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I have a MASSIVE coolant leak on my passenger side tire, right behind the wheel well. I cant see it where its coming from the bottom. It leaks out all of my fluid in less than 10 miles. The car only has 90k on the odometer. I checked the purge line and is flowing freely from the block, and back to the reservoir. I thought it may be a head gasket issue but I don't have any white smoke coming from the tail pipes, oil is clean and not milky. Coolant reservoir does like a Cracking sound once I stop the car and add coolant. Im using dex cool 50 50, any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

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:welcomesmiley:

It is most likely coming from the coolant reservoir overflow hose, that is the location it is directed to.

Make sure the cap is good. Have it tested or replace it. The system must maintain 14psi 15 16 or 18psi ( my seville is 18 but the Deville may be 14 the psi rating is stamped/printed into the top of the cap! ) or the coolant will boil out. The other possibilities are a stuck thermostat, blockage inside the radiator, water pump belt and or water pump itself....

Check the easy stuff first :)

THERE IS ALWAYS ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE JOB RIGHT - THERE IS NEVER ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE JOB AGAIN !!!

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I havent got it on a lift yet, trying to do all the diagnosis before i have to pay someone to put it on a lift. I pressure tested both the cap and the reservoir and they maintain pressure of 16 psi. A friend of mine told me of a couple of hoses that come down on that side of the block that have fittings. He says thise fitting in time rust out, but i need to lift it in order to see. I really want to thank you guys for helping me out on this. And please keep the suggestions coming.

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5 hours ago, OldCadTech said:

:welcomesmiley:

It is most likely coming from the coolant reservoir overflow hose, that is the location it is directed to.

Make sure the cap is good. Have it tested or replace it. The system must maintain 14psi 15 16 or 18psi ( my seville is 18 but the Deville may be 14 the psi rating is stamped/printed into the top of the cap! ) or the coolant will boil out. The other possibilities are a stuck thermostat, blockage inside the radiator, water pump belt and or water pump itself....

Check the easy stuff first :)

I havent thought to check the overflow hose when it leaks. Thanks. I also heard the tank themselves are finicky.

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Check the hose clamps on the hoses that connect to the surge tank.  A lot of times they loosen over time and allow  leak.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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When you fill the system after the "leak out" how much 50-50 coolant does it take to re-fill the system?

Are you sure the coolant is at the proper level before driving after the refill? Has the system cooled? When you refill the system, run the heater at 90 and make sure the heater is blowing HOT air.

Is the 10 miles you travel mostly flat or are there moderate hills to pull?

Are you monitoring the coolant temp as you drive? Does the temp rise slowly or all ta once. Does the DIC tell you to stop the engine or idle the engine? Does it reset your oil life index to zero?

THERE IS ALWAYS ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE JOB RIGHT - THERE IS NEVER ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE JOB AGAIN !!!

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1 hour ago, OldCadTech said:

When you fill the system after the "leak out" how much 50-50 coolant does it take to re-fill the system?

Are you sure the coolant is at the proper level before driving after the refill? Has the system cooled? When you refill the system, run the heater at 90 and make sure the heater is blowing HOT air.

Is the 10 miles you travel mostly flat or are there moderate hills to pull?

Are you monitoring the coolant temp as you drive? Does the temp rise slowly or all ta once. Does the DIC tell you to stop the engine or idle the engine? Does it reset your oil life index to zero?

It leaks out 2 gallons of it, so all of it. I fill it up to the proper levels after each fill, which is getting expensive. The heater is blowing Hot Air. As far as driving conditions, I live in the Texas hill country, but a lot of my driving is on flat roads. Yes, i do monitor my temp., it climbs steadily not a sharp increase or all at once. Once all of the fluid leaks out the dash tells me ENGINE OVERHEATING  SHUT OFF ENGINE. NO, it does not reset my oil change index. I also saw that the coolant comes out of the overflow hose right under the cap. Thanks again, let me know if you need more info. Looking forward to your advice.

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Without seeing it happen, it sounds like the thermostat is stuck closed. If you were only overheating during a moderate to heavy pull I would expect the worse.

Have you let it idle at home? If you can duplicate the same condition setting in the driveway at idle feel the radiator hose at the thermostat housing when the temp display indicate 195 or hotter and check;

1) Is it very hot to the touch?

2) Does it "feel" like the coolant is moving through the hose? 

You can test the thermostat - remove it ( after the engine cools ) and submerse it in a pan of water on the stove top. Watch how the thermostat reacts as the water reaches a boil, it should open smoothly and be fully open by the time the water is boiling. Try to hide this procedure from your wife if applicable, they frown on cooking car parts with the everyday pot and pans :)

THERE IS ALWAYS ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE JOB RIGHT - THERE IS NEVER ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE JOB AGAIN !!!

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One other thing - when the engine was over-heating do you recall if the cooling fans were running?

THERE IS ALWAYS ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE JOB RIGHT - THERE IS NEVER ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE JOB AGAIN !!!

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The heater pipes can be rusted through at any point or the hoses at the bottom of the tank can be cracked or a clamp failed.  Simply remove the tank and take a look.

Buy a Balkamp block tester from napa and test for a bad head gasket.  You will not get coolant in the oil, and you wont always see steam from the exhaust.  But you will get superheated gasses causing false boiling that will drive coolant out the overflow

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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How did you test the coolant tank?  You said you had a cracking noise at the tank.  The tank can be cracked and only leak under pressure.  I know you tested it to 16 psi, but keep the tank in mind.  

Heater pipes rusting through is a common problem as they age.  Here is a photo of my 97 engine on a dolly.  You will see the heater hoses with a blue and white sticker on them.  The hose below them facing forward is the hose that goes to the bottom of the tank.  Those pipes you see rust and leak coolant, I have a 98 with seeping coolant pipes right now I need to fix for a friend.  

20151130_181824_zps7gasoms4.jpg

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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I'm not sure what your mechanical abilities are but I would check the t-stat as I mentioned above, it can easily be done at home DIY if you have simple hand tools. It is free as the parts can be reassembled without replacement 99% of the time after the test. PS - Remove the rubber seal/gasket from the t-stat before the boil test.

 @BodybyFisher suggested the test for exhaust gas in the coolant made by Balkamp, it is a valid test. I like to do the easy - free stuff first, but if you want to "cut to the chase" it is an "easy" test albeit not free. 

THERE IS ALWAYS ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE JOB RIGHT - THERE IS NEVER ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE JOB AGAIN !!!

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I used to wait until everything else was tested but these days, I like to eliminate it quickly.  Especially since the OP said that he saw coolant coming from the overflow, which can be 1) a loss of pressure causing boiling, and 2) false boiling caused by superheated coolant from combustion.  

He said he tested the cap also, so its not the cap

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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13 hours ago, BodybyFisher said:

I used to wait until everything else was tested but these days, I like to eliminate it quickly.  Especially since the OP said that he saw coolant coming from the overflow, which can be 1) a loss of pressure causing boiling, and 2) false boiling caused by superheated coolant from combustion.  

He said he tested the cap also, so its not the cap

That's true, 3) a stuck t-stat - will also cause the symptoms he described. The gradual increase of temp gives hope that it is not head gaskets. I would check the t-stat, if it checks good then the Balkamp test. BUT, putting fresh coolant in and doing the test will yield erroneous results.

 

On 11/12/2016 at 4:28 PM, oscar 98 deville said:

 

I havent got it on a lift yet, trying to do all the diagnosis before i have to pay someone to put it on a lift

 

Knowledge of what it is not will help him know whether he is getting the "correct" information from the repair facility. It all depends on OPs mechanical ability, available tools and $$

I continue to think small simple checks and work my way up to the bigger more labor intensive and thus more costly diagnosis.

THERE IS ALWAYS ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE JOB RIGHT - THERE IS NEVER ENOUGH TIME TO DO THE JOB AGAIN !!!

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I have actually had a thermostat stick on a 91 Seville, what a mess that was immediate boil over.

Its true about the diagnosis, I happen to have a Balkamp tester and because of that, get that potential out of the way quickly. 

Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1  >>

1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm

How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/

Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year  http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm

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