block chevy.

[pandorasboyfriend]

No problem, my lady will be in 8:00 from work, central time with her T/A. I can't do mine 'cause it's minus the top half of the motor, or else i would have pics sooner.

have patience Mr. EH00

[EquatorHeat00]

My car hasnt losed any anitifreeze in 6 days now a record, and the car seems to drive good. Only thing I get is the coolant light on practically every morning. Then it shuts off the 2nd time I restart the car.

I installed a 160 degree thermostat in the spring time, and the coolant level was way high on the coolant dipstick. Then it went down after like 3 months to where I needed to add some. I don't know if this had anything to do with it. I also added the MadZ28 custom tune at the same time.

[pandorasboyfriend]

This is utterly crazy. Since I last went on here, my lady's T/A has a bad water pump. Water is going through the weap hole on the bottom. Now I have to go buy a new water pump. I can not count how many times I've replaced a water pump or water pump gasket either on my car or my lady's car. It has to be this Texas heat.

EH000- Thats good news!. I offered to send a picture how and where to bleed the coolant system. If you still need it. I can do it, just let me know.

[EquatorHeat00]

Car seems to have fixed itself. 10 days now no antifreeze leak, and car accelerates when floored with no missing at high rpm's. Car starts right up too probably due to know leaking antifreeze. Still get coolant light on once at start up every morning then goes away on the second start up later in the day.

[EquatorHeat00]

I bleed the coolant system when I installed my 160 thermostat.

[Joe 1320]

This is utterly crazy. Since I last went on here, my lady's T/A has a bad water pump. Water is going through the weap hole on the bottom. Now I have to go buy a new water pump. I can not count how many times I've replaced a water pump or water pump gasket either on my car or my lady's car. It has to be this Texas heat.

EH000- Thats good news!. I offered to send a picture how and where to bleed the coolant system. If you still need it. I can do it, just let me know.

A/C Delco replacement? Anything else is a crapshoot.

[pandorasboyfriend]

water pump

Joe, ahem(cough) No, the first one was from O'rielly's, second from autozone.

I guess you can tell by now i'm cheap.