'97 GA SE V6 3.1
I've got a major coolant leak, and need some advice. Here are the symptoms:
I've seen orange Kool-aid leaking out in a stream several times. It only leaks when the car is warm (when the thermostat is open?). I've been refilling the reservoir several time in the last month, adding a quart or two of coolant at a time. The car doesn't overheat (as long as the coolant level doesn't get too low), and I just changed the oil and so no signs of coolant, so I believe the leak is just external. I've tried to locate the source of the leak, but have been unable- when it leaks out, it leaks onto the frame, and drips down from the frame in multiple places. I think the leak is in front of the engine, because this is the area of the frame that is dripping undernieth with coolant. I suspected (hoped!) it might just be a burst hose, but I removed them and inspected them, and can find no sign on them.
Then I inspected the radiator, and found this crack:
See it there in the plastic, just above the fuse box? You can also see it is wet with a leak. I'm not absolutely convinced this is the primary leak (I expected it would be bigger), but I decided to remove and inspect the radiator, hoping I might find a more obvious leak. I got it out successfully, and can't really find another source of a leak.
So now, my questions:
Does a crack like this seem like a likely candidite for a large leak (like maybe when the collant is pressureized from the thermostat opening, and the plastic expands/flexes from the heat)? Having the radiator out now, does it make sense to have a radiator shop fix it, or to replace the whole unit? How do I find a radiator repair shop (a yahoo search returns only a list of area car dealers)? If the leak isn't in the radiator, after I get the car reassembled
how do I find the real leak?
full synthetic!!!
