Can't Find the Coolant Leak HELP Please

[Jmrec100]

I have a 1999 Cavalier. I posted earlier about a water pump gone bad. I was just about to start it when I noticed that the weep hole is clean, dry. The water pouring down looked just like a typical WP leak. Now Im not sure. It looks like it is dripping (alot) near the drain on the firewall for the Air Conditioner Water. But I can't find it. It doesn't look like the freeze plugs but I will take off the top housing over the intake manifold in the morning to be sure. The heater hoses to theheater don't look wet, these are near the driver's side. The leak is on the passeger side and the water is dropping near the CV joint. When I jacked the car up on the passenger side so I can get under it, the water poured out on the driver's side. This seems that the water pooled and then flowed down the support member? Or it could be the freeze plug and the tipping lead the water to the other side.
Any ideas?

[mike2004tct]

Originally Posted by Jmrec100

I have a 1999 Cavalier. I posted earlier about a water pump gone bad. I was just about to start it when I noticed that the weep hole is clean, dry. The water pouring down looked just like a typical WP leak. Now Im not sure. It looks like it is dripping (alot) near the drain on the firewall for the Air Conditioner Water. But I can't find it. It doesn't look like the freeze plugs but I will take off the top housing over the intake manifold in the morning to be sure. The heater hoses to theheater don't look wet, these are near the driver's side. The leak is on the passeger side and the water is dropping near the CV joint. When I jacked the car up on the passenger side so I can get under it, the water poured out on the driver's side. This seems that the water pooled and then flowed down the support member? Or it could be the freeze plug and the tipping lead the water to the other side.
Any ideas?

The only suggestion I have is the water pump has 2 weep holes, one above the shaft that you can see, and one below the shaft that you can't see.

I had a similar pooling problem when my daughter's pump expired. You couldn't tell by looking at the pump that it was leaking, but it was the bottom hole because there were no other hoses in the area of the leak (above the passenger side CV axle)

[Jmrec100]

Just for the record, Found the leak. I looked at it and couldn't believe it at first. It was leaking out of the condensate drain. I thought it could be the heater core but it was weird that it would leak out of the drain hole for the AC Evaporator. If it was the heater core, I expected a wet floor mat on the passenger side unless the pan for the condensate was large enough to catch the water. I took it in to a reputable mechanic I know in town. I explained everything I saw. He looked at it, put the car on its lift and traced the water. He said it was the heater! Oh man, I was right. I was lucky that the leak was in a place it where leaked into the drain pan and dripped and then outside thru the drain hose. The spot it eventually dripped was near the water pump.

I had him do the work. I could have but just didn't have the time. I needed to get to work and get my car fixed. A monday gone bad. Costs me about $450 total - $75 for the heater core, rest was labor. I dropped by and saw this guy upside down on his head, his back laying on a milk crate while working on it. Got it back and all is fine except the pocketbook.

Next problem my AC needs to be fixed. I suspect the compressor went bad....

[SheeB]

Just curious if that was for a 2.2L or a 2.4L motor? I am having a similiar issue tracking done my coolant leak and I have a '99 2.2L (2200) motor.

[Markgc]

I imagine that there is a plastic tray/pan underneath the condenstion unit in side the vehicle so that condenastion doesn't run onto the carpets. If the heater core was leaking then it is likely that fluid will find it's way into this pan as well. The heater core is likely to leak where the hose inlet/outlet attaches to the core itself.

When the core was leaking on my 86 Cavalier the smell inside was awful but no liquid managed to get onto the carpet.

[Jmrec100]

It was the heater core. I didn't have the time to replace it. Costs me $450 for someone to do it. About $90 for the core, rest labor. I stopped by a few times to see how it was coming along. It hurt watching him do the the catortions just trying to get to it. Brought back bad memories of doing the same thing for past cars I've owned.