Coolant leak issue.....

[TYSHO]

My 89 SHO has been loosing coolant for the last month or so, and now I found out when and a close where about.

When I park the SHO, I have a leak that varies in amount. It pours down from the firewall, on the passenger side, and looks to be coming from a hose or so, behind the exhaust manifold. It's pretty tight around there, but it looked to be wet.

Any idea what this hose goes or comes from? I've been having a coolant fogged windshield, and clouds of smoke when the heater is turned on. Sometimes, it will not blow out the coolant fog when I turn on the heater. Also, when I seem to be loosing the coolant, I hear a weird gargle vacuum leak sound from the front defroster, driver side, and it can also be heard from the engine bay, behind the TB.

I was thinking about the heater core, but I thought the heater core was directly behind the firewall, where the two hoses run in, not by the computer harness.

Any help would be appreciated; I am tired of adding a gallon of coolant every 2 days.

 

[SHOZ123]

Tighten the hose clamp or get a new heater hose if it is damaged.

 

[Guy Newton]

sounds like the heater core is leaking, bite the bullet, pull the dash back and replace it.

 

[I'll sho u]

most definately the heater core,there is a drain for the heater box that comes out of the firewall on the passengers side

 

[SHO_Diehard]

Are you smelling coolant inside the car?

I'd bypass the heater core. That would tell you if the core is leaking, and you can get yourself mentally prepared for pulling the dash before tackling the job.

 

[JTSHO]

agreed, heater core is shot. good luck!

 

[TYSHO]

most definately the heater core,there is a drain for the heater box that comes out of the firewall on the passengers side

Wow...that sounds likely. I didn't know that.

Yes, I'm smelling coolant, only when the temp gets above 215.

I "was" thinking it was the heater core, but confused as to why it was leaking on the passenger firewall.

BTW, is there any chance that this hose can be damaged or loose, as decribed above, and cause my problems? I mean this is not an on going problem, it just pops up when it wants to. I had a 175 mile round trip the other day and there was no problems.

Also, is there any diagram of the heating system that I can link to?


Thanks for all the replies, guys.

 

[SHO_Diehard]

I haven't looked at the heater box setup, but is that drain for the A/C condensate? If the heater core leaked, would it leak into the A/C drain?

Another question, when you say it's leaking on the firewall, you mean on the engine side of the firewall, correct? Is it coming out of that drain line, or from somewhere else? Someone posted a problem they had where the hose was leaking at the clamp at the heater core, but the hose was jammed against the firewall and the coolant was going behind the firewall insulation and coming out somewhere else. Made it difficult to tell the hose was leaking at the hose clamp. Are the clamps tight?

(*Edit*) Not sure if the above scenario would give you antifreeze smell in the passenger compartment. I guess if the seals where the heater core goes through the firewall are not that tight, you could get some antifreeze inside.

For a diagram, you might try Autozone.com. Not sure if they have it, but some of their online repair guides are okay.

 

[TYSHO]

It's leaking outside the cabin, engine bay side.

I don't know if I'm confused, but aren't the two hoses running into the firewall, by the master cylinder, for the heater core? Because the one that I am talking about, that it looks to be coming from, is on the passenger side by the bottom of the firewall. It's real hard to get a look from up top, much less squeeze my hand in there and try to tighten it up, but I will try.

 

[SHO_Diehard]

It's leaking outside the cabin, engine bay side.

I don't know if I'm confused, but aren't the two hoses running into the firewall, by the master cylinder, for the heater core? Because the one that I am talking about, that it looks to be coming from, is on the passenger side by the bottom of the firewall. It's real hard to get a look from up top, much less squeeze my hand in there and try to tighten it up, but I will try.

The heater hoses are the two molded hoses up top by the master cylinder. Passenger side by the bottom of the firewall and hard to get to sounds like the A/C liquid line to the evaporator. Nothing to tighten there. Sounds like it could be antifreeze leaking behind the insulation, so tighten the clamps at the heater hoses if you haven't already.

I don't know if a heater core leak would explain what you are seeing, I haven't experienced that one and haven't looked at the shop manual either.

 

[TYSHO]

After an inspection, I found that hose to be an A/C line, like described above. However, directly below it was a dump off pipe, as "I'll sho u" pointed out, and is where the leak is coming from, as my finger received some coolant. I knew it was somewhere around there!

Looks like I'll be bypassing the heater core, as I never used the heater this past winter, and see how that works. Just need to search about the hose sizing, they looked a little different, unless someone can post them up!

Thanks guys!