Coolant leak - Source identification

G

Gull81

New member
Hey all - noticed a leak about a week ago, now trying to find the source. I think I have a hunch it will be somewhere very inconvenient. I moved cities (Greensboro, NC) and no longer have a mechanic - especially one I would want a big job. If anyone knows a mechanic in the area, that would be awesome as a big repair like the water pump is outside my wheelhouse currently.

Leak is on the front left of the engine it seems, dripping down off both skid plates. Difficult for me to see where because of the timing belt shroud.

Trying to get images upload and working currently


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- Two days parked

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2TH4IST said:
More then likley the water pump, or thermostat outlet leaking.
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Water pump replacement overdue which I am fearing. I have replaced the thermostat myself four years ago - maybe I need to revisit that.

Would I be able to tell the source if I drop the skid plate or does the shroud need to come off ?
 
I agree that's the water pump area / thermostat neck or the lines going to the oil cooler. As the dripping the back makes it more confusing to pinpoint.
 
Gull81 said:
Would I be able to tell the source if I drop the skid plate or does the shroud need to come off ?
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The water pump is hidden behind the timing belt cover, so actually easier to see from above - but you have to remove (or at least loosen) the timing cover.

-Charlie
 
I will go ahead and pull the timing belt cover and take a peak.

I removed the skid plate but couldn't find the source. I could see coolant had come off the front underneath the thermostat area, but doesn't appear to originate from there.

Oddly enough - I drove the car to the gas station - about 3 min away, and while getting gas, I lost a significant amount of coolant. It was actively dripping.

I noticed I had the heater set all the way to hot, and changed it back to cool, wondering if the leak had something to do with that. I drove about 15 min after that, and parked. Didn't drip at all.
 
Check the coolant level in the radiator (when it's cold) might be out of coolant. I'd say fill it up and pressure test it to see where the active leak is. That will help you a ton. Maybe you can rent the tool from a parts store chain.
 
Took it to the mechanic today - they said they would take look for me. Took the car and pressure tested it and charged me $60 before I knew they had it on the jacks. Anyways, They said it is the water pump. I figured it was as much but I never was able to confirm even when I pulled the timing belt cover back.

Quoted me 1500 for parts and labor. I have another guy I can take parts to, and he will do labor, waiting on a quote from him. I would imagine 500-650 range for labor?

I see the air cabin man kit is the preferred kit - about $380 now, is that still the best value or is that info out of date?

I would do it myself, but some of the tools I just don't have - and time has been very scarce. If there is anyone in the Greensboro area who wants to turn some wrenches or any mechanics you know / recommend shoot me a message. Otherwise, I will just call up some local shops and see who I can find to do the labor.
 
Gull81 said:
Took it to the mechanic today - they said they would take look for me. Took the car and pressure tested it and charged me $60 before I knew they had it on the jacks. Anyways, They said it is the water pump. I figured it was as much but I never was able to confirm even when I pulled the timing belt cover back.

Quoted me 1500 for parts and labor. I have another guy I can take parts to, and he will do labor, waiting on a quote from him. I would imagine 500-650 range for labor?

I see the air cabin man kit is the preferred kit - about $380 now, is that still the best value or is that info out of date?

I would do it myself, but some of the tools I just don't have - and time has been very scarce. If there is anyone in the Greensboro area who wants to turn some wrenches or any mechanics you know / recommend shoot me a message. Otherwise, I will just call up some local shops and see who I can find to do the labor.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty skeptical of Ebay. I'd get the Aisin kit off Amazon. I recommend new radiator hoses and a radiator if it is original too. The get removed when you do the TB/WP anyway.
 
Gull81 said:
Took it to the mechanic today - they said they would take look for me. Took the car and pressure tested it and charged me $60 before I knew they had it on the jacks. Anyways, They said it is the water pump. I figured it was as much but I never was able to confirm even when I pulled the timing belt cover back.

Quoted me 1500 for parts and labor. I have another guy I can take parts to, and he will do labor, waiting on a quote from him. I would imagine 500-650 range for labor?

I see the air cabin man kit is the preferred kit - about $380 now, is that still the best value or is that info out of date?

I would do it myself, but some of the tools I just don't have - and time has been very scarce. If there is anyone in the Greensboro area who wants to turn some wrenches or any mechanics you know / recommend shoot me a message. Otherwise, I will just call up some local shops and see who I can find to do the labor.
Click to expand...

If you have a spare vehicle that you can drive while you slowly work towards the completion of the job, I highly recommend you do it and save money. The money you save will pay for the tools you need which you can use in the future. Tools are an investment. Also, the knowledge you gain about your engine doing this job yourself is invaluable and will boost your confidence to tackle other jobs on your rig.

The aircabinman kit is still a great way to go. I haven't heard of one person complain about it.

I recommend you watch both my videos on this subject before tackling it.

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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mErd7xoBS9I?si=utFwOffWuvdjIerZ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
T4R2014 said:
I'm pretty skeptical of Ebay. I'd get the Aisin kit off Amazon. I recommend new radiator hoses and a radiator if it is original too. The get removed when you do the TB/WP anyway.
Click to expand...
Aisin kit is good, though I'd get it from RockAuto or a local parts retailer...

-Charlie
 
I went ahead and got the air cabin man kit and a spare old style crank bolt from octoyotaparts (hope they are legit). I'm going to gather the tools slowly and try and knock it out in a day, but I will have an extra couple days that I won't need to drive if needed.

Timmy thanks for the videos - I have been memorizing them for this job haha.
 
phattyduck said:
Aisin kit is good, though I'd get it from RockAuto or a local parts retailer...

-Charlie
Click to expand...

Agreed, Amazon sells a lot of crap now and covers up shady sellers. Pretty sure I got some bogus NGK plugs direct from Amazon. Only lasted 5k before getting major misfires.
 
Gull81 said:
I went ahead and got the air cabin man kit and a spare old style crank bolt from octoyotaparts (hope they are legit).
Click to expand...
I'd generally trust 'odd' parts that you would find on eBay - I don't see why a knock-off crank bolt would exist and be sold as real. Spark plugs and other regular maintenance items - be VERY wary...

-Charlie
 
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