Coolant Leak
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Coolant Leak
I have a 2000 Bonneville and about a week ago it started leaking coolant. You can see the coolant drip from underneath (you can stand in front of the car and look kinda behind the passenger tire and see it dripping to the ground) the car. It is dripping somewhere on the passenger side of the engine but I cannot tell where. It also is a pretty steady drip, it will almost empty the entire coolant tank in about 8 hours. I'm no mechanic and I'm going to take it in but I would like to have an idea on what it might be and a cost. If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it. Thanx.
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If the coolant is coming from the upper part of teh engine, it may be a LIM gasket leak. If it'* coming from further down and in front it could be the lower radiator hose. more towards teh back of teh car it could be a heater hose or water pump. Can you look around to see where it'* coming from. If you wern't on the other side of the state I would be happy to help you fixt it.
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It looks to me like it is coming from the back of the engine and closer to the bottom of the engine. Also just now when I went out to check where it was coming from I started my car and it now has a very rough idle almost like it'* vibrating and my SES light came on. Could anything to do with the coolant leak cause this (I just had my plugs, plug wires and battery all replaced within the last 6 months)?
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Sounds like a LIM gasket to me. You may have coolant in the oil. Check the oil to see if it'* foamy or milky. That'* something that will need to be fixed. If you have a garage, tools, and soem knowlage you can do it. If not you will have to have a shop do it. See if you can find coolant up near where you intake manifold contacts the head.
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I could be really wrong on the exact spot it is dripping from, but I checked the oil and there isn't any coolant in there and the oil looks normal. I'm not to good with cars so I'm not really sure where to look when you say, see if you can find coolant up near where your intake manifold contacts to the head. So I'm not sure if there is coolant there or not. I really don't have much knowledge about things like this but say it was the LIM gasket do you have any idea what I would be looking at for a price to get something like that fixed?
#6
More than likely, the coolant elbows are leaking. These are plastic 90 degree elbows with O-rings that direct coolant from the intake to the block on the passenger side of the engine. Search this site and you'll find some information on it as it is a very common pain point on these cars.
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Yes, didn't think of that. you should be able to see the heater hoses on the back passanger side. Follow those hoses to the engine. They go to the water pump. Check if it'* leaking there. I will have to see if I have any pictures of this area. If not I''ll try to take one tomorrow.
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This is th ebest I could find for now. See the stainless wire wrapped hose? That'* the heater hose. Find that and follow it to the water pump. Check for leaks around the elbows.
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Kimberly
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