Very good point
coolant leak
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Intermediate
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coolant leak
After returning from a 15 mile ride on a 92 degree day i have a puddle of coolant on my garage floor. Speeds during the trip ranged from 55 to 35 mph. (1996 41,000 mi.) The resivour is full and the leak has stopped. What am i looking for here? This has never happened before although this is the first time that the car has been on the road when it has been this hot.
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Intermediate
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 8,172
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From: Eugene Oregon
I believe in the Beer Fairy
St. Jude Donor '15,'19
My first symptom was the smell of coolant, I looked all over the top of the engine and couldn't find the leak until I went under the car and spotted it coming from what looked like the weep hole, cant really tell until you remove it. It was a bad bearing in the back of the water pump.
Once you know there is a coolant leak from the pump you should remove the pump as soon as possible so you lessen the risk of water dumping onto your opti, and in my case once I removed the pump I replaced the Pump, Opti, plugs, wires, Idler pulley, Tensioner pulley, Water pump drive shaft seal, Opti seal, Serpentine belt, You may not need all these items replaced but once your in there its a good idea to just do it, I recommend you evaluate your Opti condition and not just replace it. Mine was in bad shape and needed replacment. the rest of the parts are fairly cheap. The one thing I should have done is to take the radiator out and clean it when I was in there. Let me know if you need a seal tool when you replace your seals I sell them here on the forum. Here is a good write up by another forum member that helped a great deal.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...-pictures.html
Once you know there is a coolant leak from the pump you should remove the pump as soon as possible so you lessen the risk of water dumping onto your opti, and in my case once I removed the pump I replaced the Pump, Opti, plugs, wires, Idler pulley, Tensioner pulley, Water pump drive shaft seal, Opti seal, Serpentine belt, You may not need all these items replaced but once your in there its a good idea to just do it, I recommend you evaluate your Opti condition and not just replace it. Mine was in bad shape and needed replacment. the rest of the parts are fairly cheap. The one thing I should have done is to take the radiator out and clean it when I was in there. Let me know if you need a seal tool when you replace your seals I sell them here on the forum. Here is a good write up by another forum member that helped a great deal.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...-pictures.html
Last edited by higgyburners; Sep 3, 2011 at 01:22 PM.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 44
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My first symptom was the smell of coolant, I looked all over the top of the engine and couldn't find the leak until I went under the car and spotted it coming from what looked like the weep hole, cant really tell until you remove it. It was a bad bearing in the back of the water pump.
Once you know there is a coolant leak from the pump you should remove the pump as soon as possible so you lessen the risk of water dumping onto your opti, and in my case once I removed the pump I replaced the Pump, Opti, plugs, wires, Idler pulley, Tensioner pulley, Water pump drive shaft seal, Opti seal, Serpentine belt, You may not need all these items replaced but once your in there its a good idea to just do it, I recommend you evaluate your Opti condition and not just replace it. Mine was in bad shape and needed replacment. the rest of the parts are fairly cheap. The one thing I should have done is to take the radiator out and clean it when I was in there. Let me know if you need a seal tool when you replace your seals I sell them here on the forum. Here is a good write up by another forum member that helped a great deal.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...-pictures.html
Once you know there is a coolant leak from the pump you should remove the pump as soon as possible so you lessen the risk of water dumping onto your opti, and in my case once I removed the pump I replaced the Pump, Opti, plugs, wires, Idler pulley, Tensioner pulley, Water pump drive shaft seal, Opti seal, Serpentine belt, You may not need all these items replaced but once your in there its a good idea to just do it, I recommend you evaluate your Opti condition and not just replace it. Mine was in bad shape and needed replacment. the rest of the parts are fairly cheap. The one thing I should have done is to take the radiator out and clean it when I was in there. Let me know if you need a seal tool when you replace your seals I sell them here on the forum. Here is a good write up by another forum member that helped a great deal.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...-pictures.html
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,030
Likes: 10
From: Edmonton, Alberta
Just to ask the obvious before you go too far. Are you sure it was antifreeze? It could have been water from your air conditioner, since you say it was hot. Mine will pour water out on days like you mentioned
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Verdad Gallardo
Southern Piedmont Area
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 573
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From: North Carolina
Originally Posted by Sweet 90
Just to ask the obvious before you go too far. Are you sure it was antifreeze? It could have been water from your air conditioner, since you say it was hot. Mine will pour water out on days like you mentioned.
I was going to suggest the same thing Jim about checking the obvious first.
The first time I drove my '96 on a hot day with the air conditioner on during the drive, I thought I was leaking some coolant onto my driveway when I got home, then I realized it was just condensation going onto the ground from the air conditioner.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,030
Likes: 10
From: Edmonton, Alberta
I was going to suggest the same thing Jim about checking the obvious first.
The first time I drove my '96 on a hot day with the air conditioner on during the drive, I thought I was leaking some coolant onto my driveway when I got home, then I realized it was just condensation going onto the ground from the air conditioner.
The first time I drove my '96 on a hot day with the air conditioner on during the drive, I thought I was leaking some coolant onto my driveway when I got home, then I realized it was just condensation going onto the ground from the air conditioner.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2011
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i dont use the ac, i love to have the windows down and let the breeze come in. thats the advantage of a fast car, a lot of breeze can come in quickly. but i am sure it was antifreeze..i had a brilliant orange color on the floor. i live in pittsburgh and its been raining for 3 straight days so the car wont go to the mechanic until the sun shines, probably on thursday. i will let you know what the monetary damage will be for this repair.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
My first symptom was the smell of coolant, I looked all over the top of the engine and couldn't find the leak until I went under the car and spotted it coming from what looked like the weep hole, cant really tell until you remove it. It was a bad bearing in the back of the water pump.
Once you know there is a coolant leak from the pump you should remove the pump as soon as possible so you lessen the risk of water dumping onto your opti, and in my case once I removed the pump I replaced the Pump, Opti, plugs, wires, Idler pulley, Tensioner pulley, Water pump drive shaft seal, Opti seal, Serpentine belt, You may not need all these items replaced but once your in there its a good idea to just do it, I recommend you evaluate your Opti condition and not just replace it. Mine was in bad shape and needed replacment. the rest of the parts are fairly cheap. The one thing I should have done is to take the radiator out and clean it when I was in there. Let me know if you need a seal tool when you replace your seals I sell them here on the forum. Here is a good write up by another forum member that helped a great deal.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...-pictures.html
Once you know there is a coolant leak from the pump you should remove the pump as soon as possible so you lessen the risk of water dumping onto your opti, and in my case once I removed the pump I replaced the Pump, Opti, plugs, wires, Idler pulley, Tensioner pulley, Water pump drive shaft seal, Opti seal, Serpentine belt, You may not need all these items replaced but once your in there its a good idea to just do it, I recommend you evaluate your Opti condition and not just replace it. Mine was in bad shape and needed replacment. the rest of the parts are fairly cheap. The one thing I should have done is to take the radiator out and clean it when I was in there. Let me know if you need a seal tool when you replace your seals I sell them here on the forum. Here is a good write up by another forum member that helped a great deal.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...-pictures.html
a mistake that i paid for.
