89 Town car loosing coolent, at witts end.

[over2tonsofFun]

Well after changing the thermostat, by-pass hose, and heater hose. I wound up replacing the upper Rad hose after it blew out about 2 weeks later. Lately my wife has been noticing that sweet coolent smell. We both added coolent to it lately. Tonight my wife came home all in a fluster, it was steaming and coolent everywhere. came to find the rad cap not put on tight, her fault. I am wondering if I was a dumb ass and put in the thermostat backwards. What otehr things can cause loss of coolent?

Thanks

Tim

[GM_Guy]

Lately my wife has been noticing that sweet coolent smell.

Leaking heater core.

[1990LTD]

Keep an eye on the passenger side floorboard. The heater core lives behind the dash and when it leaks, it leaks down there.

[chitownvic]

Check the hoses that feed the intake

[gadget73]

check for dripping under the water pump pulley too.

[shorty]

go to the auto part store and loan this tool, you'll find the leak

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/Tools-Garage-and-Equipment/Pressure-Tester-Adapters/_/N-263r

[L1011tristar17]

I'd definitely check the water pump. Mine used to drip coolant very gradually until one day I started it up (with the hood open) and coolant sprayed everywhere.

[over2tonsofFun]

Well the water pump is only 2-3 years old. She is getting no haze on the windows. But It is going through a gallon of coolent every 3-4 days. how ever I get no drops, puddles when it sits. I did a quick check under the carpet tonight after adding coolent again, The wife had no heat today. I didn't see or feel any squicyness to the undepad. I couldn't get a good looks because it was dark, cold (16degrees now) and was too close to my wagon and couldn't get the door open fully. provided we don't get too much snow, Although we need it. I will check on Fri when we are both off.

Tim

[gadget73]

I went through water pumps every 10k miles for a while. I wouldn't say just because its not original that its good.

No heat is a sign of low coolant. Pressure test the cooling system. You'll find water coming out of somewhere, unless the motor is burning it. I'd expect you to be able to smell it in the exhaust if its going through that quick tho.

[Lincolnmania]

go borrow a cooling system pressure tester and test it out, the leak could be anywhere, and just cause the water pump is only a few years old that don't mean squat.....i have seen brandy new water pumps leak right out of the box.

[Mainemantom]

Did you wash the engine compartment since the coolant leaked all over ? You might be smelling the residual + 1 on the pressure tester

[over2tonsofFun]

I do plan on getting a pressure tester in the next couple days. I need to get this problem solved.

Tim

[GM_Guy]

Take a look around the front of the intake manifold, you might spot some coolant puddled on the horizontal surfaces of the block, in which case, you've probably got to pull and reseal the lower intake.

Alex.

[whitemgm]

Did you fix this? My 89 Grand Marquis was doing the same thing. It would just mysteriously lose coolant like crazy. Come to find out, the head gaskets were leaking exhaust gasses into the coolant thus pressurizing the coolant system. So once the pressure built up enough, it would spill out the overflow while we drove it down the road. Start it up with the cap off and watch for bubbles in the radiator. Mine had plenty of them.

[over2tonsofFun]

I took it in to the shop yesterday, diagnosis: water pump, thermostat, and head gaskets to the tune of $2200. But I don't have any milky oil. We deciding what to do. we have her home. but do we just do a water pump and thermostat and hope the headgasket was a wrong call or we found an almost dead match for it for sale for $1200. but we don't have the $$ for either now. but now we need it as we are down to one vehicle. We can swing the water pump and thermostat.

Tim