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Coolant question, headgasket, waterpump?

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BostonGST

Proven Member
175
7
Feb 28, 2014
Los Angeles, California
I started driving yesterday and immediately noticed my idle was higher than normal at 1k, puled over and alot of coolant was leaking somewhere around the alternator and belts.

I bought new coolant and refilled the reservoir and coolant system. Turned on the car to burp it
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Was very foamy but after awhile bubbles stopped and it looked good
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Except when the fan turned on the level dropped
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I turned off the car and the levels drop even more
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When I turn the car back on and wait a while it goes back up, starts to burp itself and when the fan turns on again it all repeats

I took off the oil cap and dont think it looks like coolants in there
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Also I cant see anymore coolant leaking near the alternator.

Any ideas what this could be or what to check?
 
Check your water pump's weep holes to see if they are leaking coolant. Often when your pump fails it dumps coolant out of these. I can't say for sure but it sounds like your pump is working intermittently and when it does work after it dumps you are seeing a decrease in coolant levels. Or it may possibly just be your coolant overflowing into your reservoir and then coming back after it boils over. Your water pump is beside your alternator so that is why it seems to be coming from near there. Either way check that pump before you replace anything. Are you noticing higher than normal temperature levels?
 
temp levels are normal, coolant drops when fans kick in and when I turn off the car.

I drove it a couple blocks after it heated up and looked under didnt see any leaks. Is it possible there's air in the system? I'm thinking of putting a funnel in with coolant so when the levels drop it refills without air getting back in...

Is there anyway to check the waterpump? I know its not easy to replace
 
If you burped it then there likely isn't air in the system. It's common for the water pump to leak prior to total failure. The weep holes are there to help vent excess air and fluid as well as to act as a pressure valve. You may just be experiencing the early signs of water pump failure. If your system starts to overheat for no reason then it means your pump is no longer spinning internally. If you get a sudden large dump of fluid from the pump it means the seals inside went out. Depending on the age of your DSM you may be due a water pump. My advice would be to keep an eye on it and the next time you see coolant below the car get a flashlight and look in the little holes behind the pulley for residual coolant. If you are only getting coolant leaks occasionally it is almost certainly your pump as everything else would produce a consistent leak. In the attached picture you will see the two weep holes on my 2G pump. The upper is for air, the lower for fluid. It is normal for the occasional drip, but anything more than a couple drips is often signs of impending failure.
 

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When coolant heats up it expands. Rad cap pops and lets some out. Instead of on the ground, it goes out an overflow hose (near the rad cap) and into a recovery tank (the white bottle). When the engine is shut off, the coolant cools off and retracts. The radiator cap has a little valve in the middle that opens when the cooling system cools off enough to create a vacuum, then it sucks in the previously puked fluid from the recovery tank.

So check the overflow hose for holes. If the hose is bad, it won't suck fluid back in. If it's good, check the rad cap. If it looks like hell, replace it. If that's all good, time to pressure test the system. Go buy/rent a cooling system pressure tester, pump it up and let it sit for however long you can stand it. Check for leaks. If there's a leak it also won't suck fluid back in, it will suck air where it leaks coolant.
 
Sounds like the classic water pump failer bro! Time for a full timing belt job! If u wanna check just get a good flashlight and look. It will leak the most when you turn the car off. While your running its enough pressure to keep the system flowing past the weep hole. But once you turn the car off that flow is gone and the pressure that's built up In the system wants to escape and it does out the weep hole. Anyway I would further inspect and if you see its the pump for sure then get it fixed before you over heat and make things worse. A quick easy test to know for sure would be to get a coolant pressure tester. Fill up the system and watch the water come out the weep hole or hose or gasket which ever it happens to be!
 
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Yes, leaking WP, but not a pump that is rusted/eroded away. My post was more of an overall of the cooling system. Your issues were a bit scattered so I did what I could :)
 
Pressure testing will test the whole systems capability to hold pressure. So wherever the leak is it will leak out when you presurize the system. You may find more than one, but most likely its just your pump. Jnz has a really good deal for a economy timing job its was like $206 for mine comes with gates water pump and everything else you need. Check it out I think extremepsi and STM have them to, but I've been using jnz for my galant build they have everything for it! http://www.jnztuning.com/index.php?cPath=21_31_138
 
So I drove a couple miles then turned the car off to try and cause a leak to see where it's coming from. Couldn't see coolant leaking but did see it dripping on the little bell piece on the oil filter housing, I think it's called the pressure gauge sender? Also overnight there's a puddle of oil under that area, I looked around and to the touch the circled in red part is oily
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Before I go and replace the water pump which I was set on doing, any other ideas for an oil leak here with also a coolant leak around the same area?
 
My guess is good as yours, there's a lot of ways to leak in that area. However I would find a pressure washer and hose it down good. That will help big time in identifying.
 
1. Check your Alternator tension arm bolt. IT is also a waterpump bolt, you can leak form there.
2. YOur coolant level WILL drop once the fans kick on, this means your thermostat opened. Use a bleeder funnel and fill it once the fans kick on. once it is topped off, put the plug in the funnel and install the radiator cap. Fill the overflow as indicated on the side of it, then watch your levels in the overflow and fix the leak.
 
Like NHerron said, it could be a lot of things up there. That whole front case has a bunch of seals that could leak. Your best bet is like said above, clean that area best you can (some kind of degreaser will help before you pressure wash) then start low and follow the leak until you don't see it. You will probably need to take the plastic lower timing cover off. Funny thing with engine leaks is they tend to get thrown everywhere after time. This is the joy of an older car. They just leak after time.
 
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