Antifreeze Leak

aperson · Post by **aperson** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 12:23 pm

I think I sprung a leak. I went to move my car today and found that when I did, there was a big green L shape under my car. Where the front was there was a hole in the snow where is had been dripping. I'll probably take it to my uncles and use his lift tomorrow to check it out. Just wondering if there were any other connections between the fuel rail and tank. I'm not gonna bother patching it, if it's a connector I'm going to fix the problem. Aren't the lines nylon throughout the system? If they're metal then I'll just build my own.

Also I usually get around 26-27 MPG doing 55 on highway to work every day, now last night on I-90 I was following my friend doing 80-90 MPH and got 29.8 MPG?! Is this because of the leak? I mean that its using the gas instead of just spitting it out?

esteinmaier · Post by **esteinmaier** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 12:25 pm

Wow. Green? You must be using some strange gasoline!

It's actually antifreeze if it's green, and there's a number of different places it could be leaking from. First check the radiator hoses. They are easy to get to.

aperson · Post by **aperson** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 1:10 pm

Just checked it out. It is antifreeze, I wasn't expecting antifreeze towards the rear thats why I assumed it was fuel. Its dripping down from somewhere around the overflow tank onto the exhaust and then it froze and melted when the car started back up that left the l shape. Where is the heater core on these things?

From the bottom

Froze to the exhaust

Top View

Whats the thick 90* hose in the center of the pic that goes to nowhere?

Wenuden · Post by **Wenuden** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 1:52 pm

you need to replace that anti-freeze, it's too diluted... it's not supposed to freeze. once you find the leak, do a complete flush and fill, don't just replace what's missing.

I hope that's not your problem, altho if you were driving on the highway with a blown freeze plug, you'd know by now.

aperson · Post by **aperson** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 2:00 pm

Wait a fucking second!!! My antifreeze is red. I bought the Chrysler stuff and its RED. So it must either be gas or A/C dye.

Whats green inside my car?!

Neon316 · Post by **Neon316** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 2:24 pm

red or green shouldnt freeze

Wenuden · Post by **Wenuden** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 2:27 pm

Wait a fucking second! your anti-freeze should look like sick piss, not red. these cars don't use the red stuff.

that's way too much for A/C dye. refrigerant at freezing temps is a gas, and your system wouldn't hold near enough to have that much dye on your exhaust.

there's nothing else in the car in that much volume that is that color. and you bought the wrong shit to replace it with.

have you checked the level in your overflow?

Paul56 · Post by **Paul56** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 5:03 pm

Check the reservoir... it looks reddish which would suggest red contents.

Post by **occasional demons** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 8:48 pm

aperson wrote: Where is the heater core on these things?

Whats the thick 90* hose in the center of the pic that goes to nowhere?

If you're taking about the one that goes through the firewall on the bottom that is the drain for your A/C. If you only replaced the coolant in your overflow bottle with the "red" stuff then the stuff in your engine is prolly green, and if your heater core is leaking it would be comming from that elbow hose or it will be flowing onto your carpet in your car. Now if the coolant in your engine is red then I have no idea what else is green that would freeze to your exhaust. Fuel wouldn't freeze like that. Not if it was running your car.

aperson · Post by **aperson** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 12:13 am

Last I knew it was flushed with the red when my sis hit a deer and it took our the radiator. . What are the chances that the two didn't mix? I pulled the cap off the upper rad hose and its the red stuff. Also my cat smells like antifreeze. So I'm really lost now.

Post by **occasional demons** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:45 am

They will mix, but it's not a good thing, uless one of them is the universal stuff. It would just be a nasty brown color. But if it's red then I think you're good as far as coolant. Either your cat has coolant on it or in it, in it is not good. that would mean either blown gasket or cracked head. If it is coming out the tail pipe (coolant smell) then pull your spark plugs and check for contamination. Get a pressure tester for your cooling system, not sure if autozone has them to rent, but test the system for leaks both hot and cold. If the pressure is bleedig off then you will eventuallly see where it is comming from.

half_twisted · Post by **half_twisted** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 12:57 pm

turn the car on adn try to inspect for leaks. you might catch it in action. maybe the red stuff is lighter than the green so it floats ontop. kinda like water and oil. :shrugs:

hansken_yo · Post by **hansken_yo** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 2:00 pm

aperson wrote: Also I usually get around 26-27 MPG doing 55 on highway to work every day, now last night on I-90 I was following my friend doing 80-90 MPH and got 29.8 MPG?! Is this because of the leak? I mean that its using the gas instead of just spitting it out?

I've achieved 40mpg doing 85-95 straight highway driving a couple times now. I think that this a result of how little the car actually has to work to maintain that speed area. Pretty much, the torque band and horsepower band are relatively in the same.

aperson · Post by **aperson** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 2:25 pm

hansken_yo wrote: I've achieved 40mpg doing 85-95 straight highway driving a couple times now. I think that this a result of how little the car actually has to work to maintain that speed area. Pretty much, the torque band and horsepower band are relatively in the same.

Makes sense.
What RPM does the 2.0 peak on torque?

Also I tried to check it out again today, idled for about an hour with no leaks. I might have just run through something but what? I'll check but I doubt its the head gasket, I got the car with 23000 on it and its now at ~38000. But it was from a junkyard, repaired the cosmetics and it was fine.

half_twisted · Post by **half_twisted** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 7:44 pm

you know what, how long was it since they toped off your coolant. It might have spilled throught the over flow tank.. You did mention that you had broght up to 85mph so the pressure might have forced coolant to that reservior tank making it overfill and spill out..

oh and what fuel grade are you running with that mpg rate.

hey i just noticed something different in this pic.
what the heck is that silver can in this pic. mine doesnt have that.

Post by **occasional demons** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:18 pm

That mounts in the hole by the PS pump on the older 2gn's: A/C drier I was wondering at first also. Figured Mother Mopar moved it.

Paul56 · Post by **Paul56** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:46 pm

aperson wrote:Last I knew it was flushed with the red when my sis hit a deer and it took our the radiator. . What are the chances that the two didn't mix? I pulled the cap off the upper rad hose and its the red stuff. Also my cat smells like antifreeze. So I'm really lost now.

Wait until the vehicle has not been driven overnight then the next morning, if necessary, adjust the antifreeze reservoir to an appropriate level. Place a mark on the tank where that level is.

Run the car for a few days and monitor the reservoir tank for a drop, but only check it when the vehicle is bone cold... such as sitting overnight. If you have a leak the level will go down.

aperson · Post by **aperson** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:37 pm

Thanks everyone
I'll try anything, but I think that it may have just spilled out of the overflow tank. Nothing is leaking, hot or cold. I'll keep an eye on it though.

half_twisted
The silver can is the A/C drier.

papshadalac · Post by **papshadalac** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 10:33 pm

If your neon is an automatic, then ive seen this before. Check your transmission fluid. The trans cooler is located in the side tank of the radiator, and if its cracked then your coolant overflow tank will turn red and overflow

Adionik · Post by **Adionik** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 1:10 am

hansken_yo wrote:
aperson wrote: Also I usually get around 26-27 MPG doing 55 on highway to work every day, now last night on I-90 I was following my friend doing 80-90 MPH and got 29.8 MPG?! Is this because of the leak? I mean that its using the gas instead of just spitting it out?
I've achieved 40mpg doing 85-95 straight highway driving a couple times now. I think that this a result of how little the car actually has to work to maintain that speed area. Pretty much, the torque band and horsepower band are relatively in the same.

I got jack shit for MPG going 80mph constantly on a straight line.

I'm serious, that RPM gauge was at 3k and my fuel went down pretty freaking quick.

aperson · Post by **aperson** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 7:28 pm

papshadalac wrote:If your neon is an automatic, then ive seen this before. Check your transmission fluid. The trans cooler is located in the side tank of the radiator, and if its cracked then your coolant overflow tank will turn red and overflow

Doubtful since I put the red stuff in to begin with. Just got a promotion at work so I should have some money and time to troubleshoot this next week. It's almost stopped for now. It's just a few little drips on the ground now. I'm washing the engine bay now since its a mess and I can't tell where anythings coming from.

UPDATE:

Well I looked it over once more and found that the overflow for the tank isn't from the cap, its out a little tube on the side. Well this tube spits fluid right onto the brake booster, but looks like if it was dribbling out it would put it right onto the exhaust. I'm going to do a compression and cooling system test tomorrow to see if I actually have a problem on my hands, or I just overfilled it. Also that was the first time I've driven the car that hard since it has been refilled. I'm definitely doing a coolant flush this spring.

Neon: 1 Me:

atom · Post by **atom** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:38 pm

Just so you know, once antifreeze is exposed to the outside air, the alcohol inside of it starts to evaporate and you are left with green water, which then freezes.

krc21 · Post by **krc21** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:44 pm

how do you flush your coolent...not to thread hack but i wanna do this!!

Post by **occasional demons** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 6:24 pm

atom wrote:Just so you know, once antifreeze is exposed to the outside air, the alcohol inside of it starts to evaporate and you are left with green water, which then freezes.

They haven't used alcohol in coolant since the 40's or 50's! (washer solvent is another matter)It's called ethylene glycol or polyethylene glycol one is less toxic than the other. And it doesn't evaporate too quickly.

atom · Post by **atom** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 7:13 pm

Ethylene glycol is an alcohol so don't point fingers and laugh because you have an outdated education.

Post by **occasional demons** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:34 am

atom wrote:Ethylene glycol is an alcohol so don't point fingers and laugh because you have an outdated education.

Yes it is but it isn't used in the way he implied. Pure anti-freeze will freeze unless water is added so his point about it freezing is invalid. If you don't belive me stick an unopened jug in your freezer. While it is an alcohol it will freeze.
Edit: besides if it evaporated how come there aren't millions of frozen overflow tanks? Are they not exposed to the atmosphere? last time I checked mine it wasn't sealed, just a plastic lid, like the washer fluid which will freeze if the fluid is old enough. Oh, and just because I'm older than you don't assume I stopped learning when I left high school.

krc21 · Post by **krc21** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:19 am

how do you flush coolant... stop arguing and answer me!!! please

Post by **occasional demons** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:57 am

KC21Balla wrote:how do you flush coolant... stop arguing and answer me!!! please

http://www.ertyu.org/steven_nikkel/neon ... /EPL_7.pdf

Don't have time to type it all out. But the FSM should give a basic idea. The main thing is getting the air to bleed out of the head.

Edit: OK you basically need to drain the radiator, and if you really want to struggle, there is a drain plug in the back of the block underneath the exhaust manifold. then you know all the old stuff is out. Or you can unhook a heater hose and install a flushing kit and hook a garden hose to it. turn it on, with the filler cap off start the enginge and flush till the water runs clear. Then remove the hose seal the flush kit and run some radiator flush for the recommended time, reflush the system with the hose, drain all the water, at least what you can, (unless you do the rear block drain) then fill with antifreeze till it tests to the desired level of protection. I don't recommend leaving the flush kit installed as I've had the seal fail on the cap and leak from one that was on the car when purchased. You just have to be gentle getting the hose off the heater core inlet if it is stuck on. But heater hose is relatively cheap so i recommend just cutting it off and replacing. There are other ways I'm sure, this is just one. Hope it helps!

2GN.ORG

Antifreeze Leak

Antifreeze Leak

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