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Leaking Coolant 2001 Grand Prix

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eric37428

New member
2001 Grand Prix 3800
To give you some perspective of what you're looking at the coolant tank is on the left and the hose leaking (in red) is against the passenger side wall underneath the alternator which is on the bottom right of the picture. The hose has one of those plastic coverings over it. I have more pictures if this doesn't help. It runs from underneath the reservoir to somewhere into the fire wall.

What hose is this? I've tried searching for hours but to no avail. Its not a heater core hose as those are the 2 above it (correct me if im wrong). I dont want to spend $100 to fix a $10 part.
IMG_0205.jpg
 


Hmm, are you 100% certain. I just filled my coolant about 6 weeks ago and its low. When I drive it smells like antifreeze.
 
Are you sure that it's that hose, and not one of your coolant elbows?? Check again carefully. They are the plastic pieces right underneath the tensioner housing.
 
I just replaced the elbows a couple months ago. And I did check them again. When its light outside i will triple check them i guess. Its hard to see down that far but whatever is leaking is coming from or touching that hose. If you look to the bottom left of the area i circled you can see theres a wet spot on what looks like a large bendable hose with the ridges in it. That's whats getting dripped on
 


X2 on the elbows, there are 2 of them. the upper one and the lower one. you need to remove the alt bracket to replace them, new elbows cost 5 bucks at the parts store.

if you follow the outer heater hose to the alt bracket, and then follow the pipe it turns into the timing cover, stick your hand in there to see if its wet. when the cars cool and off.

http://www.grandprixforums.net/coolant-leak-62995.html
 
If no one else has any ideas I guess ill look again in the morning. To be honest I was confused because that hose isn't in any coolant diagram I looked at, so I didnt know if that was actually it. If its the ****in elbow ill punch my mechanic in the face. When they first cracked I knew what I had to replace but I didn't have the time or know how to remove everything. He replaced both of them and charged ~$150 because of labor. When I could have spent 4 hours and $10 in parts.

Side question: I want to sea foam my engine. Does the brake booster line feed all cylinders? And will that clean the throttle body or do I have to manually do that? Ill start another thread if no one answers.
 
That hose in your picture is a power steering line. Coolant elbows take less than a hour to change and are only $4. If they are leaking try a little bit of rtv on it to see if it seals up better. To seafoam your engine pull the brake booster line and pour the seafoam into the vacuum line it'll clean it out. To clean the tb you'll have to pull your tb off and scrub it up really good.
 
the best way to clean the TB is to take it off and clean it, or at least use a old tooth brush and a rag to get past the blade. if your maf is inside the TB remove it before you clean it. you can use carb and choke cleaner or throttle body cleaner.

i just dumped my seafoam in the brake booster vac hose.

that hose in your pic maybe a/c related and what you saw was sweat from the line? but that would be clear fluid. aka water.
 
is there 2 coolant elbows on all of our cars? i just replaced my upper elbow for the second time yesterday i never seen a lower elbow i have a 97
 


us older alt bracket guys can steal the O ring off the new extra elbow for the metal elbow on the alt bracket. thats what i did anyways.
 
gtpeddie said:
is there 2 coolant elbows on all of our cars? i just replaced my upper elbow for the second time yesterday i never seen a lower elbow i have a 97
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i bet your O ring is leaking on the lower metal elbow.

you un bolt it, and wiggle the alt bracket side to side while pulling it towards the fender. dont pull on it like a ape or you'll brake the timing cover. i spent a good 5 minutes wiggling it off.
 
scottydoggs said:
i bet your O ring is leaking on the lower metal elbow.

you un bolt it, and wiggle the alt bracket side to side while pulling it towards the fender. dont pull on it like a ape or you'll brake the timing cover. i spent a good 5 minutes wiggling it off.
Click to expand...

lol no mine is fine i was just wondering, and i know i had that whole thing apart last night. that's what i was wondering i didn't know they were metal on 97 and what ever other year.
 
Sorry for all the upcoming questions but I've never done this before:

Ok so if the bottom elbow is leaking whats the fastest/easiest way to get to it? From what I know u remove the reservoir, loosen the alternator then wiggle it off? The mechanic put some kind of blue sealant on the elbows. I want to do this quickly with minimal hassle. From your guys past experience will the elbows come right out, do i need to dissolve the sealant? Can I remove the bottom elbow without removing the top? Do I need to remove the belt? Are special tools needed for any of this besides a socket wrench.

Link a good step by step guide anywhere with pics?
 


Your biggest thing will be cleaning the RTV off.

Before you jump in. I didn't read that you were able to confirm it.
Run your hand behind those two large coolant hoses in the picture. Right where they hook to the alternator bracket and just below the black pieces where the clamps attach. Those black fittings have o-rings as well and with being moved around for the coolant elbows, they can also have been disturbed and leak.

Make sure the water pump, coolant elbows etc aren't leaking. This may facilitate buying a mechanics mirror from the parts store/Sears. it's amazing what one can do with a mechanics mirror and stethescope.
 
Well I looked again and I noticed the top elbow was leaking, couldn't really see the bottom. Maybe it was getting sprayed onto that hose and dripping down so it looked like it was leaking. Im going to replace them tomorrow or maybe just reseal it. Do I need to drain the whole system of coolant first, or can I remove the elbows with just a little bit leaking out? Also I know some people said RTV but whats the best way to ensure a sealed fit. The mechanic replaced the o rings and put sealant on it and it looked like he did a great job but it still leaked. Should I silicone the inside & outside of o-rings, will putting it on the ring disturb the tight seal its supposed to create?
 
you should NEVER drain any coolant onto the ground, thats just me though, and im an animal lover, and animals are attracted to the sweet smell. but, you shouldnt have to drain that much. mabye a gallon should be good i would think. and you want to make sure that you clean the hole out very well to ensure that any remnants of the old orings or rtv arent in there. im pretty sure that skimping on that is what causes most per-mature leaks. and rtv is always good to use on any part of the cooling system.
 
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