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stop leak antifreeze

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Q: Engine overheats after putting stop leak in radiator.?
My car was leaking antifreeze, so I put a bottle of stop-leak in radiator. and it started overheat. Normal temperature 35+mph. Starts overheat when Idle. And if I turn on airconditioning, it used to over heat slower than without A/C on. I searched a lot. I did coolant flush twice, And I replaced thermostat and radiator. Now it still overheats, but temperature drops to normal when I turn on the A/C. My heater blows pretty hot air. Found clogged stopleaks from old radiator. What should I do? My car is 1998 Olds Eighty eight. by the way, its not leaking any antifreeze now. I really want to get away from Stop leak nightmare. Please help me!! Is there anyway to get rid of all stop leak from my car? or what should I do more?

A: I am a alittle concerned that you might have clogged your Thermostat up witht he stop leak preventing the flow when it is opened..

Q: Does Silver Seal Heavy Duty Radiator Stop Leak work or better to get a new radiator long term?
When the guy changed my oil, he showed me some cracks at the top of my radiator (Toyota Corolla ‘92). I can definitely see the leaking antifreeze.

Does Silver Seal Heavy Duty Radiator Stop Leak work well or would it be better to get a new radiator. (My wife and I are trying to save money for a baby right now.) How much do you think a new radiator (including installation fee) would cost?

Thanks for your thoughts and advice!

A: In my opinion, go ahead and pay to have a new radiator installed or get that one repaired if possible. I am not sure a repair is even possible with some Toyota and Nissan radiators as they have plastic top caps. That leak stop stuff can cause more trouble than it fixes by clogging other coolant orafices and making a repair that much more expensive later. With a new baby coming, you had best have good reliable vehicles so you shouldn’t cut corners here. I don’t know where you live, but it would be better to spend the $200 or $300 to fix it right than the $3000 or more for an engine later

Q: bar’s stop leak/water pump seal?
short scenario… 2005 GMC envoy/denali has been leaking antifreeze and running hot. I keep replacing antifreeze about every 7 days and drive short distances.

I am very limited on funds. I finally got paid and took the car to a trusted mechanic that my family knows, however I am on answers looking for opinion of the product used.

Come to find out there was a leak on an underneath hose and gasket… (i was ok with that small cost)
the weep hole on water pump was leaking also (they could of plugged that)
HOWEVER the seal inside or a seal that required the entire water pump to be replaced is bad..
The estimated cost is over 400

They suggested I use bar’s stop leak. I was told specifically to get that brand due to the other ones that are less expensive do not work. The owner had told me he has used it as a fix before and lasted months.. however no guarantee on if will help for a month a week or longer.

They put in the stop leak (bar’s brand) and tested it.. it is no longer leaking at all from anywhere.

My question is in regards to the bar’s stop leak and specifically with the above parts that it is/was leaking from. Would a stop leak seal up a hose, a seep hole and water pump leak.
It so far has worked.
I plan to drive little as possible, watch gage, keep antifreeze with me at all times.

I have read great reviews on the bar’s product and I have read reviews that any stop leak will leave a gummy mess in important parts of the car.

any help or opinions would be appreciated.

A: It is only a temporary fix at best.

The pump is about $70 – and is about a 3/4 hour job. Ask around, (friends – relatives), to see if someone will help??

Piece of cake for someone that has done one lately. Heck – my Blazer took me 4 hours and when my daughters Jeep went out a few weeks later – hers only took me 3:45.

Q: Do I need a special type of cooling system stop leak for a 1998 vw passat?
My 1998 vw passat is leaking antifreeze so I’m going to flush it with fresh antifreeze but I also wanted to add some type of stop leak formula so I wanted to know which brands are compatable with a 1998 vw passat.

I know that Pentosin is the best antifreeze for vws so Im going to use that but which type of stop leak should I use?

Or does Pentosin help seal up small leaks by itself? (I read that somewhere)

A: Have you figured out where the leak is from? Have you owned the car from new and has it been well maintained? If the latter is true, your anti-freeze should be clear and clean in the expansion bottle (usually where you fill up, and usually green or pink in color).

In my opinion, the best way to fix this is to replace whatever is leaking, rather than rely on stop leak products. Stop leak products may cure the problem for the short term, but they may cause worse problems over time (due to improper cooling performance).

If the radiator is leaking, or any of the various pipes in the cooling system, then this should not be too complicated or costly to fix, even if some connections may be tricky to access. If the water pump is leaking, it will need to be replaced, which is not so easy (or cheap), but you may find yourself stranded on the side of the road if you don’t. If the heater is leaking (sometimes you’ll notice coolant dripping under the dash, inside the vechicle), then this can be tricky to replace, because of the difficult access to the area, but again: stop leak products will probably only delay the inevitable repair and possibly leave you on the side of the road (with or without permanent engine damage).

Remember, if your engine overheats and the warning light comes on, even if you stop within minutes, you may already have caused severe damage that will have an impact on the longevity of your vehicle. The best advice I can think of here is to fix it, not patch it.

I’ve added a couple of research links to this answer to help you get a better understanding of the issues involved.

Best of luck.

Q: having a water leak on the driver side of a chrysler 1997 cirrus lx 2.5l v6 have replaced thermostat and hoses?
heater core went out 3 days ago put in radiator stop leak fixed the problem now we are leaking antifreeze out of the driver side of the engine just replaced thermostat because it was over heating now not over heating YET but still leaking enough to have a puddle under driver side tire car sat for about 5 years untill last week any suggestions?

A: Best thing to do is fix the leak properly, it could be a seal or gasket or frost plug so be sure that all fluids are clean and pure.The real problem here is it sat for so long bec that could and more then likely will deter-ate and brake down the gaskets or seals.

Hope that helps and best of luck.By the way pepper is a real old back yard mechanic method that I’ve know to work and know of many ppl that use it or swear by it too.

Q: what is the best product to stop a slow leak in my radiator?
i have a 1996 Lincoln Town Car that recently has started to leak antifreeze. its coming from the drivers side about halfway up the side of the radiator not from the fins so its not anything like a puncture or damage. judging from the age of the car i suspect its from the years of wear and tear. i dont have the money to put in a new radiator at this time so i am going to put some stop leak in it but i am wondering what the best leak stopper is that is going to stop the leak but not plug the small jets and internals of my radiator. any help would be greatly appreciated
i would love to take it to the repair shop and have it fixed but like i said i have very little money and i lost my job 2 days ago, the car also needs a muffler and a windshield. right now those 2 things are the highest on my list of priorities. a slowly leaking radiator that i put coolant in once every week or two when the coolant tank has half an inch of coolant in it is pretty low on my priorities i can get the hole fixed later

A: go to the parts store and ask for a tube of aluminum seal and follow the directions.

Q: 97 Buick leaking antifreeze, smell coolant out tailpipe, oil lks good? What do I do and how much will it cost?
1997 Buick Century. Stop leak products worked for about 10,000 miles. Car has 100,000 miles. Should I buy the head gasket kit and have my back yard mechanic do the job?

A: In my experience, stop leak products rarely work for that long. It is possible that only your intake manifold gasket is leaking and not the head gaskets, since you don’t have water in your oil. Given the car’s age and mileage, I think it would be best to go ahead with head gasket job. Your mechanic will have to replace the intake gasket anyway. This will definitely solve your problem and it would be a good time to evaluate the condition of your valves. I would at least replace the valve guides and grind the valves and seats if necessary. Check the heads for cracks, warpage etc and have a few thousandths milled to ensure a flat surface for your new gaskets. Inspect the cylinder walls for wear. Put it all back together and run a compression test on it. You may find that your engine is in like new condition after you have finished.

Q: Where am I leaking antifreeze from?
I have a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a little over 57000 miles on it. I started leaking antifreeze about a week ago. The truck is not over heating and there is no antifreeze smell inside the truck. I had the water pump replaced and it is still leaking. The radiator is new and thats not leaking. I have looked under the truck and cannot find the leak. What does every think could be the problem? Head gasket? Also what does everyone think about the Bar’s stop leak? Anyproblems with it?

A: You need to look again at that water pump install and then check the radiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator itself just cause its new doesnt mean its not defective and then lastly the head gasket. What side is it leaking on and what area is it puddling? Why do you think its leaking if you dont see a leak ? Is it because the fluids going down? If so then head gasket could be a possibility but personally these Jeeps lose lots of water after a water pump is put in so they just may have not put enough in the overflow and radiator or there may be air in the system. Run it with the radiator cap off till it gets a little warm and then add until its full then after that put the cap back on and do the same to the overflow tank till it gets to the hot mark. Alot of times these small time garages fill them up but dont allow ample time for the coolant to cycle thru the system and then it gives the appearance of a leak. Try these and get back to me and ill be glad to coach you thru the problem till its right.

Q: so when I do the heater core bypass, will it stop the antifreeze from leaking in the car?

A: Yes it will once the Remaining coolant has leaked from the Heater Core. You may have a bit of residual that will continue to leak for a day or so, but then it will stop.

Q: Antifreeze Leaking after i drive truck and stop.?
I have a 99 dodge ram thats leaking anti freeze. It only leaks after i drive and stop, then just pours out all over the place. Looks almost like it was leaking out from behind the fan pulley,also the anti freeze in my overflow tank has turned almost a rusty orange color? Any ideas?

A: Your leak is coming from the water pump. The reason it only leaks when it cools off is because it is under pressure when it is hot and once it starts cooling down the pressure drops and makes room for the coolant to flow freely. The reason your coolant reservoir is rust colored is because of the contamination of the coolant, especially if you have been adding straight water.It is causing rust int the rest of the cooling system.

Q: Coolant/Antifreeze leak 1994 Mercury Grand Marquis?
i have a 94 Mercury Grand Marquis. Once i drive for about an hour, park and cut off… my car leaks like its urinating. its not coming from the radiator. its coming from either behind the engine or under the engine. could anybody possible tell me what this could be? a hose maybe? i’ve use Bar’s stop leak but it only stops it for a few days, i’ve tried re-applying it but it does not do any better.

A: This could a heater hose busted or a heater valve cracked or broke. Follow the 2 hoses at the firewall on down to black valve check for any leaking. I would stay away from using to much stop leak as it could clog some of the system. Good Luck.

Q: I used bars stop leak on intake manifold gasket leak?
Now my problem is this, antifreeze is leaking out onto the ground on the right front side of the car as soon as i put it in – it doesnt seem to be flowing through the tubes to get to the engine. There is white steam coming from the exhuast pipe, im going to trade the car in I just need to drive it for two more days. to work and to dealership. What can i do myself to get the fluids flowing properly???

A: You should have put the Barrs stop-leak into the radiator get some more and try again, (try and stem the exess leakage with putty or the like until the sealer works) good luck with your new car..

Q: Does Bars’ Leak Radiator stop leak work well or not I have a small leak and my radiator and have no money?
went to work and 8 hours later notice there was antifreeze on the ground so it must be a slow leak

also is there any bad things this product could do to my car

A: GO RENT A COOLANT PRESSURE TESTER FROM A LOCAL PARTS STORE AND YOU CAN FIND THE LEAK THAT WAY, BEFORE YOU START BUYING NO-GOOD SEALANTS!

Q: Would it be ok to just put water into my car instead of antifreeze?
My car is leaking antifreeze pretty bad. I have to refill it every 3-4 days. I REALLY cant afford to keep doing this. Would it be ok to stop using antifreeze and just put in water? Or would it permanently damage something? thanks
Im pretty sure its leaking into my oil tank….
to the people saying to just fix it…i cant afford a new head gasket right now! i need to find a temporary fix until i can get the money to do so. im just looking for honest advise.

A: Where is it leaking from? Have you even looked? It could be a $12 hose. Why don’t you fix the problem and then fill the coolant with 50/50 mix. Then you don’t have to worry about it anymore.

Someday, you’ll forget, or be in a hurry, and overheat the engine. Then the small leak will become a rebuilt engine.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS >>>
I’m sorry, but sometimes honest advice stings a little.

The fact that the coolant is getting into the engines crankcase means the engine will not last much longer. If you don’t get it fixed you will wind up putting a new engine in or getting another car. This will cost much more than fixing it now.

Q: everytime i start my nissan maxima, my car leaks antifreeze?
i have a 1996 nissan maxima 3.0 6 cyl. everytime i start my car, my car leaks antifreeze. When i drive my car the leaking stops. What is causing this problem. How can i fix it? help!

A: Check your hoses for a leak. Also, the water pump might be leaking. And check that the cap is on on the tank that holds the antifreeze. If all of the above isn’t found, take it to the mechanic.

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