A problem maybe related to heater core!!

[xxchieferxx]

Ok here is the deal. I am eating up coolant and water like candy. So i check the oil and no signs of antifreeze. Oil is just fine. So i notice that coming from the firewall there is a little tube that drains and i seen that it is draining water and smells like coolant too. And inside of my car i smell coolant through my vent barely though. Now my car starts fine, runs fine, and there is no white cloudly smoke at all coming from the exhaust. So would this be a heater core problem Or what you guys think. I've really gotten into the engine bay and seen no signs of coolant leaking anywhere and as i said before no milky oil either so help me out and thanks ahead of time.

[LargeFish]

No pools of coolant under the car? Have you got the car up and run it and checked the seep hole? The water has to be going somewhere. If it was the heater core you'd probably have some coolant in the passenger compartment. My guess would be the water pump.

[4kQuad]

When I lost mine in my 89 2.3 No water leaked into the car. I did see what running on the road from near the firewall. It turned out my Heater Core was gone.

They are some work to change, but in Most cases they can be changed the car owner. There about 150 to 300 depending on where you go.

[SMITHDD]

If the tube you are talking about water draining out is in the engine compartment on the firewall then it is the heater core. Same thing happened to me.

[xxchieferxx]

Thanks everyone for your help so now could you guys tell me what parts of the dash i need to take out to get to it? Its not that hard is it?

[xxchieferxx]

Ok well a friend of mine who knows a lot bout engines checked it out and come to find out. It's not my heater core at all the water was from my trunk leaking b/c i took the spoiler off and the holes were not sealed up good enough and the smell is from the coolant being burned up in the engine bay. So coolant is leaking in the engine bay somewhere and being burnt up and the fumes are coming through the vents. So tomorrow we are going to take it to his garage and check the engine while its running. My only guess is that its the waterpump going bad :???: not sure but if we have to we will take the engine apart and see but i will give updates monday and tuesday as to what is happening. If you have any opinions let me know ok thanks.

[4kQuad]

Originally posted by xxchieferxx
Ok well a friend of mine who knows a lot bout engines checked it out and come to find out. It's not my heater core at all the water was from my trunk leaking b/c i took the spoiler off and the holes were not sealed up good enough and the smell is from the coolant being burned up in the engine bay. So coolant is leaking in the engine bay somewhere and being burnt up and the fumes are coming through the vents. So tomorrow we are going to take it to his garage and check the engine while its running. My only guess is that its the waterpump going bad :???: not sure but if we have to we will take the engine apart and see but i will give updates monday and tuesday as to what is happening. If you have any opinions let me know ok thanks.

Hay that's not fare. You didn't say any thing about Holes in the truck lid. Even Duc tape on the inside would help that.

hehehehe

[xxchieferxx]

Well its sunday night and we didn't find any place where the coolant is burning up, but we did find an occasional droplet or two from the weep hole but it wasn't major or anything. So..... what we are going to do is next weekend we will take apart the time cover and etc.. and check out the water pump and put a new gasket on it and hopefully put my ported exhaust manifold with the big bore down pipe on too. Let me know any opinions you have and thanks i will have updates tomorrow. We are also filling in the holes and while we are at it doing some minor body work too. Painting in june.

[SMITHDD]

You may want to replace the radiator cap if you cannot find out where the water is coming from.

[xxchieferxx]

Are you talking about the reservoir cap b/c if so i already have changed it.

[4kQuad]

The weep hole leek leads to a bad water pump. But on a 2.3 you DO NOT have to open the timming chain area up.

Pull the exhaust manafold and the pump is there, for the picking.
Playing with the timming chain is tricky on 2.3s

[xxchieferxx]

Thanks for telling me that 4kquad b/c i thought i was going to have to take that off thanks for saving me the trouble. I will get updates when i start on the pump. So all i have to take off is the exhaust manifold and there it is. thanks.

[xxchieferxx]

Here's an update: well it turns out nothing is wrong with the water pump its the heater core. Today it started pouring out of the tube that is connected to the firewall on the inside of the engine bay and it keeps pouring almost nonstop. So i will have to bypass the heater core until i get a replacement.

[DominionTuner]

Autozone has a copper replacement for 20 bucks. Don't buy a new core at the dealer you will only get ripped off.

[xxchieferxx]

Well now the leak completely stopped not leaking at all. Is it possible to get air in the coolant system and the air to push the coolant out?

[4kQuad]

That's what the over flow tube is on the resevore tank Cap lid is for. To release expressure. You have a problem if it was draining from the fire wall. The tube is there to drain a bowl so to speak that catches the water before it drains inside the car.

[xxchieferxx]

So..... that means the heater core is cracked or the seal is bad well im going to bypass the lines to the heater core for right now.

[4kQuad]

Works.
You may run slightly higher in motor temp. But I dought it.