Alright tonight was our homecoming night, and tomorrows the dance. All day ( half day of school ) I had been riding around with friends doing stuff, there was a assembly, a parade, and the foot ball game. I drove the car around a little in the day, all was well, no problems at all. Tonight I had to park far away from the game since I got there late and I when I went to get my car, I had to drive in some heavy uphill stop go traffic. About 3 mins into this traffic I see white smoke billowing out from the hood, and smell antifreeze burning. So right away I stop the car and pop the hood and get out and open the hood. I first felt the hose coming off the stat and it was limp, no pressure at all, the RAD cap was cool, I opened it a bit and no pressure leaked out... There was coolant all over the hood's underside, all over under the hood, all over the road running down the hill, it was everywhere.

So the cop made me pull it forward about 10 foot and off to the side of the road, so I had to re-start it I let it sit for a good hour while me and my friends chatted, and my friend Ben got there with his jeep and a few tow straps, and we straped them to the front sway bar and the jeep and tried to pull it up the hill, we got just to the top and the strap broke, so we had to push it to level ground, SUCKED.

So there we sit on the side of the road, level ground. We were trying to think what to do, the school was right down the road and my auto mechanics teacher lets us tow cars there if they break down, so I figured we needed to go up the road, about maybe 1/4 mile, 1 stop light, right infront of us. I waited for the light to turn green, got in the car and drove it about half way till the temp was up to 210, and shut it off and coasted to a stop on the shoulder.

So we were wondering what to do now, b/c it would have to cool for another hour or two for it to be able to be moved, but we ended up getting the tow strap to work and pulled it into the schools parking lot..


So now I sit at home wondering what it could be... Worst case is the water pump, correct? Im going up there after work tomorrow ( 2PM ) and I'm gonna look at it some more, what are some simple things to check? Could it be the RAD cap?

 

If your were leaking that much coolant its probably just a hose that tore or fell off cause of a loose clamp. Unless theres a giant hole in ur radiator, I would say the only thing that could cause a leak that significant would be a hose.

goodluck

BTW: A bad waterpump just drips out of the weep hole on the bottom, right onto the opti and the harmonic balancer, slinging it everywhere.

 

werd. Maybe your coolant drain came open some how. It's on the bottom ps of the radiator. Check all your tubing, pick up a new radiator cap, thier like $10 at GM. Also verify your fans kick on and your radiator is full. How hot did the car get when going up the hill?

 

It was at ~235 I think when the coolant started leaking, and 210 when I shut it down after starting it up and driving it half way to school, Im going to the car now.

 

It was the rad hose that comes off the top of the rad and goes to the water pump under the air intake... Big split, got it fixxed, good thing too, I was worried