After intake gasket problem... leaking radiator?

[ChevMali99]

It seems that with this car problems come in bunches! 99 Malibu 3.1 J

I fixed the intake gasket leak as the title states.

Got to pass inspection this year by taking advantage of one of those periods when the check engine light with the egr code of P1404 shut off on its own.

Now I'm noticing small spot marks / puddles of anti freeze right below the radiator. In fact, upon further inspection I see that there's an obvious leak from the radiator.

Here's the question - are radiators on these cars prone to leak or could it simply be a thing where the mechanic while working on the intake thing not tighten, whatever needs to be tightened on the radiator. I would hate to go to Firestone and have them tell me that I'll need a new radiator, when the problem is a simple loose hose or something dumb.

[manicmechanix]

Is the leak on the driver or passenger side? On the driver side near the bottom front there is a white drain vale that can leak. Aso check the upper and lower hose. Other than that it'd have to be the radiator itself.

[ChevMali99]

Thanks for the reply - I can't tell from which side of the radiator the leak is coming from, it seems to be evenly spread. Maybe the anti-freeze as it leaks runs along the plastic attachment around the area and spreads it all around. Also I remember the hose on the reservoir, after taking it off a number of times to work on the air pump, would leak if not hooked up just right... It's a very finicky thing with those hose clamps. At any rate, the leak seems to be slow since the reservoir remains full for a few rides, but clearly any leak is not good.

[dpalomaki]

They are not unusually prone to leak, but like any radiator could be subject to damage depending on the local environmental conditions, etc. radiators on cars parked facing prevailing winds off salt water often do not last very long. Also might be as simple as a loose clamp, leaking drain petcock, or a tired hose taht could have been accleeraed by the recent gasket job. Try pinpoint the location of the leak.

[manicmechanix]

OK, it's best to check when engine is hot and coolant is under pressure. The white drain valve on the driver's side feeds through a hole in the bottom radiator support so it usually doesn't leak all over but can leak out the front and all over the place. They can break and/or just leak after they have been opened for draining. Make sure it is pushed in and tightened.

I don't think a reservior hose would leak all down the radiator without it being obvious, but yeah you don't want any hoses leaking. Check the radiator hoses. If you can't find any leaking at the radiator drain valve or hose, then it probably has a radiator leak.

[ChevMali99]

After checking around all the hoses and other possible leak points, the evidence pointed to clamps that were not tightened enough. There was leakage trace from the upper hose (top driver side) from the radiator and from the water pump and radiator (two points on the passenger side). There was no leak from the white drain cap and, since tightening the hoses, wet puddles have been reduced to wet dots. Not good but good enough to ease the mind.

While under the car I noticed that to hoses under the radiator were very oily and rusty... but their points of connection were dry. Still, should these be in some sort of future to do list?