Coolant Leak

[tapcola]

your insulation above your radiator cap is wet because when the water pump is slowly leaking and the small amount of antifreeze that falls down on to you belt while you vechile is running is squirting upwards. I couldn't find my leak at first. The way I found mine was to run it for a short time about a 10 mile drive and then let it set for about 1/2 hour. I noticed that a small amount of antifreeze running down my belt.

[bobss396]

The cheapest way out is to simply replace the radiator cap, or temporarily switch a comparable cap from another car. Idling it in gear in the driveway serves no constructive purpose. You'd be best off blocking the radiator with a piece of cardboard for around 10 minutes to get it up to temp and pressure.

If you have one of those plastic radiators, they are known to leak around the neck where the cap goes on. If the cap doesn't work, take it somewhere to be pressure checked.

Bob

[snewganz]

I had this very same problem with my 99 Lumina. There was coolant leaking, but no rhyme or reason. I had belt squealage, and my headlamps and console lights would dim randomly, mostly upopn acceleration. I just happened to look up at the felt lining on the underside of my hood one day, and found the cause. There was a straight line of saturation runningh inline with the serpentine belt. The worst right above the waterpump pulley, was actually pulling at the felt with such force that the felt was dragging downward as if it had been pulled. From that evidence, I decided to take the waterpump out, but found no evidence of failure except droplets of coolant on the inside of the pulley where it bolts to the pump. Replacing the waterpump fixed the problem. What had been occuring was while the engine was running, very small amounts of coolant were overcoming the waterpump shaft seal and dripping inside the pulley. The centrifigal force of the spinning pulley held the coolant there until enough had built up inside, and then it would drop down onto the belt, and get flung upward at 1000+ RPMs. Wierd, but this seems to be a common occurance. I never would have guessed it if I hadn't looked up at the hood one night in despair. Hope this helps!

[richtazz]

Your waterpump is leaking from the bearing seal, causing coolant to leak out the weephole, and be thrown from the inside of the pulley all over your engine compartment. If you take the serp belt off, I bet you will find lateral play in the water pump pulley, indicating the waterpump is shot. $20 part and about an hour job. The only other place it could leak like you describe is the o-ring for the coolant transfer tube, but I doubt that is it, as they fail VERY rarely.

[allan123]

I finally got around to replacing the water pump on my van and all was good until I was driving home from work this evening and while going up a hill the volt gauge dropped dramatically and the van stalled, it started right up and I continued home. Once I pulled into the driveway it quit again. It would start right away but would quit once i lifted my foot of the gas pedal. Upon further inspection I had a terrible leak that it coming from the point where the Intake, Block and Head in the front all meet, right behind the power steering pump. If I rev it up the leak is really bad and it seems to be causing the van the spit and sputter when I really bring the revs up. Can anyone tell me which of the gaskets is leaking, Head or Intake, I can't tell by looking at the moment.

Thanks,
Allan

[corning_d3]

I bet it's the lower intake mannifold gasket. These are notorious to fail..

[richtazz]

Normally, the intakes leak inside the engine, not outside. Since you replaced the water pump, I'd agree with Corning that it's an intake leak.