Hey guys, I can't seem to find any relief from this coolant leak and I need some help identifying my problem. 2000 Monte Carlo SS, 3.8L V6, 127k miles.

I have been/am leaking a decent amount of coolant on the very front of the car, driver's side. It leaks drops at all times I believe, but whenever I drive it appears to pool up somewhere...when I stop after driving for a few minutes, it will suddenly dump a decent amount of coolant and then go back to drips. It's coming down through the engine bay somewhere and coming out from what I believe to be two little holes in the radiator pan at the bottom front driver's side?







The car is not running hot on my temp gauge and I keep monitoring the coolant level and adding. I've tried finding the leak but cannot figure it out. I added some Stop Leak to the Radiator and it hasn't done any good. Are there any elbows or something down there that could be done for?

Thanks for the help!

 

Could be the plastic coolant elbows- I replaced mine, my leak was terrible though. Very noticeable.

or it could be the Water Pump.
Both on the passengers side.

Good luck.

 

This is on the drivers side though the coolant elbows have already been replaced a year or two back I believe. Thanks though. Pics added.

 

Radiator drain plug? Or cracked radiator.

 

I have already checked the radiator drain plug, but I need to double and triple check it...I'm hoping against a new radiator install.

I put a new upper radiator hose on it with new hose clamps (it developed a pinhole sized leak a week or two ago), even took the air filter box apart in order to ensure that the hose was on good. What else is even over here that could be doing this much?

 

i would also check the lower and uper rad hoses just in case. what i mean i had hoses start to leak right where it sits on the rad and made it look like it was some thing else.

 

That coolant could also be leaking from the passenger side and traveling along a rail and finally leaking where you are finding it.
I'd get the radiator pressure tester loan-a-tool from a local parts store and pressurize the system. You can then look for leaks and listen for hissing sounds.

 

Update: I took the Monte to a well-known radiator repair shop today. He's going to look her over real good tomorrow and try to find the source of the leak. If it's the radiator, he can replace it by midday Thursday for a decent price IMO. Let's hope for the best

 

Let's hope your stop-leak didn't do any damage to all the other parts of your cooling system too.

 

Stop Leak/Bars Leak = BAD!!

Too many horror stories of that crap clogging heater cores or getting jammed in some small cooling channels/tubes. YUCK!