It's been going on for about three years, and even a good friend of mine who's a mechanic can't figure it out. My car doesn't visibly leak anti-freeze, but I'm having to put in at least 3/4's a jug a month! From what I can see there are no corroded hoses, and there's never a puddle of the stuff under my car either. Why is it doing this?
2007-01-12 05:49:54 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
I did the 'check the tailpipe + pump the gas" thing...and nothing came out. When I had to put more in though (the light turned on inside) I noticed that side of the hood was moist, but not drippy.
2007-01-14 16:46:08 · update #1
If your car has the 3.1 V6 I can guarantee you your lower intake manifold gasket is leaking coolant. They all do. Usually its not huge quantities but I have seen a few bad enough to lose the amount of coolant you are going through. Detecting such a leak is easy. Just look at the V at the top of the engine below the aluminum manifold. Everything is going to be very wet and it may even be puddling on the back side of the engine below the thermostat housing.
A pressure test should reveal the source of any leak. Make sure the radiator cap gets tested too. If its not holding enough pressure you could be losing a substantial amount of coolant as steam - which means you will never see any trace of it. If the cap is original, just replace it anyway! 9 years is a long time for a radiator cap.
2007-01-12 10:14:37 · answer #1 · answered by Naughtums 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Head gasket is leaking. I have a 1997 that used to do the exact same thing. The perfect way to tell, is when you start it, and there's water coming from the tailpipe. Have someone look, or someone to step on the gas a few times. If it sprays out water, get the gasket changed.
3.1L engines are very strong, they'll take alot. But there's only so much one of those engines can take.
2007-01-12 10:39:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of these cars had an intake gasket leak . If it has not been done check there.Check for the oil getting milky.Again that's the intake.Off chance it could be the head gaskets. Do you get a lot of white smoke out the back? that the head gaskets.Or pull the spark plugges look for one or two been white .
2007-01-12 05:58:29 · answer #3 · answered by Rudedude 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Had one. One of the worst vehicles I ever owned. Sorry!
The 3.1 V6 has a horrendous history for head gaskets, intake gaskets and cracked heads. If there are no visible leaks, then I'm sorry, the engine is aspirating and burning the coolant. Expensive repair. Dump the vehicle. This was only one of a multitude of problems with this Chevy.
2007-01-12 06:01:57 · answer #4 · answered by cookinB4U 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Could be a blown head gasket that is just barely leaking.
2007-01-12 05:55:12 · answer #5 · answered by (A) 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋