Teenager in need of help

[hotwing18]

ok, i noticed that my coolant has been leaking ( a small puddle) in my 97 sunfire, and of course, my engine gets hot and all. but weve looked, andcant seem to find the cause...any suggestions of where to look? i know this may be a stupid question, but i am low on cash and all, and would rather fix it myself (without an over priced mechanic doin it)...any ideas at all? its really hard to get in to see the whole radiator as well, which really sucks. thanks!

[GTP Dad]

Try placing a piece of clean cardboard under the car so you can get a picture of where the water is leaking from. If it is the water pump it should be on the firewall side. If the radiator is leaking you will see it in the front. Also when the car is hot open the hood and look for signs of steam coming from the connections on the engine, hoses, thermostat housing and etc. This should give some indication on where the leak is. Also, how much coolant are you going through? If it is a lot you could have a bad head due to the overheating. Lets start with the visual check and we can go from there. Also, when you turn on the heater do the windows fog up or do you smell an antifreeze odor. If so it could be the heater core causing your problems.

[hotwing18]

Ok, that sounds good, my only question there is what exactly is the firewall and where would it be located? Ill do the cardboard check later today and get back to you on that. thanks!

[GTP Dad]

The firewall is the partition between the engine compartment and the passenger compartment. You will see the brake booster and a lot of wires hanging from it.

[ironran]

as far as a leak goes, look for a really clean spot around hoses, on top of motor, etc. because the anti freeze will steam when the motor gets hot and the steam will clean the affected area.