Coolant leak on a 98 chevy cavalier

[michael armstrong]

My car has been leaking a orange fluid on the ground. Since taking it to get repaired, i have had a new radiator, new hoses, clamps, sensors, coolant res. tank, Temp. sensor fixed but yet it is still leaking fluid on the ground. The picture here show’s the color of it. I still don’t know what it could be. Could it be a valve or head gasket issue? When starting the car i can smell a strong coolant smell. If anyone can help me that would be great. The leak is coming from the right side of the car towards the front of the engine.

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Topic

[college man]

if you park the car in a certain spot. where ever
the drips fall on the floor.Thats the starting point
of where you start looking. I would suggest jacking
up the car and do a visual inspection.

[michael armstrong]

I don’t have a jack stand so i got under the car and took some pictures. On the first picture it’s wet on there and says R134 a, is that my ac compressor? I don’t use my a/c at all. Was trying to follow the leak, everything was dry except for that.The second picture show’s the fluid dripping from there.

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[scott37300]

You really have two choices here. Either buy the tools to diagnose it yourself or take it to a different shop that is reputable and able to fix it. To find the leak you really need a set of ramps or jack and stands and start digging around under and on top of the car to find the leak. One of my favorite tools is my stant pressure tester when it comes to coolant leaks. I think you can “rent” them at most auto parts stores, you pay for the tool in full and when you return it they refund all your money. An inspection mirror is also nice in these situations. But if you aren’t going to fix it yourself I would just find a good shop and take it there. Seems like the shop you have been taking it to has just been throwing parts at it.

[college man]

whats right above the ac compressor? try shinning
a flash light.The coolant may be more visible.

[SDMAN1981]

Was wondering if you found your leak spot? If not you should consider buying a radiator pressure tester, or you could possibly rent one from an auto parts store.

[EricTheCarGuy]

The best way to find leaks is to pressurize the system. I show how in this video. Based on your pictures it looks like it’s the front of the vehicle. You might have a leaking radiator hose connection. This is quite common especially if the old hose clamps were used.

[Author]

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