Pouring coolant out...

[Toomuchskillz]

Ok here the problem:

I have had my 1999 2G RS for 4 years now, and havent had any serious problems. I recently turned 103,000 miles and it seemingly all went downhill. I noticed a consistent squealing sound coming from my engine while driving, so i swapped belts. The old belts were on the way out, so i figured that was the issue. Well, the belts did fix the constant squal, but now it squeales when i am turning the wheel. So i figured it was the belt that drives the water pump, which drives the power steering pump right? Well over the next few days, the squealing went away. I assumed the belt might have been too tight and finally stretched slightly and is in the correct tension. Well, being in Michigan, it is beginning to get cold and I noticed my defroster was taking a really long time heat up. I went to leave school tonight, and it was pretty cold outside. I let the car warm up, and still the defroster blew cold air. Well, i backed the car up and popped the hood. The engine is smoking from the left side (if you are looking at the motor from the hood). I also noticed a huge puddle of coolant on the ground where i was previously idling. What failed? A friend of mine said it could be a cracked head, but i am truely hoping otherwise. Any help?? Thanks all!!!

 

[chuckg]

Check all the coolant hoses. I had a similar problem, huge coolant leak that i couldn't find, and it ended up being a hose to the heater core that had busted.

 

[Toomuchskillz]

True newbie question here: Where is the heater core located? Could my thermostat be in need of replacing since it claimed normal operating temperature after a good 15-20 min of idling and still blew cold air? Thanks!

 

[luv2rallye]

Your cold air is probably a bad thermostat (or lack of coolant). The rest with the squeel and now the puddle sounds like it could be your water pump (if not a broken hose). Place the end of a long screwdriver on the pump and other end against your ear and see if you hear grinding while engine is running. If no grinding and can't visually find the leak (wiggle hoses), have the cooling system pressurized (you can rent one or buy one at Sears or any auto store) while engine is off and the leak will come squirting out. A blown head gasket due to coolant typically blows white smoke out tailpipe due to coolant getting into a cylinder. You can always do a compression test to verify a blown head gasket.

 

[MilwaukeeGSX]

^ water pump.... sounds all to familiar