sharky

Well, before I bought this car, I had done my reasearch and knew they had
problems with the intake manifold leaking coolant. But, I was also under
the understanding that this problem usually showed up ~100,000 kms. My car
has around 285,000 kms, 3.1L V6. So I assumed this issue had been addressed
at least a few years ago when the original owner had it.

Recently, I could smell coolant, not strong but faintly, especially after a
long trip on the highway from the city, about 100 km round trip. There is
no leaking that I can tell of from underneath the car. I haven't noticed
any wet spots on the carpet (heater core). I'm thinking head gaskets might
need replacing but I also wanted to ask if once the intake manifold is fixed
the first time, will the leaking come back again in the future, or will the
first time fix it for good?

Any other opinions are welcome. My wife has the car right know, so I can't
check anything out. But once she gets home, I plan to check it over better.
BTW, the water pump was also replaced when I first bought the car.

Thanks,
Sharky

russg

Check the coolant resevoir. If it loses fluid, you have a leak someplace.
I solved the intake leak using Bars Leaks Heavy duty. My leak was about a
quart a month.

bigmalky

I had the same problem, thought the worst it was the intake gasket but
it turned out to be the top radiator hose. Had a pinhole leak.
Still waiting on the intake gasket going ;-)
David

sharky

UPDATE: I have still been noticing the coolant smell after long trips on
the highway, pretty much every day after work. The highway travel to work
is a 100 km round trip. The guy who travels with me said he thought he
could smell the coolant from the tailpipe the most. I popped the hood and
while he was watching, ran the engine and he checked for leaks. I have done
this before myself because I noticed a small puddle of oil on top of the
trans. case. He couldn't see any leaks anywhere and I took a look for
myself and could not find anything unusual. I also found that the coolant
reservoir was about a liter down on coolant.

I'm either thinking that the head gaskets are soon going to need replacing,
or the intake manifold gasket needs to be replaced again. The car is only
10,000 away from 300,000 km, so I think the next opportunity I get, I will
take it to an older mechanic friend and have him replace both head gaskets
and the intake gasket, seeing as how it will have to be removed to get to
the heads anyway.

There is no indication of coolant in the oil at all, no milky residue, no
discoloring, nothing. The carpet below the heater core is not wet, and the
smell is usually not noticeable until you get out of the car. I cannot
explain the smell of coolant from the exhaust, but I'm thinking maybe it is
leaking and dripping onto the hot exhaust pipe below the intake manifold.

Thanks for the help,
Sharky

micheal artindale

The smell from the tailpipe would possibly indicate a head gasket leak.

Micheal

don young

A pressure test of the coolant system has a good chance of finding the leak
and could save you some money. Water pumps will sometimes leak slightly when
the system is running and pressurized without it being evident.

Don Young

russg

You're losing coolant someplace. More than just the intake manifold leak, I
think, since exhaust has coolant smell. The head gasket is leaking for the
exhaust smell, it wouldn't be dripping on the exhaust manifold/pipe.
I still recommend Bars Leaks, it is cheap and has a chance of fixing it.
Otherwise replace the gaskets, but you've already replaced the intake
manifold gasket once. I used Bars Leaks and have no more leak. I'm not a
Bars Leaks representative, it is a really old product, like from the '40s or
so.

russg

I take that back. The intake manifold gasket could also explain the leak in
the exhaust, as obviously it leads to the combustion chamber. Bars Leaks
works if the leak goes to a source of air, like a leak from intake to
exterior, and probably a leak from manifold to the port chamber.

russg

A little more.
Bars Leaks Heavy Duty is a liquid lubricant with pellets in it. You take
the hose loose from the top hose, losing some coolant, pour some out, then
add the Bars Leaks.
I wouldn't add it to the resevoir. And then you run the engine for 20
minutes, drive it. The pellets disolve completely in the warm coolant. Add
more coolant after running for a while, to top off. Don't add too much.

micheal artindale

Bars Leak is a mixed blessing.

It may fix your leak (not likely if on a cylinder head gasket leak {to much
pressure} ) or......

It can plug passage ways in the heater core and radiator.

It is a temporary fix.

You should flush the cooling system after the leak is repaired with the
proper part so that you can remove that.

Micheal