Complete Coolant Loss 95 grand Am

[cp140aesop]

Hi looking for Help!
My wife's '95 Grand Am GT has experienced a total loss of coolant.
I filled it up again and it proceeded to completely drain after running the engine. It was draining out of what appears to be some sort of drain fitting located under the car in the area around the Transaxle Pan. It has a 90degree rubber elbow attached to it and it spews out nothing but coolant. Does anyone have any idea what I need to do to fix this? Could it be the water pump, or the fact that it is draining/circulating eliminate that? What is this drain of some sort under the car and what is it's purpose? Is there supposed to be a hose attached to it or something? Could there be some sort of valve stuck somewhere.

I sure could use some help as Hanyes hasn't anything to say about where the coolant is spewing out from. Thanks in advance,
John.

[GTP Dad]

Is this elbow attached to the firewall? If it is then you need to replace the heater core. The newer model cars have a drain that lets the coolant out rather than coming into the passenger compartment. You should get a haynes or chiltons manual as it will outline how to replace the heater core or you should have it towed to a garage. The water will run out too fast to drive it very far.

[cp140aesop]

Originally Posted by GTP Dad

Is this elbow attached to the firewall? If it is then you need to replace the heater core. The newer model cars have a drain that lets the coolant out rather than coming into the passenger compartment. You should get a haynes or chiltons manual as it will outline how to replace the heater core or you should have it towed to a garage. The water will run out too fast to drive it very far.

Thanks for the quick reply.

No the elbow is not attached to the firewall. I have the correct Haynes Manual but it doesn't talk about this area in particular.

This car has been through the replacement of the heater core before, with the mess on the floor and everything, I'm pretty sure it's not the heater core because I've no mess on the floor this time.

This drain (or at least that's what I call it for sake of another word) has me baffled. I've put two photos in the member's gallery entitled "Rubber Elbow" and "Underneath1".
"Rubber Elbow" is a pic of the actual elbow.....and "Underneath1" shows the general area of where the elbow attaches to a fixed line that comes through the underbody of the car.
I sure would like to know the purpose of this line/rubber elbow and if a line going somewhere else should be attached to it. I also gotta solve what is causing the coolant to completely drain (Water-pump/Thermostat/Stuck Valve/Heater Core.
I don't know where to start and certainly have no idea where to finish.

Any help would certainly be appreciated.
Cheers,
John.

[JohnB351]

If you look down from under the hood, I bet you'll see that it is coming from the firewall. From the pics, it looks like your heater core drain. The heater core that you said was already changed, may have cracked at the fitting into the core itself during installation, and probably just got worse. It happened to me just like that.

[cp140aesop]

Originally Posted by JohnB351

If you look down from under the hood, I bet you'll see that it is coming from the firewall. From the pics, it looks like your heater core drain. The heater core that you said was already changed, may have cracked at the fitting into the core itself during installation, and probably just got worse. It happened to me just like that.

You nailed it!
It was the Heater Core....

Thanks so much for your help.

Cheers,

John.