Radiator fluid leak and can't find out where

dbailey · 08-06-2011, 08:15 PM

Well I'm befuddled!

My 2000 Alero 3.4 with 200,000+ on her sprung a leak. I could have sworn it was the water pump laying down and just went ahead and changed it. NOT!

After a closer examination, it looks like it is dripping off of the block between the crank pulley and the a/c pulley but closer to the a/c pulley. And it leaks pretty bad. Yesterday I pull up in the driveway and quite a bit leaked out. Just filled the reservoir back up after the pump change and it started dripping out almost immediately. Anybody ever experience anything like this in this area before? Can't imagine where it is coming from. Any ideas/experience sharing will be greatly appreciated gents. Thanks.

dbailey · 08-06-2011, 09:30 PM

Additional info. I think I recall somebody once telling me that they had a similar leak and had chased it to an o-ring that apparently goes around the timing chain cover where the engine routes the radiator fluid as part of the cooling system. Sound familiar to anybody? If so, how difficult to do-it-yourself? Thanks again.

a.graham52 · 08-07-2011, 09:12 AM

use an inspection mirror and a small flash light and see if you can trace it.

dbailey · 08-07-2011, 03:06 PM

Got a mirror and tried looking around but couldn't find anything from the top. Very limited areas that you can get to with a mirror. One thing I'm fairly certain of is that its not coming from the intake manifold gasket because it looks pretty dry where it bolts to the head at least at the points I could see. The problem with checking from under it is you have to jack it up to get under it and with the fluid dripping while its running, I don't think that is an option to lay there without getting soaked with radiator fluid unless someone can suggest a better way.

a.graham52 · 08-07-2011, 03:19 PM

maybe try and remove your inner fender and snap a pic with a digital camera and see if that can help determin your problem. none of yoru hoses are cracked are they? how aobut spring clamps. i had to replace 3 spring clamps because once i removed them they no longer sealed up.

dbailey · 08-07-2011, 03:27 PM

Ran my hand around all of the hoses on that side and there was no evidence of fluid. I really thought it was that darn water pump which is why is jumped so quick to replace it based on where it was dripping from and I could have sworn that when I ran my hand right under it I felt fluid. Talk about a bummer when I replaced it and it still was leaking! But if you have the 3.4, you can look down below the water pump and right between the crank pulley and a/c pulley closer to the a/c pulley is where the fluid drips off of the block. That's seems to be in the area where the timing chain cover would be I think. Anybody know for sure that's maybe had yours out and can say exactly where the timing chain cover is located on the 3.4?

a.graham52 · 08-07-2011, 03:37 PM

i replaced the water pump on mine and the first time i tightned all the bolts and slammed the hood. what i didnt know was the pump wasnt flat on the black and that left a couple of bolts loose after tightening them all up. if you pull off your belt and pulley you can check how tight the bolts are again and it will also give you a better look at the leak

dbailey · 08-07-2011, 03:42 PM

Good idea. I tightened the bolts in a crisscross manner like lugs nuts and made triple sure I got them all tight. May go back out there and pull that pulley though to get a better look. Thanks for the suggestion dude.

a.graham52 · 08-07-2011, 03:44 PM

u cleaned the gasket surface on the block of all gasket material correct?

dbailey · 08-07-2011, 03:50 PM

Cleaned it real good with a razor blade and double checked it to make sure it was good and clean. Put the RTV gasket goo that came with the pump on both sides of the gasket too to make sure it sealed real good. One odd thing that kinda struck me though was the weep hole on the new one wound up being on top and I always thought they should be on bottom but the bolt holes wouldn't line up exactly unless the weep hole was on top. My old one didn't have a weep hole at all.

a.graham52 · 08-07-2011, 03:59 PM

did your new one have two weep holes? im pretty sure mine did.

dbailey · 08-07-2011, 04:01 PM

Naw I didn't see any weep holes in it at all. Surprised me for sure.

a.graham52 · 08-07-2011, 04:02 PM

i was talking about the new one lol. but i suppose it doesnt matter too too much about where the hole is. once it fills up it will still leak out.

dbailey · 08-07-2011, 04:06 PM

As far as I can recall there was only 1 hole which is what made it seem so weird that it only had 1 and it wound up on top.

dbailey · 08-07-2011, 04:56 PM

If I take the water pump pulley off after I take the belt off, would it hurt to start the engine and let it run for a minute or two to see if I can tell where the leak is coming from????

a.graham52 · 08-07-2011, 04:59 PM

if the engine is COLD you shoudl have a LITTLE time to safely run the engine without hurting anything. but no longer then 1 minute at the MOST. run it as little as possible.

dbailey · 08-07-2011, 05:13 PM

Thanks man. I liked your idea of getting that pulley out of the way to maybe see where the leak is coming from. Yesterday after I installed the new pump and filled the reservoir back up and cranked it up it started dripping like immediately from where ever its coming from.

dbailey · 08-07-2011, 05:14 PM

Wonder though if it'll kick a check engine light with the belt off and the alternator not being seen by the computer?

a.graham52 · 08-07-2011, 05:16 PM

it might.... but i wouldnt worry about it. jsut make sure to get the belt all the way out so it doesnt get sucked into the crank. taht will ruin a good day.

dbailey · 08-07-2011, 05:23 PM

Great point on getting the belt outta there! Yeah that WOULD ruin what already sux of a day. I have an OBD II reader so can erase the code(s) if it does kick one. Hope I can get out there and get it done before the rain sets in. Plan on taking it to the shop tomorrow and it sure would be nice to help them with where the leak is/may be coming from so they don't either misdiagnose or try and charge me for extra time trying to find it. Thanks again.