coolant leak

[helibrian]

after a long trip i noticed a puddle of coolant under the engine it seems to be coming from above the oil filter. it leaks even without the car on. any suggestions ?

[Rising Sun Auto Import]

after a long trip i noticed a puddle of coolant under the engine it seems to be coming from above the oil filter. it leaks even without the car on. any suggestions ?

Shampoo engine/around area with brake cleaner something by using hoist, and check leaky spot.
Probably loose clamp or faulty hoses/water pump.

Steven

[FalcoColumbarius]

When was the last time you checked your upper and lower rad hoses? I replaced my wagon's hoses. At first I thought the criss-cross pattern on the hose was some kind of high tech kevlar from Japan, then I realised that all rad hoses have that mesh in the hose but if you can see it clearly then it's time to replace. From your description of where the leak is, it strikes me as being your lower rad hose.

Falco.

[jessef]

check the heater hose that goes into the top of the water pump. Original ones tend to dry up on the edge, split and coolant will seep out at the clamp down the right ontop of the oil filter/alternator area.

[helibrian]

my coolant was low so i added 1 and a half litres of water and the leak looks like it has stopped i'll check again after i get to work maybe the hose dried up and started to leak .if its a water pump does it usually leak from the front of the engine because mine is coming from the right side above the oil filter

[jessef]

forgot to mention check your oil and see if it's milky. Hopefully not but it can also seep out at the headgasket at one of the coolant ports.

[FalcoColumbarius]

Check your lower rad hose, it's on the right side. How does the pattern look on the hose as you look at it? Does it look like a checker pattern?

If you are losing a lot of coolant at a fast rate, as a temporary measure, consider getting a small cannister of cheap white pepper, the kind you get at a service centre/fuel station, pour a little into the rad while the engine is running. It will find the hole, tout suite and expand into it, ergo blocking the hole. This is only a temporary measure, you need to get it fixed fast but it will alleviate the leak for a while. Crawl under the van with a flash light and look at the right bottom of the radiator. There is a fat hose there, much like the one you see when you lift the seat up. This is the bottom rad hose. See if it is leaking.

Falco.