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My mechanic is telling me I have a leak in my engine...he is not sure if it's a coolant leak or a oil leak. He wants to do a dye test to find out...Is this necessary and can I still drive my car if it's only a oil leak?
So I am not sure if it's a oil or coolant leak...I was told that there was a leak in my engine and that I needed a dye test to determine where it is. There are no symptoms...I just asked my mechanic to do a general check-up because I am about to drive across the countrySo I am not sure if it's a oil or coolant leak...I was told that there was a leak in my engine and that I needed a dye test to determine where it is. There are no symptoms...I just asked my mechanic to do a general check-up because I am about to drive across the country
So maybe I should check the level of my coolant and oil and keep an eye on it the next couple of days to see if the level changes dramatically? Do you think it's worth calling him and asking why he thinks this and what the evidence is? Thanks so much by the way...So maybe I should check the level of my coolant and oil and keep an eye on it the next couple of days to see if the level changes dramatically? Do you think it's worth calling him and asking why he thinks this and what the evidence is? Thanks so much by the way...
Great, I will try that! One more question...do you think I can wait to flush my transmission fluid? He was saying that it was starting to smell a little burned, but I haven't had any trouble with my gears...although it is an automaticGreat, I will try that! One more question...do you think I can wait to flush my transmission fluid? He was saying that it was starting to smell a little burned, but I haven't had any trouble with my gears...although it is an automatic
Your owners manual should tell you how often to change the transmission oil, typically every 40,00 miles if you don't know. I'm not so sure about this guy doing it, but that's up to you.
Your owners manual should tell you how often to change the transmission oil, typically every 40,00 miles if you don't know. I'm not so sure about this guy doing it, but that's up to you.
It really sounds like a scam to me. Did he say why he thinks this, or where there is evidence of a leak? This is incredibly vague! Check the level of your oil and coolant before you go, don't worry about it.
It really sounds like a scam to me. Did he say why he thinks this, or where there is evidence of a leak? This is incredibly vague! Check the level of your oil and coolant before you go, don't worry about it.
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Finding oil and coolant leaks can be difficult and systematic work on an unfamiliar engine and usually begins with a wash down followed by a short road test and a close inspection from many angles with a strong light and a mirror though those familiar with the engine can often make a fairly accurate guess at the (common) locations.
These days many professionals add a fluorescent dye to the coolant or oil and instead of searching for the leak with a normal inspection lamp they use an ultraviolet lamp...
Many times when the intake manifold gasket is bad...it leaks internally into the heads/crankcase...be sure to check oil level...the missing coolant will be in the motor, preparing to do damage...get a second opinion as this is a costly repair...is your motor running hot?
The above are valid answers but knowing what is for sure eases the mind. Questions need answers. How quickly do you lose coolant? Offers an idea how big of a leak you have. Is the exhaust white with humidity? Points to cylinder leaks with possiblity of head leaks. Does a simple radiator pressure test reveal a dramatic loss of pressure with cold coolant? With oil pan off and pressure on the coolant, you may be able to spot the source from beneath or elsewhere. A clean engine may help spot the leaks forming. Through elimination & logic thinking I'm sure you can figure which direction to go. Good luck.
Sounds like you have blown a head gasket. Do not run the engine like this or you will seize it up . anti freeze will freeze the pistons and you will need a new engine. Hope you have not ruined it now.
White smoke is a sign of water in the piston area.
you probably have a bad intake or head gasket. check your oil dipstck and see if you oil is foamy or has a chocalate milk mix. if so your head gasket is going. look at the exhaust if the exhaust is white your intake gasket may be bad. you could have a cracked part also. if you do not find these problems . you can remove your spark plugs and do a coolant pressure test to force out the coolant to find the leak. autzone rents these for free and it installs in your radiator cap.
it is getting sucked into the engine through a crack or bad gasket. needs attention ASAP. take a sniff at the tailpipe for antifreeze odor, or look for foam on the bottom of the oil fill cap. ain't good.
You likely will not like my answer but what you need to do is get underneath and actually look very carefully for the source of the leak. There is no place where both coolant and oil can leak at the same time. If you find oil in the radiator or coolant in the engine oil, then you have a bad head gasket. Usually though you would have an overheating problem or steam from the tailpipe and the engine would run poorly if that was the case. There are numerous points where coolant or oil can leak. The list is too long to write. I'd definitely look at the hoses, radiator and water pump first though as they are the most common places coolant leaks develop. As for the oil leak, check the filter, valve cover and drain plug first, otherwise any place two engine parts are bolted together it's possible to have seepage from a gasket. If you cannot find the source, any good shop can do a pressure test or dye test to find it for you.
are you sure the cooling fans are working? Is the coolant temp gauge telling the truth? have you lifted the hood and heard the coolant bubbling into the overflow? Or heard the tinging sound of a red hot engine? If he did a liquid test with the dye,and it changed colors it should have changed very fast, Another thing to think about if he was to take the fan belt off,and pull the thermostat housing off,and removed the thermostat,Now pour coolant into the thermostat hole to almost the top,Now start the car and see which side the bubbles come from,left or right,that will be the gasket that is leaking not both.
I just dealt with this problem. Turns out that the equinox cools the tranny fluid by running it through the radiator (in a closed system). Problem I was having was that the coolant from the radiator was leaking into the transmission. The only reason they found this was because the car started shifting rough and I had them check that problem out at the same time I had them look for a coolant leak. When the technician pulled the transmission drain plug, he said it looked like pepto running out. Only way to fix was to replace the entire radiator ($800). They also had to flush the transmission to get all of the coolant out of the housing.
The timing belt drives the water pump so it would be advisable to replace the timing belt if you replace the pump and visa versa. The timing belt should have been replaced at 105,000 miles and if you did replace it at that time, then I would not replace it again unless it is soaked in leaking coolant. If not, then for sure replace it. Replace the tensioner if it is defective. You need to find a good mechanic that is not just guessing as to what is wrong. If you have no apparent external leak and you are seeing a milky substance on the underside of the oil cap, you may have a blown head gasket. Do you see white smoke coming from the exhaust? Do you see air bubbles escaping from the radiator with the cap off and the engine running? If so you have a blown head gasket or cracked head. A compression test will help determine this one way or the other. A dye test on the cooling system will also help tell you where the coolant is leaking. If the water pump is bad it should be leaking. 130,000 miles is not that much on a modern engine. This engine will easily last 200,000 miles if maintained properly. So it is worth repairing, but that is your decision. You just need to find a good mechanic that actually knows what they are doing.
So I am not sure if it's a oil or coolant leak...I was told that there was a leak in my engine and that I needed a dye test to determine where it is. There are no symptoms...I just asked my mechanic to do a general check-up because I am about to drive across the country
So maybe I should check the level of my coolant and oil and keep an eye on it the next couple of days to see if the level changes dramatically? Do you think it's worth calling him and asking why he thinks this and what the evidence is? Thanks so much by the way...
Great, I will try that! One more question...do you think I can wait to flush my transmission fluid? He was saying that it was starting to smell a little burned, but I haven't had any trouble with my gears...although it is an automatic
Your owners manual should tell you how often to change the transmission oil, typically every 40,00 miles if you don't know. I'm not so sure about this guy doing it, but that's up to you.
Sure, I would call him and play dumb...what were the indications of leaks again??
It really sounds like a scam to me.
Did he say why he thinks this, or where there is evidence of a leak? This is incredibly vague!
Check the level of your oil and coolant before you go, don't worry about it.
It's pretty easy to tell the difference between an oil leak and a coolant leak. What is the problem you're having, symptoms?
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