What is this???? Please Help!

My car was driving normally when I began to brake. The engine coolant gauge shot up and the warning light came on. The check engine light came on and the car died. Once I got it home, it was smoking and I discovered anti-freeze everywhere under the hood and this..........

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/loghop/IMG_0006.jpg
That picture is upside down on the passenger side front, approximately even with the sideview mirror. I assume that is not it's normal location and it seems to be covered in anti-freeze as well.

Here are a couple more pictures. Could someone please tell me what that is and/or what happened to my poor old two-tone buick.


http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/loghop/IMG_0005.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/loghop/IMG_0003.jpg

It looks like a small cooler for what I've always thought for tranny fluid.... but I haven't looked in that section of my car in a while. I'd say the mounting bolt either came loose/broke, that part started dangling and the old rubber hoses cracked from the stress...at least from this angle it doesn't look attached.

What year of PA are we talking about here?

That “inline cooler” is more than likely for the power steering fluid. (Weird place to put one) Usually, the PS fluid cooler, is mounted somewhere in the front grill area, at least the one on my 92 Ultra is. The coolant leak, may be coming from the water pump, coolant bypass hose, or bypass fitting, heater hoses, or lower radiator hose. You need to raise the hood to find the leak. If it is the water pump, it may be hard to see, since they usually leak from the bottom “weep hole”. Look for signs of coolant on the drive belts and harmonic balancer.:crying:

That “inline cooler” is more than likely for the power steering fluid. (Weird place to put one) Usually, the PS fluid cooler, is mounted somewhere in the front grill area, at least the one on my 92 Ultra is. The coolant leak, may be coming from the water pump, coolant bypass hose, or bypass fitting, heater hoses, or lower radiator hose. You need to raise the hood to find the leak. If it is the water pump, it may be hard to see, since they usually leak from the bottom “weep hole”. Look for signs of coolant on the drive belts and harmonic balancer.:crying:

If I recall correctly, my 93 leSabre had a small cooler like that for the power steering fluid and it was screwed into the subframe so it was held up out of the path of debris on the road but would get air flow to cool the fluid. It was behind the wheel like that one is.

I can't get to my 93 manuals right now to check but I believe that's correct. I have a 93 manual for leSabre/Park Ave.

It's a 91' PA 3.8l V6
186k


Would the PS fluid cooler become displaced because of a coolant leak/overheat, or would the coolant leak/overheat happen because of a displaced PS fluid cooler??

Or at the two even connected at all?

If you look closely at the PS cooler, (see pic) it is mounted in the intended location with a bolt in the sub-frame! This would have nothing to do with your car overheating or the coolant loss.
http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/4385/img0006el4.jpg
(http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/4385/img0006el4.jpg)

Check your heater hoses, they are above the the ps cooler and a leak would lead to it. Apparently non-supercharged 3800s have that core located here, it's in the same location in mine.

I believe I found the culprit.

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i116/loghop/IMG_0008.jpg
I ran the high-tech "where does the water spew out from test" and it was running through the side of my engine like a civ. This hose was in just tight enough to stay on with a light tug. But it couldnt hold back the water.

I'm on my way to autozone to replace the hose. However, I noticed significant water leakage from the tail pipe.... what are the chances I blew a head gasket? or could this be a sign of anything else???

Water can come out of the exhaust.. Burning gas actually creates water from the combustion of gasoline.

Just a dribble when its cold outside.. I wouldnt worry big about it but have it looked at by a tech..
If its not coolant, and blowing big white smoke its proubbly normal in humid cold conditions.
Did you say "Big white smoke?"...
I mean exhaust white smoke that drifts off and never evaporates and usually lasts more then 20 feet away and smells wierd.


Good Luck

One problem with the cold weather theory is I live in south central texas and it was a bone-chilling 88 degrees today.

I fixed the heater hose and it no longer leaks. The water dripping from the tail pipe is minimal and no more white smoke bellowing out of the hood. It seemed to maintain an acceptable coolant temperature.

The engine itself does not sound as good as it once did. I think its just a waiting game now to see if there was some permanent damage to the engine.

I still don't know how the PS fluid cooler got into that position or if it was related, but it didn't seem to effect it much one way or the other once it got going again...

i can most definatly say that that is a power sterring fluid cooler (ive replaced man on my 2 cars and they are in ahorible position and amost imposible to get to even with ramps