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coolant leak

C

cheesewhiz

New member
98 grand prix 3800 natural .. it appears coolant is leaking from this plastic tube on the passenger side firewall in the engine compartment, just started couple of months ago now getting worse it is coolant .. checked heater hoses into driver side firewall, dry. No coolant smell or fogged windows on inside so can the heater core be leaking coolant out this tube .... i have checked the usual leakers and it is not, the mat on the firewall is wet .. it has to be coming from this tube, but how??
 


Two months? Please smack yourself for us. :(

It's called a coolant elbow. Stop by your local parts place and have them lookup a Dorman 47065. Usually about $4 for the pair of elbows. Depending on your year you need both or an o-ring off the second. To swap it out you remove the alternator and it's tensioner. Wiggle and the tensioner assembly will come off. Clean the holes out with steel wool, lube the o-rings on the new elbows with oil or vasoline..whatever is laying around. Bolt it back up and smile when you don't have a leak.

If you get another leak..check your radiator cap for the proper pressurization.
 
anyone got a pic of what it looks like? not the elbow but where it goes...
 
Last edited:
Skeeve said:
anyone got a pic of what it looks like? not the elbow but where it goes...
Click to expand...

If you don't know where this is located then how can you X2 that this is the part that is leaking? You need to step back a moment and find the leak on your car. Then, you take a picture and ask us which parts are needed to fix it. I'd suggest starting a new thread on your own for your issue, to be respectful of the OP with the hand print on his forehead.
 
well, the leak im speaking of is on the actual firewall, i dont see where a plastic elbow would make a diff... unless im completely missing a hose? in which case i have a bigger problem... i can only see where the leak is coming from if im under the car, which makes it extremely difficult to take a picture with my phone.
 


Nope, it is on the firewall, like the other poster said .. from what i have read before this is some kinda drain for the AC or rainwater or something .. the thing is if my heater core is leaking in the car can it communicate to this drain tube .. that is where the water is coming .. i know where that elbow is and it is right above the water pump, that is not it
 
Then you guys got different issues than I'm thinking of.

If that's the heater box drain tube, then it shouldn't leak coolant. If coolant leaks out of the firewall you either have a bad heater core or a bad heater hose at the connection to the heater core.
 
Thanks Bill, so this tube in the firewall is the "heater box drain" and its function is to drain AC condensation and rainwater from cowl vents? .... how big of a job is it to replace the heater core? It is nice they have this drain and my interior isn't full of antifreeze
 


the problem is you can't even see it, i reached down the firewall and felt it with my hand, i think there is supposed to be an elbow connected to it which points down, my elbow is missing. I have read that this drain gets plugged and people hear sloshing of water coming from under the dash and the solution is to unclog this drain. I was hoping someone would tell me yes this drain does communicate to the heater core and if the heater core leaks it should leak out this drain and not in my interior ... fromthe reading i have done i beleive this to be true as i can not come up with any other reason why coolant leaks out this tube
 
and you're absolutely sure its coolant? mine gushes a lot of liquid whether my ac or anything is running, as long as the car is on i have liquid gushing out.
 
Ok..easy test.

Warm the car up and put the defroster on full blast. Is your windshield covered in sweet smelling coolant goop?
 
as i have said before no coolant smell or windows fogged .. and it is for sure coolant as my radiator is low and the stuff doesn't evaporate off the ground and it is coming from this tube ... my theory is my heater core has very small leak, and it only leaks when heat is on or was on, and the coolant runs out this tube before or the leak isn't big enough for the fan to blow the coolant smell or fog the windows .. iam sure this might get worse in the future ... i might try some stop leak introduced just before the heater core ... i wish i knew how this drain tube interfaced with the heater box
 
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