My 2000 SL2, 127,000km,is leaking coolant. Twice in the past 6 months, (once in the summer and once in the winter) there has been a 12" diameter stain of coolant on my driveway, and the low coolant warning light has come on. I've added coolant eachtime, and watched for further leakage, but none appears.


The stain is located on the centreline of the car, just ahead of the center of the wheels, and definately not as forward as the rad.


The second time was yesterday. The car had sat unused in -20 Celcius temperatures for 2 weeks. I'm not sure if that matters, but I search all over the place after noticing the stain and can not find the leak. Maybe it happened just after I parked the car two weeks ago?


Anyone have the same problem. Any suggestions?

 

https://www.saturnforum.com/forum_po...=1251&PN=1


click the link to go toanother discussion about coolant leak.... it might answer some questions

 

If coolant is getting to the ground, more likely than not it is running along some part of the car/frame to get there.

These leaks can be deceiving since where the driveway spot appears is often not where the leak is -- it is only where the coolant puddles after the car comes to rest after driving with a leak.

The wind will typically direct leaking coolant further back towards the firewall....that having been said, the best way to sort this out is to get under the car with a shop light and "look up". Sounds silly, but "something" should be wet with coolant down there.....sounds simple but can be difficult to trace.

 

I checked the engine as best possible to discover the following.....


It does appear 'wet' behind the #3 and #4 cylinders at the intake manifold, and below.


It appears wet, but more like oil wicking as it goes as far up as it does down, all the way around the black covers (cam cover?) on the front and back of the top of the engine.


I found a small puddle of coolant pooled in a casting pocketjust beneath the head gasket elevation, just forward of the number 4 cylinder, beneath the rad hose.....but I couldn't find a leak in the house, and the general area was dry (other than the pool).


The oil at the dip stick is normal. The oil in side the cover as seen through the oil filler hole is normal, but there is a 'milky' substance on the underside of the filler cap as would be expected when oil and coolant mix.


I'm thinking everything will need to be pulled above the head gasket....help....any other suggestions. I don't know that much about engines, but how could coolant get to the underside of the filler cap but not to the oil pan?


Otherwsie the car runs well.

 

I took it to a Saturn dealer...unfortunately we just moved to this city so I have no history with any local dealer to know who is best.....nonetheless he verified that I need a new head gasket, and a new intake manifold gasket. I can see coolant leaking at both locations and tend to beleive he is being honest.


Can anyone give me an idea of how many hours such a job should take. The service advisorsaid he would order the parts would be in on Monday,and I could pick up the car Tuesday morning, or maybe even Monday evening, but that they would prefer I wait until Tuesday morning. Having said that the quote had 15 hours labour. Would they be using more than one person at a time? Maybe they will do some disassembly today?


Help...advice...I asked if they could reduce the shop rate from that which was posted, and they obliged (reduced from $86 to $72/hour), which is a good rate for Ottawa, Canada.


Any comments on the number of hours?

 

In general, any car that is an overhead cam (and in your case a double overhead cam) is going to take some serious time to replace the head gasket. I've never done one on my Saturn (knock on wood) but to give you an idea; this past weekend It took me 5 hours to change the gasket on my OHV 2.2 Liter (cam in the block), whereas my dual overhead cam car usually takes 2 days to do. I don't do head gaskets every week and I don'tuse a lift, whereasa Body Shop does do these and so they should be more time efficient.


Hope this helps!


-S-Turn-

 

S-turn is right this process can take along time, and it can get expensive if you dont want/have that time to replace the gaskets. me and my dad replaced a head gasket on his 2.4L fiero and it took a day to do. It can get dificult but its better than paying some guy at a shop more than needed to fix it.

 

What would happen if you just let it go and not fix it ? How bad can it get - maybe it would only get to the point where U would have to put new fluid in every week or so.

Compare that to paying out several hundred $$$$.

Just looking at options.

ps - my Saturn has a leak too and I really do not want to sink any $ into it.

 

yeah, it's not doin' a whole bunch of harm yet... Eventually it's going to completely blow out and leave the driver stranded, or leak into the cylinder and the car won't run.


just my $0.02


-S-Turn-

 

I'm pretty certain I've been playing the 'how bad can it be' game for about 6 months, but the last two trips (10 miles) I was having to add fluid each trip. To me, and for a car that could leave my wife and children stranded, repair became the only option.