Radiator Pressure Relief
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,273
Likes: 14
From: Austin TX
Radiator Pressure Relief
My 99 has bee losing coolant. I have no drips in the garage so I must be leaving it on the road.
Can someone tell me where the pressure relief/overflow vent is. Perhaps that's the culprit.
Thanks
Can someone tell me where the pressure relief/overflow vent is. Perhaps that's the culprit.
Thanks
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 22,025
Likes: 192
From: At the beach in little Rhody
One other place may be the o-rings on the steam tubes. Can you smell it? I had a coolant loss issue on an old Chrysler and didn't find it until the headlight went. I drove home from the store with the new headlight and with the hood open I could smell it and finally tracked it down.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2,507
Likes: 9
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,273
Likes: 14
From: Austin TX
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,273
Likes: 14
From: Austin TX
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,341
Likes: 8
From: Hopatcong New Jersey
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,835
Likes: 302
From: Columbia SC
I suggest you drive it till it is up to temperature, pull over and look to see if you are getting a puddle. I think it is most likely the water pump. But the leak location should be evident if it is external.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,273
Likes: 14
From: Austin TX
If you examine the area around the water pump you should be able to see coolant stains to verify that is the issue. While leaking coolant will evaporate on a hot engine while driving, it also leaves stains that indicate what is happening. You should be able to see this from the top but might be a bit easier if the front of the car were in the air so you could look from the bottom.
Quoted price is about right depending upon your area and dealer vs independant garage. You will need a new pump, thermostat cover, gasket for the cover and thermostat. The older OEM style pump is no longer available and the replacement does NOT come with the cover for the thermostat, cover gasket or the new thermostat. Old cover does NOT work with the new pump.
You should be able to buy the parts for less than $150 and save significant $$$ if you are mechanically inclined.
Quoted price is about right depending upon your area and dealer vs independant garage. You will need a new pump, thermostat cover, gasket for the cover and thermostat. The older OEM style pump is no longer available and the replacement does NOT come with the cover for the thermostat, cover gasket or the new thermostat. Old cover does NOT work with the new pump.
You should be able to buy the parts for less than $150 and save significant $$$ if you are mechanically inclined.
With the mileage on the engine (65k or so), should I preemptively replace alternator, PS pump, seep belt, tension roller, etc?
It's my DD and I intend to keep it for several years.
Thanks again.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,341
Likes: 8
From: Hopatcong New Jersey
As for the belts, if they're old I'd replace them since they're cheap enough and while the belt is off you can give the tensioner and idler pulleys a spin and check the condition of the bearings.
Edit: 8VETTE7 got it in before me by just a few seconds >_< haha
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,273
Likes: 14
From: Austin TX
If you examine the area around the water pump you should be able to see coolant stains to verify that is the issue. While leaking coolant will evaporate on a hot engine while driving, it also leaves stains that indicate what is happening. You should be able to see this from the top but might be a bit easier if the front of the car were in the air so you could look from the bottom.
Quoted price is about right depending upon your area and dealer vs independant garage. You will need a new pump, thermostat cover, gasket for the cover and thermostat. The older OEM style pump is no longer available and the replacement does NOT come with the cover for the thermostat, cover gasket or the new thermostat. Old cover does NOT work with the new pump.
You should be able to buy the parts for less than $150 and save significant $$$ if you are mechanically inclined.
Quoted price is about right depending upon your area and dealer vs independant garage. You will need a new pump, thermostat cover, gasket for the cover and thermostat. The older OEM style pump is no longer available and the replacement does NOT come with the cover for the thermostat, cover gasket or the new thermostat. Old cover does NOT work with the new pump.
You should be able to buy the parts for less than $150 and save significant $$$ if you are mechanically inclined.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,273
Likes: 14
From: Austin TX
You said your C5 is a DD. I would use the factory thermostat which I thought was about 187. Running a colder thermostat like a 160 or 170 serves no purpose unless you have the turn on/off temps of the cooling fans reprogrammed down to a lower temp. Plus if you drive the car in cold weather you won't get the engine temp high enough to provide you heat or to burn off condensation that may form in the oil with a 160.