Drip of death?...need help with coolant leak

[knas]

When I went out to my 91 accord this morning,
I noticed a nice green puddle underneath the car close to
the passenger side front wheel.

Opened up the hood to check for any obvious signs.
Coolant resevoir is completely empty (obviously) but no signs of cracking.
Hose connecting resevoir to radiator is also good.

Pretty much, everything in the front part of the engine seems
dry, and therefore good(???)

The leak is coming more from the rear of the engine.
I'm a broke college student so taking it to a shop will be painful.
Any body got any suggestions?

Also checked the inside of the passenger seat for a leak,
since I heard that a faulty heater core could drip some on the inside.
No luck, all dry on the inside.

Went underneath car, but couldn't visibly see where exactly the damn
coolant came from.

[deaz]

Start it up, let it get up to temp, and look all around the engine. If its not still leaking when its cold, it must just be when the cooling system is under pressure. So just take a look with it running and hot.

[mwkirchner]

Originally Posted by knas

When I went out to my 91 accord this morning,
I noticed a nice green puddle underneath the car close to
the passenger side front wheel.

Opened up the hood to check for any obvious signs.
Coolant resevoir is completely empty (obviously) but no signs of cracking.
Hose connecting resevoir to radiator is also good.

Pretty much, everything in the front part of the engine seems
dry, and therefore good(???)

The leak is coming more from the rear of the engine.
I'm a broke college student so taking it to a shop will be painful.
Any body got any suggestions?

Also checked the inside of the passenger seat for a leak,
since I heard that a faulty heater core could drip some on the inside.
No luck, all dry on the inside.

Went underneath car, but couldn't visibly see where exactly the damn
coolant came from.

There are numerous water hoses on the passenger side of the engine. They run from the head and the thermostat housing. They vary in size from about 1/2" inside diameter to 1/4" inside diameter. If you have any friends that may be able to get their hands on a pressure tester ... that would be best. You need to fill the system up and apply pressure to it and the leak will magically appear.

Good luck ...

[Tom_91_LX]

I know you said it appears to be coming from the rear of the motor, but I would still check the radiator. The top of the radiator tank is plastic and over time they almost all crack. My '91 did this about a year ago, and I looked everywhere EXCEPT the radiator because coolant seemed to be everywhere under the hood. The crack was so small that I didn't see it until the mechanic pulled the old radiator out of the dumpster to show me. But when the car warms up and the coolant is under pressure, it gets forced out of even the smallest crack.

It might not be the radiator, but if it is, DO NOT get it from a dealer because you'll get fleeced. One dealer quoted me over $500. My mechanic installed a completely remanufactured one, with warranty, for $147 + labor. I might have gone with a brand-new radiator if the car were newer, but the car is 13 years old and this one should last the remainder of the car's life if I keep the coolant clean.

Tom

[skubydobdo]

I have to agree with the guy who said it was the small hose that you can't hardy see since it's tucked way down. I've had 2 go bad in the last 60,000 miles. It's a 2 dollar part that is only 2 inches long if I remember correctly. I had a local shop switch it out for about 50 bucks.