1979-1993 & 94 Conv [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
I found another mystery on my SAAB today. I replaced the Heater Control Valve a few months ago. As soon as I put the new one in, I bled the system, topped off the coolant tank to the line, and everything seemed fine. A day or so later, I noticed that the coolant line was about half a centimeter below the mark. My thought was that maybe there was some air in the system or some spot where the coolant hadn't filled until I ran it for a good drive. I haven't checked it since. Today I noticed that the level is now about a full centimeter below the mark. Whether it all happened in the beginning or whether it happened gradually, I can't tell. There are no tell-tale signs of drips under the car, no antifreeze in the oil (at least that I can see), and no drips in the car at the HCV, firewall, or filling tank.
Now, as I was poking around the rest of the engine, I notice some coolant spots on the engine block. On the passenger-side of the engine just below where the exhaust pipes come out of the block, there is a bit of a ledge where the engine (tranny?) comes out for a few inches. There was oil here along with some coolant. The car has many oil leaks that I have slowly taken care of over the years, so the oil on the ledge could be old. The coolant was sitting in the oil here and there, but I couldn't tell if it was new or not. It could have been from when I bled the system if it splashed down there, but I don't know. I wiped it clean and will look at it in a day or two.
What could be leaking antifreeze in this area? Could it be coming out from the valve cover? Cracked heads? I have no clue. Any ideas? I would imagine that if I had a real leak, I'd be seeing more signs of it. It could be that the coolant leveled out a few days after the HCV job, and that the drips I was seeing were old. Anyway, I'll keep everyone informed. Thanks for any suggestions.
-Hans
posted by 68.38.163...
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