1997 jimmy coolant leak

Can anyone tell me if i am in for a large bill at the garage. I filled up my coolant and it is leaking right back out. It is coming from somewhere under the truck towards the middle..further back than the front wheels..could this be a cracked block? or could it be something else a seal maybe? any info is greatly appreciated

pix would help

only way is to do a visual check

is the waterpump in the area of the leak?

i'd come over and slide under and look under your engine to give you a quick answer, but me thinks you live too far from me

Intake manifold gaskets. They all do it eventually. Not a cheap job to get done. Any mechanic with a pressure tester can pinpoint it for you, but you need intake manifold gaskets. Don't go with the cheapo gaskets either, you will regret it severely.

Thanks for the info.. guess i will have to take it in. I have had 3 people try to see where the leak is coming from but no luck. it seems to be coming from the back of the engine and leaking down on to where the engine connects to the transmission. I am worried about the block being cracked but have checked my oil and it is clean.

Usually a cracked block will cause performance issues and will leak other fluids and mix fluids as well. I highly doubt it is the block since these are really strong engines. What happens is that the intake gaskets leak and then the anti-freeze runs down the valley between the head and intake where it runs down the back of the engine. That is what my truck did. As I said, this is a VERY common problem for these trucks whereas a cracked block is a very rare problem. Unfortunately you are in for a big repair bill since it will take them about 8 hours to do the repair properly. Just be sure to go to a trustworthy shop so you know you are getting your money's worth.

The lower intake gaskets are indeed a common problem on these vehicles, and that could very easily be your problem, but it is much better to check things out thoroughly before condemning your gasket. There are a lot of other things that regularly leak on these things as well. In the area that you describe, it could be something as simple as a leaking heater hose.

I would also question any shop that wanted to charge 8 hours for changing a lower intake gasket. Anyone that has done one before can easily do it in 3 - 3 1/2 hours. Even someone that hasn't done one before, (and has as much mechanical experience as a decent shop should have) should take no more than 5 hours at the most even taking their time, and a fair amount of standing around talking.

Sadly the job does call for 8-9 hours of tech time according to the labor guides I have seen and used so you will probably get charged for the 8+ hours no matter how long the job takes. The shop I work for does this and it makes me kinda sick since I get them done in the 5 hour range. Add to that the coolant flush and any other incidentals during the job and doing this job inside Canada is gonna run you $1K+ no matter where you go and usually ends up somewhere near $1500. Should be considerably cheaper in the US since most US shops don't like to screw over their customers like Canadian shops. Just for reference I am an American that has lived in Canada for 4 years. You would be absolutely SHOCKED as to the massive price gouging up here in Canada. Parts are about twice the price as well as labor.

What kind of labor guides are you using?

If the shop you go to is going to be using a labor guide that inaccurate, it sounds like you'd be much better off getting it replaced at the dealer. If it turns out that the LIM gasket is the problem.

GM allows 2.5 hours when serviced under warranty. (+ 0.2 hours for vehicles with A/C)

And the standard labor rate when out of warranty is 3.4 hours. (+ 0.2 hours for vehicles with A/C)

I could be (probably am) mistaken, but I believe they were using the All-Data. Plus I should add, since there are other services they clump into the intake gasket job, they add all the various labor rates into it. Again, I don't make the quotes, I only get the work order and do the job. Last one I did they charged for 8 hours labor. I am merely a cog in the machine, I am not the person at the wheel, lol.

Just an FYI, I had my girlfriend do hers on her 92. The 92 takes longer then a 97. She had a broken foot at the time and she got it done in about 6 hours with me walking her through it. I did clean out the engine though, and torque the intake bolts, since she had a broken foot. My point is, even if you have never done it before, with a little guidance and a bit of time, and the tools, anyone can do this job. And the how to is posted on this site already, with pictures.

Thank you for all the input..I had a mechanic take a look at it for me today and it is indeed the intake gasket. He said he could do it for me for 800 as a side job. at 276 kms is it worth it to fix or should i be looking for another vehicle?

$800 is a very good price for that job in Canada. As for if it is owrth it, what is the condition of the rest of the truck? I plan on getting atleast 400K (I have 185K now) out of my truck if not more. Can you buy something that is in better shape for $800? (I doubt that). Anyhow, have the same mechanic give it a good once over and give you a report on the entire vehicle's condition. If it is in good serviceable condition there is no reason not to fix it.