coolant leak

[datpimp1]

i have 1996 cutlass supreme every once in a while i notice a small puddle of antifreeze on the ground around the passenger front side , and when i get out of the car i usually smell coolant not a strong smell but i do smell it anyway i cahnged water pump a few months ago . and now that i think about it im not 100 percent sure i think the puddles only are there after i have had the heat on and i come back later on and notice the puddle i have good heat and everything , does the heater core only leak when u have on the heat? how hard is it to change ? is their any way to know if its bad without getting to it i understand that it is under the dash any help ?

[Chris Stewart]

Check your hose connections, when a heater core lets go, it'll leak inside the car on the passenger side floorboard.

[datpimp1]

are u saying check the hose at the heater core? also the puddle is on the passenger side in the front not right by the passenger seat i dont know if that matters thoughi was thinking water pump because its close to the water pump but not directly under it but i just changed the water pump a few months ago so i wanna make sure of what it is

[Chris Stewart]

What I'm saying is if coolant is leaking inside the car, your heater core is bad and needs replacing.
You're going to need a manual to learn how to correctly replace it too.

[theragtopguy]

On the Cutlass, if the heater core is leaking, it will appear right where you say. Instead of going thru all the BS of rplacing the core, use some K&W Block Seal, it will fix that leak right up. Permanent fix, assuming it's not a hose. Do not mix with Antifreeze, follow directions thoroughly.

[datpimp1]

ok i understand what your both saying right now i cant feel any coolant leak in the car . lik i said it doesnt leak all the time sometimes i will check under the car and no puddle is their so i decided to let the heat run let it get to operating temperature but it still would not leak while i was checking , checked the next day still no leak so i guess i will have to wait until the leak is more noticaable does anyone know it the heater core just leaks afer you have on the heat ? or is is possible to leak at anytime

[Chris Stewart]

If it leaks, it'll leak anytime, even if the motor is off or on and if the heater is off or on. It's part of your car's cooling system. If the cooling system has antifreeze in it, antifreeze can leak out the heater core if the heater core has a hole in it. Another sign of a leaky heater core is your windshield will fog up if it's cold outside and you turn your heater to defrost like your trying to clear your foggy windshield.

[cableguy4k]

There might be another possibility. The puddle could be from radiator overflow. Is the puddle in front of your tire? Is your radiator overflow bottle full?

[datpimp1]

the puddle is almost under water pump not in front of tire but a about 4 inches away my over flow tank is at the specified area unless
i was thinking about doing a pressure test on the radiator but that really wouldn't tell me anything

[cdru]

To track down the leak, you might consider getting some UV dye from napa. You add it to the coolant, run it and then shine a blacklight on it. It will glow where coolant has been. This might help you figure out if its a leak (running down the block) or an overflow (running down the overflow resevoir), leaky hose (glowing hose) or a bad seal at a clamp (glowing connector).

You'll need to use a real blacklight or a florescent black light. Those $3.99 incadescent lights dipped in a blue coating won't work.

[Chris Stewart]

First you say the leak is inside the car, now it's outside the car? Later dude..........

[datpimp1]

i will probaly just get some dye and sir im sure if u would read carefully i never said the leak was in the car thanks anyway

[theragtopguy]

Quite possible that the water pump is leaking. There's a weep hole in it, it will probably only leak when running.

Leaks are a pain in the ass to find sometimes.

[datpimp1]

thanks