Well Recently I started having some serious cooling problems with the TransAm.

1) Thermostat Gasket blew...had to replace it...problem solved
2) Radiator Tank a-sploded. Had to replace it...

New problem

After driving my car for a while...when I shut it down I can hear the sound of fluid spirting from under my hood. I am assuming its coolant cuz my overflow can keeps losing fluid and now my radiator is starting to get low. I parked the car in my garage last night and fired a piece of cardboard under the car to see if I could find where it was dripping from. Well i checked this morning and sure enough..the cardboard was dry. I figure if its dripping, its landing on a hot component and just evaporating. Can I get any ideas as to where to check next. I need to get these coolant system issues solved.

Thanks

 

do you use water or rad fluid/water? I kinda have the same type of deal and im pretty sure its bec i use mostly water and not rad fluid...the water is prob evaporating throughout the system and not leaking anywhere.

so each day you have less and less water in the system and it seems like it must be leaking but its not its simply evaporating against the hot radiator and engine

make sure your ratio of water/rad fluid is 50/50 and i think you wont have a prob anymore

 

Water cannot evaporate in a closed system.

Start with the basics: pressure test the system, do a complete and thorough inspection of the top end, all the hoses, connections, etc. Leaking coolant will leave a trail of stains on whatever.

 

well whatever...i dont have any leaks and ill fill my coolant tank and rad with water and then a couple months later the tank is empty and rad will be half full...so something is happening to it

 

Closed system. Funny, I have an overflow tank on mine, for expansion when hot. My wifes car does too. That would be a good reason for radiator exploding.

 

what?^^^

now that i think about it a little more...i dont think the little dinky plastic cap that covers my overflow tank properly closes the system...it doesnt even go on straight so i highly doubt it seals evaporation...therefore, water in your system could very well be evaporating

also if it was leaking...i would think it would leak all the time...after the car was hot enough to instantly evaporate...which it wouldnt if you had rad fluid mixed with the water...just run some rad fluid through the system and let the car run a bit and watch for any leaks...there are only a few places where it can leak...check the rad, water pump, hose connections to rad, and underneath the car for anything else

 

Just a guess but have you checked your engine oil or trans fluid? Any sweet smell of anti freeze when you hear this hissing sound?

 

Well I found the leak...but I have no clue how to fix it.

The leak is at the top of the radiator tank. the new tank that is. There is this metal pipe going in there..not sure what the other end of that pipe is connected to but when the car has ran for a bit and the engine warms up...coolant starts squirting out of that area. The pipe is threaded and it has a bolt on it. I tried to tighten it but it won't budge. Anyone know of this pipe I am talking about?...if not I will try to take a picture and post it so you get a better idea.

 

If your car is automatic that metal pipe on top is part of your transmission fliud line. there should be a similar pipe below it. it flows through the radiator and cools the fluid back into teh transmission. The coolent should be a diffferent color then green radiator fluid. Without beign at your car i can't be sure but that is what it sounds like.

 

Well I finally got my digital camera to work again so I will snap a few pics of the leaky pipe and post them on here once I get home from work.

 

My 88 iroc was doin that 4 a year an half, i jus kept toppin it up and sayin 'yeh its guna b ok, its jus leaky hoses' then about a month ago the head gasket finaly wen LOL. Not much fun 2 do on 1 of those and over here in the UK parts r not cheap!

 

my 83 would do that, no leaks under it anywhere, I replaced all the hoses Except the ones around the Heatercore. Same issue. So one of the Hoses in the back around the heater core finally went out on me. I replaced it, I haven;t had to put water in that thing in over 4 months. Check all the little ones in the back maybe. I can see a leak happening and it going down the fire wall then evaporating before it can drip. Who knows...

 

mayb a leaky thermostat gasket, check up there and look if your gasket is wet or wet looking and there might be a pool of dark green stuff. sometimes if that gasket face isnt cleaned up properly itll leak a bit at a time, and it does leak out and then evaporate as it trickles down the front of the block. but the glycol is still there, only the water evaporates.