Jesse R Smith Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 So this is wierd... A few months back, my 95 Deville sprung a BIG coolant leak. It then sat till yesterday. I jacked it up, and got ready to locate the leak. I filled up the radiator and overflow tank. Nothing. When it originally popped, I did the same thing, and the water emptied out in about 3 minutes from underneath near the crankshaft. So I started the car, and ended up driving it 7 miles around the neighborhood. No leak. Looked under it this evening again, nothing. Any thoughts? I am baffled... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 Was it coming out of the overflow?, by 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 This is strange. Start the engine, open the hood and lift up the throttle lever with a finger to increase RPM . Watch for leaks. Usual suspects for 4.9 liter engine are cracked radiator side tanks (one on the driver side), the heater valve (a plastic tee connected to the heater hoses), waterpump and heater pipes which can rust badly. Of course, watch all the coolant hose connections. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 dont forget the waterpump itself GM FAN FOREVER Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse R Smith Posted August 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 Originally, the leak was on the underside of the engine near the crankshaft pulley. I checked the pipes and hoses, nothing cracked or badly rusted. I went so far as to drive it locally about 7 miles, and it still didn't reproduce the leak. The next day the ground was bone dry underneath... Radiator is still full, overflow tank was down a bit, but probably because the system had been basically empty... Maybe a gasket failing that resealed itself for the time being in the heat and humidity we've had in CT? I never thought I'd be bummed to NOT find a leak! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 This could be a few things, get under the car and look at the weep hole on the water pump and see if you see rusty water trails there. When the pump begins to go, it may leak intermittantly. Do you use the GM cooling supplement tablets?, it is possible that a small leak has been sealed 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted August 22, 2012 Report Share Posted August 22, 2012 This sounds to me like a boil-over that blew coolant out of the overflow tank, through the radiator cap valve and out the overflow tube, which exits low on the passenger side, near the crankshaft pulley. If so, it could be anything that causes overheating, such as a sticking thermostat or a clogged thermostat bypass. If the car was not driven for a long time just before this happened, and nothing can be found wrong now, it might have resolved itself. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse R Smith Posted August 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 This sounds to me like a boil-over that blew coolant out of the overflow tank, through the radiator cap valve and out the overflow tube, which exits low on the passenger side, near the crankshaft pulley. If so, it could be anything that causes overheating, such as a sticking thermostat or a clogged thermostat bypass. If the car was not driven for a long time just before this happened, and nothing can be found wrong now, it might have resolved itself. Just prior to the leak, the a/c compressor had seized, busting the belt. I replaced the belt with a shorter one to bypass the compressor. It was a day or two after that that the car sprung the huge leak. And yes, prior to the a/c compressor going, it had not been driven for several months. maybe the shorter belt is not a good temorary fix? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted August 25, 2012 Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 The A/C compressor runs off the serpentine belt. The water pump runs off a separate V-belt on the other end of the engine. I don't believe that the use of a shorter serpentine belt to bypass the A/C compressor does can cause overheating. The water pump is driven by a pulley on a cam on the rear (driver's side) of the engine. Look on the left front corner of the engine for the assembly. Check out the belt and the idler pulley to see if they are in good shape. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted August 25, 2012 Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 The A/C compressor runs off the serpentine belt. The water pump runs off a separate V-belt on the other end of the engine. I don't believe that the use of a shorter serpentine belt to bypass the A/C compressor does can cause overheating. The water pump is driven by a pulley on a cam on the rear (driver's side) of the engine. Look on the left front corner of the engine for the assembly. Check out the belt and the idler pulley to see if they are in good shape. Jim, it is 4.9 engine. MY guess is that the shorter belt was not a correct size. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted August 25, 2012 Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 This sounds to me like a boil-over that blew coolant out of the overflow tank, through the radiator cap valve and out the overflow tube, which exits low on the passenger side, near the crankshaft pulley. If so, it could be anything that causes overheating, such as a sticking thermostat or a clogged thermostat bypass. If the car was not driven for a long time just before this happened, and nothing can be found wrong now, it might have resolved itself. Just prior to the leak, the a/c compressor had seized, busting the belt. I replaced the belt with a shorter one to bypass the compressor. It was a day or two after that that the car sprung the huge leak. And yes, prior to the a/c compressor going, it had not been driven for several months. maybe the shorter belt is not a good temorary fix? What size is the shorter belt. That could be the problem. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse R Smith Posted August 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 This sounds to me like a boil-over that blew coolant out of the overflow tank, through the radiator cap valve and out the overflow tube, which exits low on the passenger side, near the crankshaft pulley. If so, it could be anything that causes overheating, such as a sticking thermostat or a clogged thermostat bypass. If the car was not driven for a long time just before this happened, and nothing can be found wrong now, it might have resolved itself. Just prior to the leak, the a/c compressor had seized, busting the belt. I replaced the belt with a shorter one to bypass the compressor. It was a day or two after that that the car sprung the huge leak. And yes, prior to the a/c compressor going, it had not been driven for several months. maybe the shorter belt is not a good temorary fix? What size is the shorter belt. That could be the problem. It's 62". Got the idea from another Caddy forum. I'm gonna take the car out for a longer drive tomorrow to see how it does. The level in the overflow tank hasn't dropped since I filled it a week ago... The overflow tube seems to answer where the leak was coming from. Now I suppose I need to find out if something is causing it to overheat intermittently. I let it run for about 20 minutes today without n issue. Here's the thread i got the idea from: http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/cadillac-tech-tips/96512-94-4-9-c-belt-bypass.html BTW, thanks for the input, it is most appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted August 25, 2012 Report Share Posted August 25, 2012 Yes, the size of the belt is correct. Make sure your radiator is full. The hose coming from the reservoir to the neck of the radiator could be plugged. It usually takes a couple of cooling/heating cycles for 4.9 engine to get rid of air in the cooling system. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse R Smith Posted August 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2012 Yes, the size of the belt is correct. Make sure your radiator is full. The hose coming from the reservoir to the neck of the radiator could be plugged. It usually takes a couple of cooling/heating cycles for 4.9 engine to get rid of air in the cooling system. Ok, thanks... going to drain out the water that's in it now and spend the time tomorrow getting it filled correctly with antifreeze. Hoping it goes nice and smooth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted August 26, 2012 Report Share Posted August 26, 2012 Yes, the size of the belt is correct. Make sure your radiator is full. The hose coming from the reservoir to the neck of the radiator could be plugged. It usually takes a couple of cooling/heating cycles for 4.9 engine to get rid of air in the cooling system. Ok, thanks... going to drain out the water that's in it now and spend the time tomorrow getting it filled correctly with antifreeze. Hoping it goes nice and smooth. So was it 100% water, or is it how you call antifreeze/coolant ? The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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