Saturn leaking antifreeze
#1
04-18-16, 07:08 PM
Saturn leaking antifreeze
My son has a Saturn that is squirting antifreeze from behind the starter. He says there are no hoses that he can see under there, any idea what this could be?
If you look close it is squirting from behind the starter to the left, greenish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SoAhWnLBx0
Sorry, forgot to get the year and stuff before he went to work but I can get it.
Very odd to me but I've never owned a Saturn.
Thanks
Edit: 2001 SL1
If you look close it is squirting from behind the starter to the left, greenish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SoAhWnLBx0
Sorry, forgot to get the year and stuff before he went to work but I can get it.
Very odd to me but I've never owned a Saturn.
Thanks
Edit: 2001 SL1
Last edited by Baldwin; 04-18-16 at 07:39 PM.
#4
04-18-16, 08:36 PM
Group Moderator
Tighten the bolts on the extreme left of the video.
Look at the video..... the right side of the picture is up. The anitfreeze is running down the engine, hitting the starter and then pooling at the bottom.
We can't see the leak. It's coming from further up than your video shows.
#6
04-18-16, 09:47 PM
Group Moderator
#8
04-19-16, 06:51 PM
Group Moderator
That picture is from the video. I captured the image and then turned it.
You can see the antifreeze dripping off the bottom of the starter which means it's coming from above.
You can see the antifreeze dripping off the bottom of the starter which means it's coming from above.
#9
04-19-16, 08:28 PM
which means it's coming from above.
#11
04-27-16, 04:06 AM
Sounds like we'll never know, with 235k miles it's going to the bone yard. His cousin had a saturn and he had an intake gasket go, could be that.
Apparently not which is news to me. From a Saturn forum:
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 59,338
Thee are no core plugs, freeze plugs, or any other plug into the water passages on a Saturn block. The 98 and up Saturn block heater may still be available...
Something else I've learned in the last few days...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_plug
Seems the older I get the less I know, or at least thought I knew.
... I might say that it's a freeze out plug. Are they even used anymore? Does that car have any?
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 59,338
Thee are no core plugs, freeze plugs, or any other plug into the water passages on a Saturn block. The 98 and up Saturn block heater may still be available...
Something else I've learned in the last few days...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_plug
Seems the older I get the less I know, or at least thought I knew.
#12
04-27-16, 06:00 AM
Group Moderator
Hmmm, never pay much attention, but thought the freeze plugs were a necessity in the casting of the blocks [the plugs aren't REALLY there for freeze protection, they're merely to plug up the casting holes from manufacturing]. 
#13
05-06-16, 09:00 AM
Drove it to a mechanic, ~$400 for intake gasket and $200 for a tie rod end. If it's the outer end I can change that, inside is a little more involved according to a few youtube videos I've watched.
He drove it 75 miles yesterday and didn't lose any coolant so it must be a slow, intermittent leak. Seeing it's their #3 vehicle with 235k I'm tempted to just do the tie rod end and throw some stop leak in it.
Darn kids, always something.
He drove it 75 miles yesterday and didn't lose any coolant so it must be a slow, intermittent leak. Seeing it's their #3 vehicle with 235k I'm tempted to just do the tie rod end and throw some stop leak in it.
Darn kids, always something.
#16
05-06-16, 07:21 PM
Well...they put it up on the hoist and determined it was an intake gasket, no idea how as my son "didn't pay much attention". And he "believes" he said the outer tie rod end. Kids!
Question: most of the complaints about stop leak is it plugs up the heater core. I've no idea how they run on a Saturn but would it work to disconnect the heater hoses from the core and make a loop for the summer so nothing goes through the core?
Thanks
Question: most of the complaints about stop leak is it plugs up the heater core. I've no idea how they run on a Saturn but would it work to disconnect the heater hoses from the core and make a loop for the summer so nothing goes through the core?
Thanks
#18
05-06-16, 08:51 PM
any reason why your not just replacing the intake gasket if your capable of changing outer tie rods don't see why an intake gasket and a couple hrs of your time would be that big of a deal. perhaps the car isn't even worth the time and just needs to be salvaged.
#19
05-07-16, 08:01 AM
... perhaps the car isn't even worth the time...
