Having a problem with my car.

It has to do with the radiator/coolant.


The reservoir is always bone dry, but it only actually overheats every once in awhile.

Also, the heater doesn't work. I think the fan belt or something is busted (? i know nothing about cars, so I'm at a loss for how to explain some things). But when I turn on the heater, I get a bunch of smoke that I'm assuming is anti-freeze burning off or something. Even when I don't have the fan on, I get a trace amount of smoke coming out of the vents, even though it's not overheating. And sometimes, especially after filling the reservoir, I get a puddle of coolant in my passenger side floor, coming from under the dash. And now it's overheating a lot, and the reservoir is immediately bone-dry within minutes/hours/whatever of me filling it. There is, however, NO obvious leak that spills the shit out on the ground.

Someone told me that there's a way to re-route the cooling system to bypass the heater, but does anyone know for sure?

And besides junking the piece of shit, any suggestions on what I should do? Money's tight, but I have an uncle who's a specialized mechanic (not sure what his specialization is) so I do have access to getting it fixed, or at least as a stop-gap until I get rid of the damn thing (soon).

??? HELP!

A temporary solution might be to use a stop-leak product, I've used them before and they do work.

However, that it drains so quickly is the main concern. There is always a way to get around things, but by re-routing the heating system you are going to run into a lot of other problems.

Best to have it fixed, or get another car. Sounds like more trouble than it's worth. If it were leaking down under the car, it would probably be an easy fix.

LaVisHh said:

hmmm, rerouting would lead to what other kinds of problems? as i said, i don't use the heat anyway. i made it through the whole winter without it, so for now, until i get rid of it, this is a cakewalk with the nice weather.

as for the leak... my dad suggested to pour the coolant straight into the radiator instead of the reservoir, in case the leak is somewhere between them. because as i said, before it wasn't overheating very often, even though the reservoir was bone-dry. so is it possible that some leak between them might have worsened, since the problem is now constant?


sorry, i just don't know anything about cars, so sorry if i seem like an idiot for not understanding this if it's a simple problem

btw, i just noticed that it isn't leaking onto the ground, and it doesn't appear to be leaking OVER anything at least anywhere near the top of the engine block. things ARE wet/green down toward the bottom, underneath it all, where it appears to be leaking into the passenger floor...

AaronSuperior said:

Another thing you might try is to follow the path of the coolant reservior that leads around your engine. You just may find out that it's a matter of tightening up some clamp or replacing a worn out hose.

The clamps look like this:



They are notorious for busting up hoses when they are too tight, and the hoses are old and brittle.

LaVisHh said:

hmmm, yes the hose probably is old and brittle. it's a '92 S-10 truck, and i doubt it's been replaced in all that time, but i'm not sure. i had similar problems with another vehicle i drove, but it was a more obvious problem. it just had a bad leak somewhere. i wish it were as simple as that. thanks for your help Lavishh

Ok, the last thing is the water pump may need to be replaced... ok, all done.

And you are welcome.

Do you want me to fix it?

I'm an absolute wizz with cars!

The heat thing that you described with the junk spraying out or coating your windows... that sounds like the heater coil. This same exact thing happened to my car... two of them, and it was the heater coil.

AzureStar said:

hmmm...

well, it doesn't coat the windows. it comes out on the floor on the passenger side. BUT... i do get a lot of condensation on the windshield from that side. i assumed it was because it was heating up the coolant and forming a cloud over there. but this could be possible.

My advice... (after years of dealing with such problems)

Get a credit card with a huge limit...

Go to the dealership and submit your car to their merciless handlers...

or

Look at the new arrivals...

Beg them to take your piece of shit as a down payment.



Yup... works for me.

June7 said:

the latter option is actually what i'm shooting for, but i'm not ready yet. thanks for the advice

xenon said:

yes! perhaps we can work out something in trade... rough trade?

AaronSuperior said:

Well, mine probably coated my windows because I always keep mine on "defrost" in the winter when I use my heat.

Anyway... It's not a "Heater Coil", it's called a "Heather Core"... oops. But I just did a search and this is what I found, it sounds similar:

If you can distinguish the semisweet aroma of ethylene glycol, the primary component in antifreeze, then the heater core itself is probably leaking. Check for wetness in the carpeting from leakage, and pressure-test the cooling system to try to confirm the leak.

And here's a long shot. If the engine has a head-gasket leak where exhaust gases are being pushed into the coolant, and the heater core is also leaking, you'd smell both in the cabin area. But I think the heater core is the culprit on your Aerostar.

AzureStar said:

now THAT was very helpful. thank you very much Azure

And I found this...

Check heater operation. A quick functional testing of the heater unit can save a lot of mid-season grief. Visually inspect all hoses for deterioration from age and wear. Also make sure hoses are not taut. This situation can cause leaks at the heater core. Check the floor under the heater assembly for signs of coolant loss. This could point towards a leaking heater core. Also make sure to check the heater valve. Check vacuum lines for leakage or deterioration. Lubricate all control cables, such as the heater valve control cable, etc. Last but not least, check all function switches and blower motor switches for proper operation. Having basic cooling system checks made during routine servicing can prevent costly breakdowns and inefficient operation of equipment during extreme climate conditions. Preventive maintenance is the key to being able to drive your car longer while reducing long term expenses.

Which, maybe this could be why you are overheating, because the heater core is leaking your antifreeze out... maybe?

AzureStar said:

seems like a very strong possibility. the whole thing started when i would fill up the reservoir and turn on the heat and i'd get smoke and lots of condensation on the windows. it's escalated from there, dumping lots of it in the floor and it's starting to overheat all the time, like it's not even getting to where it needs to be.


again, this is very helpful. thank you so much

AaronSuperior said:

You're welcome... I've had just about every problem with a car that you can imagine... I've replaced pretty much everything in the one I'm driving now, with the exception of the engine... that's next! By they way... my heater core wasn't that expensive, if I remember right it was around $30 or $40 and they can't be too difficult to put in because I had a friend do it for me. Good luck!