July 23rd, 2009
Question:
Does an air pocket in the coolant system cause a leak?
Three days ago I got a dealership to replace a cracked water pump on my 2007 chevy Impala. They replaced the pump but now there is a very small amount of coolant dripping every hour or so. I took it back to the dealership and told them the problem and they told me there was an air pocket and that I was to drive normally and it would take care of itself.
Answer:
If the coolant is dripping from the overflow tank, I would not be concerned about it, but if its coming from the engine, specifically from the water pump, I would say they need to fix it. Keep watch, and check the coolant level on the overflow tank to see if it drops. If it continues to lose fluid over the weekend, I would take it back and insist on them fixing it.
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October 4th, 2006
It’s getting to be that time of year, time to break out the Halloween costumes and get ready for the cooler weather. Now is the time to start thinking about your car and what it needs to survive the bitter cold of winter.
The most critical and often overlooked part of your vehicle is the cooling system. Without the proper protection, your coolant can freeze in the winter temperatures and destroy your engine. The coolant in your engine is a mixture of water and anti-freeze, which is supposed to lower the freezing point of the coolant. If the ratio of water to anti-freeze is wrong, the coolant mixture will freeze. Since water is one of those goofy liquids that actually expands as is freezes, it can exert extreme forces on your engine and actually crack the engine block. You can check your coolant’s freeze point with a simple tool called a Ball-Type Tester. You suck up a little bit of coolant into the instrument and count the number of balls that float. Then using the legend on the tool, you can determine the freezing point. There are also testing strips available, which you dip into the coolant similar to a pregnancy test to check the freezing point. If your coolant is more than 2 years old or you have over 30,000 miles it should be changed regardless of the freezing point.
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July 5th, 2006
Question:
Kevin,
My 1987 ford mercury monarch sustained a broken heater hose, was towed into the garage and repaired. The mechanic ran the engine at idle for over an hour and declared it repaired and fit to drive. I drove the car about three miles, the engine light came on, the car overheated. I was towed back to the garage coolant was added again, no leaks were seen, the coolant was circulating, the engine was run for an hour, hose temp were 170 degrees and the car was test driven. Again I left the garage and again after 3 miles the car over heated and had to be re-towed to the garage. Can you give any help or explanation? The mechanic can’t explain.
Thanks for you help.
Jim
Answer:
Jim,
It could be a few things… The waterpump could be bad, even if the water is circulating at idle. The impeller could be loose on the shaft, and at higher engine speeds will not spin, thus causing your overheating since no water is being circulated. It could also be the belt, clogged radiator or extremely lean running condition, but my bet is on the waterpump.
Good Luck,
Kevin
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