Invisible Coolant Leak
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,586
Likes: 2
From: Bardstown Kentucky
Invisible Coolant Leak
Sometime last week I pulled my car on the lift to find some coolant on the cradle and scattered down the passenger side of the oil pan. I swapped water pumps thinking mine had taken a crap on me. After a week of driving I thought everything was ok, I put it on the lift tonight to inspect it and there is more coolant on it now than before. I have inspected every hose and cant find a leak. Has anyone had a problem similar to this? Any help would be great!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,116
Likes: 0
From: Alhambra Calismognazifornia, in the country everyone comes just to complain but won't go back home!
have any recent service done on it by a shop? possible overfill?
i just had my system flushed at a dealership
and they overfilled, overflow tank waaaay over the full cold line. i was losing coolant for about 2 weeks. everywhere i went i would leave a small puddle and the front of the engine near the water pump was all wet. i was certain it was the pump but then the last few days of seeing any fluid at all it kept getting smaller and smaller. i have kept watching it every day (daily driver) and now it's dry as a bone. only thing i could blame it on was the overfill....
i just had my system flushed at a dealership
and they overfilled, overflow tank waaaay over the full cold line. i was losing coolant for about 2 weeks. everywhere i went i would leave a small puddle and the front of the engine near the water pump was all wet. i was certain it was the pump but then the last few days of seeing any fluid at all it kept getting smaller and smaller. i have kept watching it every day (daily driver) and now it's dry as a bone. only thing i could blame it on was the overfill....
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,586
Likes: 2
From: Bardstown Kentucky
have any recent service done on it by a shop? possible overfill?
i just had my system flushed at a dealership and they overfilled, overflow tank waaaay over the full cold line. i was losing coolant for about 2 weeks. everywhere i went i would leave a small puddle and the front of the engine near the water pump was all wet. i was certain it was the pump but then the last few days of seeing any fluid at all it kept getting smaller and smaller. i have kept watching it every day (daily driver) and now it's dry as a bone. only thing i could blame it on was the overfill....
i just had my system flushed at a dealership
and they overfilled, overflow tank waaaay over the full cold line. i was losing coolant for about 2 weeks. everywhere i went i would leave a small puddle and the front of the engine near the water pump was all wet. i was certain it was the pump but then the last few days of seeing any fluid at all it kept getting smaller and smaller. i have kept watching it every day (daily driver) and now it's dry as a bone. only thing i could blame it on was the overfill....I checked the throttle body bypass hoses. No leaks there either.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,116
Likes: 0
From: Alhambra Calismognazifornia, in the country everyone comes just to complain but won't go back home!
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,586
Likes: 2
From: Bardstown Kentucky
I thought I had located the leak. I pulled the blower back off and yanked the thermostat housing. I put a new seal in there thinking that would fix it, even put a little goop in there for good measure. Still the same thing. Everytime I drive the thing it pees coolant in the engine bay.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Pro
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 734
Likes: 0
From: Bryan Texas
My 97 has a small leak in some kind of restrictor tube that's in one of the lines that goes to the heater core. It's directly under the fill tank. I can't get a replacement from GM. I can't see the leaks from the top, but sure can from the bottom.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,586
Likes: 2
From: Bardstown Kentucky
Can you elaborate on this? What are your plans to fix this? Where do you see the leak from under the car?
Pro
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 734
Likes: 0
From: Bryan Texas
If you lean over the right front fender and look down between the exhaust and the coolant fill tank, you can see the engine cradle.. right below the ac compressor, that's where the water pools after it drips from the restrictor tube.. I'm just going to replace it with a piece of copper pipe or something.. just need to pull it out and go get something the same size.. I think it's 5/8 x 3" or so. Run your hands around all your coolant lines then look at your hands and see if they get wet.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,586
Likes: 2
From: Bardstown Kentucky
If you lean over the right front fender and look down between the exhaust and the coolant fill tank, you can see the engine cradle.. right below the ac compressor, that's where the water pools after it drips from the restrictor tube.. I'm just going to replace it with a piece of copper pipe or something.. just need to pull it out and go get something the same size.. I think it's 5/8 x 3" or so. Run your hands around all your coolant lines then look at your hands and see if they get wet.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 208
Likes: 0
From: Joliet ILLINOIS
I had this happen on one of my cars and I did not know were it was coming from either.....Im telling you get the pump and look around...I found it in ten min......Was an intake manifold gasket......
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,586
Likes: 2
From: Bardstown Kentucky
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 208
Likes: 0
From: Joliet ILLINOIS
I cant remember, I think you could get them at any automotive store that sells mech tools.....It is a hand pump with a gauge.....It is made exactly for this purpose ....Let me know what you find I will also look around for you...
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 208
Likes: 0
From: Joliet ILLINOIS
Just to clarify......You pump your cooling system up with the hand pump threw the coolant tank cap....And then the coolant comes out where the leak is at....Really easy to find if you get this tool.....Unless of course the leak was inside the motor...Thats a whole another story....Hope this helps.....
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,586
Likes: 2
From: Bardstown Kentucky
I went to Autozone to get the pressure tester they had. Well it didnt work, it takes a different coupler, and they didnt have the adapter. So I went home, started the car, turned the fans off and let the baby warm up. It hit 220 and I smelled the leak... I shut the car off to hear a slight hiss. I started searching everywhere, I found it! It was where the car used to have an LS6 intake on it and the person who installed it did a shotty plug on the crossover tube in the front. I yanked the intake off and replaced the plug with a section of hose with a bolt in the end of it. Fixed.... or is it?
I went to drive it today to the tire shop and notice it was getting warmer than usual. It hit 220 and I stopped at my office to see what was up. The hose blew off and leaked all the coolant out. Its all over the back bumper and everything.
A dealer about 1.5 hours from here has the coolant pipe for the front, KYchick03 is going to get it for me. Thanks KYchick!
It was where the car used to have an LS6 intake on it and the person who installed it did a shotty plug on the crossover tube in the front. I yanked the intake off and replaced the plug with a section of hose with a bolt in the end of it. Fixed.... or is it?I went to drive it today to the tire shop and notice it was getting warmer than usual. It hit 220 and I stopped at my office to see what was up. The hose blew off and leaked all the coolant out. Its all over the back bumper and everything.
A dealer about 1.5 hours from here has the coolant pipe for the front, KYchick03 is going to get it for me. Thanks KYchick!
