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98 lumina coolant leak and noise


costucu
12-03-2003, 01:23 PM
My 98 lumina (3.1-V6) has been loosing coolant. The leak is under the car on the passenger side next to the oil pan (is that the water pump?). Also there is a fairly loud squealing noise coming from the same side. The noise stops only when I turn the AC on... Any ideas on what's happening?
Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Retardo
12-03-2003, 02:07 PM
If it's the water pump, if you look at the pump, you'll see some stains. Another way of telling if it's the water pump is the belt may be wet, or between the engine and the passenger side of the car (the plastic covering), the water pump might spray water on that cover.

As for the squealling, it could be the water pump causing this noise, if it infact, is leaking coolant. Another possibility is that the belt is making the squealing noise - the belt is slipping?

tolkien404
02-01-2004, 02:01 PM
I had leaky water pump a few weeks ago. It was easy to tell because when I opened the hood, coolant was spraying up from the serpentine belt near the alternator. Replacing the pump fixed the problem (probably just replacing the gasket would have worked, but I thought what the heck). The giveaways? Puddles of coolant on the plastic cover below the water pump and drips from that side of the car onto the pavement. The coolant will usually drain from the weep hole on the bottom of the pump.

The squealing definitely sounds like a wet belt. I replaced mine with the water pump, partly because it was cracked anyway and partly because I thought the having coolant all over it might have weakened it.

nl2004
02-17-2004, 01:31 PM
My car, 1997 Lumina LS, has same problem. Last Saturday, I heard some noise which I never heard before. Then on Sunday, I found a wet spot on the floor (at the side of passage and in the front). I went to garage yesterday afternoon, and they told me the water pump is worn out and coolant was leaking. So I replaced with a new water pump, but this morning I found it was still leaking, a wet spot on the floor.

Can anybody give me some suggestion, what's wrong again?

Millions of thanks!
:disappoin

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