well the other day i was going to show my friend about a possible oil leak and i reved the engine a bit to get it to heat up then all of a sudden my whole enging was smoking i went and looked under the car and i had coolant gushing all over the place, it wasnt coming from the front of the car more like the passenger side near the rear of the Engine after looking for what seems like hours i cannot seem to locate it,however i dont have anything but a jack to lift the car up with and knowing that isnt safe wasnt risking it. i am not tooo well off with money atm just having a son and all so wanna do the repair myself i know its a hose b/c of how much coolant i lost within a few short seconds and was wondering if someone could give a few tips on locating the hose and some repair advice, as this is my first car and i am not very savy with this stuff.
Thanks Chris
2007-08-17 13:22:16 · 4 answers · asked by Chris E 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
When you were looking for the leak, were you using a flash light or something? You should have been. Go to the store and get 5 gallons of distilled water and a funnel. Invite a friend over. Have your buddy fill the system up again, using the funnel. You should be watching for leaks, with a bright light in hand. If you can't see the leak, then pinch, twist and pull those heater hoses. They are about 5/8" in diameter, give or take. (If you really want to know exactly what they look like, go to the parts store and ask if they have any in stock. Its free to look. That's an old car though, and i reckon they won't be in stock.)
If you do not find the leak, put the radiator cap back on and start the car. Turn the heater on hot- full blast. Stand on the side of the car that permits you to best view the area between the engine and the "fire" wall. As the water pressure slowly builds, the leak should start to trickle, or spray if you're lucky. Be patient. Do not rev the thing again, for crying out loud. Have your friend keep a careful watch on the temperature guage, making sure it does not go past the center point of the scale. If it does, shut it off and let it cool.
If your heater core cut loose as fordman suggested, you may find some wetness inside the car as well, but not necessarily; and the leak on the engine side should be glaringly obvious. I cannot describe the heater core to you, ask for that at the parts store, too. (Go to your local MAIN library and ask about borrowing a Haynes or Chilton's brand repair manual. You'll need one for that repair. If they do not have the manual you need, ask if they can do an inner library loan, and ship it in from another library to borrow.)
Worst case scenario is the freeze plug thing. Drive your car up onto the curb, then you'll have lots of room under there.
(Try to 'ramp up' though, ok? Nice and easy, so you don't ruin your cars' alignment. Do not ever get under a car with one of those cheapo scissor jacks holding it up. EVER.)
Freeze plugs look like little metal petri dishes - remember in biology class - and they are stuck in the sides of engines during manufacture. Look for water coming directly out of your engine block. Look into putting your car on craigslist as a parts car.
If the leak proves to be a hose, remove it and take it with you to the parts store. Compare it closely to the one you're gonna buy. Make sure you reconstitute your engine with a 50/50 antifreeze solution...have fun.
2007-08-17 15:49:37 · answer #1 · answered by doogie.land 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All you should need is pliers or a flat-head screwdriver to loosen the clamps. The hose will be located on the bottom of the radiator and leads to the water pump on the front of the engine.
Its a good idea to replace the clamps when replacing the hose. Also make sure you put coolant back into the radiator to prevent overheating.
Good luck!
2007-08-17 13:31:05 · answer #2 · answered by dcc2n 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chris,
Congratulations on the birth of your son.
Your problem may not be a hose but a freeze out plug instead. The price of the plug is pennies, but the trick is to put it in. Some are easy and some are hard. So who can say. Have a mechanic or a friend look at and see what you can determine. It could also be the heater core let go. good luck and I hope it is a hose. Like a heater hose
2007-08-17 13:29:02 · answer #3 · answered by Fordman 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A radiator hose shouldn't cost too much and they aren't that difficult to replace so I think you will be all right.
2007-08-17 13:30:44 · answer #4 · answered by gregoryb96 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋