Any Mechanics around?? I have car trouble
 

Well, after driving home from school today and driving into my garage, I see there was "smoke" (more like evaporated liquid) coming from my hood. So I pop the hood and don't see where exactly it is coming from, so I look underneath the car and find there is liquid leaking underneath. No, it's not oil but it's ENGINE COOLANT! cry:

Does anyone know where the radiator is located on the car, and what problem I'm having here? I was either thinking my radiator is leaking or perhaps I have a few lines that are torn and leaking some anti-freeze on my engine, which is then creating that "smoke".

Can anyone help me here?

P.S How much does a radiator run for? radiator lines? cry:

EDIT: 1993 CHEVROLET LUMINA

make and model of the car might be helpful :P

i found this for a 90

[url:3ba69]http://www.carpartswholesale.com/cgi-bin/carpartswholesale/P658.html[/url:3ba69]

please tell me that you are a female. Every male on this earth should know the basics of a car. I am as far from being a mechanic as possible but I know this stuff.
POP QUIZ
If the round thing that touches the ground leaked all of the air out could you change it?

Stackem,

I did not have a Father to teach me this shit, so please back off, and YES I can change the tire.

I KNOW it's the radiator but I need to know if you guys think it's the radiator lines or the radiator itself. I don't even know where the radiator is located in the first place so I'm not even sure. That's WHY I came here and asked.

Does your car seem to be overheating? Do you have a local radiator shop around. They can do a pressure test to see if there's a leak somewhere.

Im a guy and i dont know shit about cars

cars are shit. you should be proud to know nothing about them.

who is the woman is your avatar godsmack.

Well I just figured out that radiator is in FRONT of the car next to the grill, THANK GOD. So that means it's NOT my radiator that is leaking, it has to be a hose because I see the leak UNDERNEATH my car where the oil storage is.

Yes, my car is overheating but I think it's only a leak. A month or so ago I checked my engine coolant and it was only half full so I filled it up to the maximum level. A few weeks later I got an error message saying "low coolant" and checked it again. The engine coolant was nearly empty and I filled it up yet again. Then I check it again today when I had this problem and it's now HALF full so there has to be a leak somewhere. Hopefully it's just a line that is leaking cause I don't want to blow $400 for the radiator and the labor.

Why its no other then britney spears

color of the li8quid ?

yup it's probably a coolant line. Easiest way to test them is to give em a squeeze. If they feel really stiff the line is probably okay, if it gives when you squeeze it, replace that line it will fail shortly. You should be able to see if any of the lines are cracked, fluid dripping from them. What color was the fluid that leaked out? Coolant lines are really cheap and very easy to replace, unless it's a lower rad hoses then it might be a little tricky. Good luck!

eek:

[quote="Cpt. Zapotoski":c920f]Well I just figured out that radiator is in FRONT of the car [/quote:c920f]
ROLF. Yep, thats where they usually are.

Anyway, put the car up on some jacks and check the hoses. One might be cracked or damaged. If their cracked near where they connect, you can cut the part that is damaged off and clamp it back on. If it's in the middle somewhere you'll have to replace the whole thing. but you need to know if its feeding the radiator, or coming form the radiatior. (Upper and lower hoses if I remember correctly.)

Car Troubles?

Dont Go To A Mechanic, Go to AA.Com for all your car's needs! oOo:

could be a loose hose. call one of your friends who knows at least a LITTLE about cars. they should be able to hold your hand & help you find the leak.

I have the same car, I just replaced my upper heater hose. it goes from hose to metal line along side the firewall. it was leaking on the metal part.

fill the car up with water or antifreeze start it up and look at all hoses and try and see a leak. it may take a while to show up. follow hoses from the water pump to the back of the car. the water pump has 2 hoses maybe more and that big belt in front of motor goes to the water pump to turn it.it also turns altenater air conditioning. but let it heat up turn on heat and look for eaks around hoses and shit.


but for you i would go to the gas station have them pressure check it. they will see you coming and more than likely rip you off. but you have to fix it or car will sieze .

ok check all the hoses. Do you klnow what the radiator looks like? it should be a big metal thing with little squiggles in it. And a cap on the top. Anyways. did the smoke smell like anything? Radiator coolant usually has a sickening sweet smell.
If its a hose its not too hard to fix. just buy a new one and reatach it. If its the radiator you might bee looking at between $100-$400. I dont know the exact for that car but Id place it around $250.

I turned on the car and watched the hoses and I didn't see any anti-freeze anywhere... maybe it's a slow leak somewhere? I only see one hose and that goes from the plastic storage where you fill it up with antifreeze and nothing happened.. it looks fine

Anti-freeze is leaking near the OIL PAN, anyone have an idea how the anti-freeze would get down there?

water pumps have a litle hole on the bottom of them. that when they go bad starts ro leak. and it could leak down by the oil pan. i sugest a pressure test. that will tell you what it is. then you can deside if you want them to fix it or try it your self. good luck

is it mixed with oil any? I mean even the slightest?

[quote="Unknown_Sniper":d58be]is it mixed with oil any? I mean even the slightest?[/quote:d58be]

Hmmm... no. I looked on the ground and it looked like pure anti-freeze.. all green.

[quote="Cpt. Zapotoski":e06ab]A few weeks later I got an error message[/quote:e06ab]

LMFAO. The sign of a true computer geek. The indicator light on your car lights up and it's an error message.

CRITICAL ERROR:

Yuo is teh sux @ vehicles.. plz shut down and reboot before teh cpu overheats. kthx.

need a grease monkey!

[quote="Cpt. Zapotoski":b6389]Anti-freeze is leaking near the OIL PAN, anyone have an idea how the anti-freeze would get down there?[/quote:b6389]
it might dribble down the side of your motor to get there
check all your hoses
any one of them could have a small split
heater hoses number one (they go into the car through the firewall)
check the top and bottom hoses on the radiator
maybe even where it connects to your engine (u know what that is right?) it might be corroded and have cracked away....

best thing to do in your situation is to take it to a mechanic or call your friend or neighbor to help you out
until then, keep the water full always
do not drag race anybody (don't go fast!)
take it easy on the car, the only reason why it's survived so long with this problem is because its winter time
get it fixed quick or you'll have to fork over for a new motor

[quote="Cpt. Zapotoski":d904a]I turned on the car and watched the hoses and I didn't see any anti-freeze anywhere... maybe it's a slow leak somewhere? I only see one hose and that goes from the plastic storage where you fill it up with antifreeze and nothing happened.. it looks fine

Anti-freeze is leaking near the OIL PAN, anyone have an idea how the anti-freeze would get down there?[/quote:d904a]

I had the exact same problem a few years ago with a corsica (sp?). They call it a coolant hose leak. If you just turn on the car and let it run idle there won't be any leak cuz it's not hot enough. (when liquid gets hot they expand and stuffs rolleyes: )

ANyway, you will need to go to an auto shop for this, you really can't change the hose yourself unless you have some auto repair experience, and apparently you don't... Btw I heard the coolant can run up to 150C after a long run so it's probably not a good idea to do any "inspection" yourself. If it's the hose will probably costs you ~ $80 + labour.

[quote="Cpt. Zapotoski":95e82]Stackem,

I did not have a Father to teach me this shit, so please back off, and YES I can change the tire.

I KNOW it's the radiator but I need to know if you guys think it's the radiator lines or the radiator itself. I don't even know where the radiator is located in the first place so I'm not even sure. That's WHY I came here and asked.[/quote:95e82]

a father figure has nothing to do with it. You dont know crap about cars so trying to fix this yourself will cost you more money in the end. Go to a mechanic and watch what he does. Look for a book or two about the basics of a car. If you get stranded on a lonely country road you might be able to get yourself out of a jam. I also grew up without my father (died when I was 5) but I still learned. You can learn this, Im not saying to get licensed just get a basic knowlage of a car. it will help you in the future!

Get yourself a manual dude. Every car I've owned has had it's manual in the glovebox. It can save your ass (and your money).

[url:cb4c2]http://www.haynes.com/[/url:cb4c2]

38010 - Buick Regal, Chevrolet Lumina, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme & Pontiac Grand Prix all front-wheel drive models. Buick Regal ’88 thru ‘02, Olds Cutlass Supreme ’88 thru ’96, Pontiac Grand Prix '88 thru '99, Chevrolet Lumina '90 thru '94. Does not include information on supercharged engines.

Class, what have we learned today??

biggrin:

Pssst youre probably looking at a hose leak thats dripping on a hot surface such as a header, or an exast manifold.

Open up your hood and run the engine, get some dumbass to hold a flaslight and take a look around at all your hose connections. If you see a problem it could be more serious and you should probably make friends with someone who knows that theyre doing.

or take it to a garage and have them do a what a woman can do and attach the hose.