Constantly Leaking Coolant
 

hey guys my alero is constantly leaking coolant onto the ground. It seems like it keeps on getting worse. Does anyone know what may be causing this, water pump maybe? I already had the limg replaced last year.

where do it look like it is coming from?

most likely its gonna to be either lower intake manifold or head gasket problem.

Check ur hoses first. then the radiator. then look at the engine to see if its coming from the lower intake manifold gasket and/or maybe headgasket.

Can also be coming from the weep hole of the water pump. If it is on the belt, and the passenger side of the engine, I almost guarantee it. It is a way of your pump saying "Change Me". Simple to do, go to NAPA, get another. Replace, and return the old pump to recover your core charge ;)

yea its on the side of the belt/overflow tank. That whole side gets wet too. So its most likely the water pump? how much would you say that would cost and how hard to put in?

Advance Auto Parts lists a new 6cyl. Cardone at $35 (no core). They have some for more, some for less. Don't forget the gasket. On the 6cyl is extremely easy. Remove the nut holding the water pump pulley on. The pulley may come off easily, or like mine it may need some persuasion. If it does, you will need to release the tension on the tensioner pulley and slip the belt off. 5 small bolts (8mm I think?) hold the water pump on. Take it out. Clean the mating surface. Install new gasket & pump in reverse procedure. 15 minutes tops if you're experienced. A little more if you're not.

if it is coming out of the overflow most likely its blown head gaskets. if you already had ur limg gaskets done u should have changed the water pump at the same time.

Really easy to check this. Take a paper towel and rub it only on the bottom-inside of the water pump pulley. If coolant it is on the inside of the pulley, that is certainly it. Easy fix. When you install the new pump, just be sure to not over-tighten the bolts, otherwise the bolt heads will snap off.

As for the comment on the coolant coming from the overflow on a blown head gasket: It has been my experience that coolant will disappear from the overflow tank. You will also see a rise in your oil. You will also have a slight milkshake on the bottom side of the oil cap. Finally, you will likely have low compression in a cylinder, or coolant leaking out of your exhaust downpipe. I don't believe I have ever seen it come out of the overflow, but I suppose anything is possible.

well i have to constantly fill the overflow tank, do you think its still the water pump? and does anyone have a picture of where the inside of the water pump pulley is, im a little confused?

Guess it is a good thing I have my timing cover on a shelf, with the pump and pulley still on. See the attached image. The screwdriver is pointing to the inside-bottom of the water pump pulley. The pulley is really nothing but a shell that mounts to the water pump with four bolts. So, the entire pulley is hollow.

Just because you have to fill the overflow tank does not mean anything spectacular. It simply means you are loosing coolant. You just need to know where it is going.... The garage floor and the road? (hose or water pump is worn out, leaking through the weep hole) Or, worse, into the oil pan or exhaust (Head or LIM gasket failure).

Figured this was too easy to give you a tutorial, and took about 5 minutes. See the attached images. The pulley is easy enough to remove. Remove the belt by loosing the tentioner. Remove the four bolts by "breaking" them loose using a screwdriver against two of the other bolts. Remove the four bolts.

Refer to the second image. There are bolts all around the pump assembly. Remove them, remove the top most one last (so it is the last bolt supporting the pump in the event it is not sealed by the gasket well). There are 5 of them. Once the bolts are removed, gently pry between the tabs on the edge of the pump and the timing cover (in the event the gasket was sealed well). Remove all traces of the gasket material. Installation is the reverse of the above. I would advise simply getting an account on alldatadiy.com for the detailed procedures and torque specs. $25 is pretty cheap, and the ability to do yourself and learn is always a plus. Saves on those crazy $70/hr labor rates too if you are cheap ;)

Note in the second picture, the screwdriver tip is pointing to one of two weep holes on the NAPA pump. (this is a fairly new pump) When the pump is worn, it is designed to start leaking. Again, this mechanism is basically the pump saying "Change me now! Circulation is poor, overheating is eminant! Danger! Danger! Click-CLick-c l i c k - Boom!". ;)

Edit: Note the pump pulley on the top of the second picture. That is the "inside" of the pulley :)

yes and it can go right out of the overflow tank when the coolant is pressurizing the cylinders. the coolant will go right by the water pump and find the closest way out overflow tank or exhaust.

Todd got you covered there with the pictures and how-to. Follow his lead. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

As for coming out the overflow tank, yes, I've had it happen when my head gaskets were blown. It would actually boil the water all they through the system, including the overflow tank, until it was puking water all over the ground.

Thank you Todd for all the pictures and everything. The coolant leaks all over the garage floor and sometimes when im driving. Sometimes there is smoke which is coming out from what looks like the water pump. It seems to have gotten worse overtime, as in more coolant has been leaking faster. Do all these symptoms sound like it would be the water pump?

Yes. Is there coolant on the inside of the pump pulley? If the answer is "yes", replace it first thing today/tomorrow ;) Has the water pump ever been changed? If the answer is "no", and you have quite a few miles on the car, it simply wouldn't hurt.

Torque Specs for pump bolts:

Water Pump Bolt
10 N·m
89 lb in
Water Pump Pulley Bolt
25 N·m
18 lb ft

Just re-installed my service manual ;)