Antifreeze leaking and I'm not sure where from... - Honda Prelude Forum

Daily Interlude · 07-16-2002, 01:55 PM

It's coming from the general area of the rear of the motor the best I can tell. What would be the most likely thing back there to leak? There is a pipe that goes across there that connects to the water pump and there are quite a few of hoses attached to it. Only reason I know this is because I just had the engine pulled. I can't barely see anything back there now!

Basically I'm worried that I might have blown a head gasket. I pulled the motor and swapped blocks. I replaced the head gasket with a stock one. I just hope I didn't blow it!

My car runs fine. It's just that it'll get hot as I lose all the coolant after driving a bit. The antifreeze and oil look normal so they didn't mix (best I can tell anyways).

Anyone have any advice? What should I look for? I don't think it's the hoses to and from the heater core as I've removed one and rerouted the other back into the system eliminating the heater core from the coolant system (the coolant never goes through the fire wall...).

ruffryder6613 · 07-16-2002, 02:32 PM

i had an 86 fiero and blew the head gasket and it sputtered and choked out and stalled, so i'm guessing that's not ur problem if the only time ur running hot is after most of it has run out. Although this is not a prelude i figure it would show the same symptoms.

Kaspin · 07-16-2002, 05:42 PM

I dunno, there's abunch of hoses back there that carry coolant, I'd just let it run while looking under there and see if you can tell where it comes out.

Jump · 07-16-2002, 08:29 PM

There are lines that go to the wam up valve and they tend to leak. Start there. But yeah, you have to "look" to see where the fluid is going. If you don't see it on the engine or the floor, it's likely going out your tail pipe!

jpferg · 07-16-2002, 09:52 PM

I'm working on a coolent leek also. If you have checked all the hoses and still don't see the leek (try checking when the engine is running) then you might try this stuff (I'm unsure of the name) that you add to your coolent. It is a type of dye that makes the coolent glow under a black light. I think it costs about $8 and can save you some time tracing down the problem.

preludeguy89 · 07-17-2002, 12:57 AM

Hey jason...

Not sure if you fixed the problem or not.. but that long pipe that goes to the water pump.. there are i belice two hoses that come off of it.. one for the oil filter to keep it cool since it is above the exhaust pipes and another that i belive goes up to your fast idle valve and throttle body to keep the idle right... if you put your car on those nifty ramps sold at any auto parts.. you can crawl under there and see it pretty damn well... also you can see the rear portion of the headgasket.. well where the headgasket is.. to see if you are leaking there. Good luck man.

preludeguy89 · 07-17-2002, 01:00 AM

jpferg.....

the stuff your are refering to is actually just a neon color most of the time... and does stick out better with a black light... should be able to get it at any autoparts store... it works GREAT! I guess i would know since i'm a mechanic now and have to use it to find leaks... but.... good responce...

BTW did you find your leak yet...

Another thing that it might be is the o ring around the pipe that goes into the water pump.. it could be bad or just got pinched in there.

preludeguy89 · 07-17-2002, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kaspin
I dunno, there's abunch of hoses back there that carry coolant, I'd just let it run while looking under there and see if you can tell where it comes out.

wear some gogles and a painter mask over your mouth...

Last time i tasted coolant.. it didn't taste too good

RedRacerX · 07-17-2002, 02:52 AM

Hey i had the same problem when I first got my lude.

I was filling up the Coolant likje every damn week. I was like huh WTF so I took it to my mechanic and he as like naw man your radiator is fine so He took his little pressure thing and pumped my Coolant lines full of pressure. AND BANG there is was the sneaky ass leak was my THERMOSTAT HOUSING. Cost me like $65 for him to replace and fix. It was well worth it. ANd trust me in AZ your engine can get hot REALLY quick.

But now no Problems what so ever.

I even have the A/C on sitting at a light Idleing and no increase really NICE.

Just have them run the pressure thingy hehehe Do not know technical term but just have them do that and you will find out were it is coming from.

iceman2001 · 07-17-2002, 03:02 AM

try this... there is a hose that goes to your fire wall... it is located right by the back mount. i think this hose goes to your heater core... anyways, the firewall has this metal 1 inch hose pipe attached to it. this metal hose seems to get pinched, and water leaks out of it. this happens to about a million ludes. expecially if you took your motor out. everyone seems to bend it while they put the motors in and out. take a look at that. why dont you just fill your car up with water, and turn it on, and look at the engine while it runs?

Daily Interlude · 07-17-2002, 11:02 AM

I can see the coolant leaking but it comes off the tranny housing since it's the lowest point in that area. I have yet to get it jacked up enough (or on a ramp) to actually get up in there and look from the bottom. It could be that rubber washer that seals the metal pipe to the water pump. I wasn't really careful when putting it back in so it may have pinched. Only thing is I've been driving it for over a month including a trip to and from Pigeon Forge and it never leaked like this. I did bend that connector that's on the firewall. I tried to round it back off the best I could but it still leaked until I put one of those metal screw type hose connectors. This let me put more pressure and it stopped the leak. But now it's coming from the engine...not the firewall. It maybe the hose from the throttle body or the oil cooler thing. I haven't been able to see/check those. I don't think it's the rubber seal that is between the metal pipe and the water pump.

I'll let everyone know. Thanks for all the ideas and help!