-
help with coolant flush?
ok, so I have been working on changing my starter and have noticed a few thigns that are going on with my car.. I knew I had a coolant leak but couldn't figure out where it was coming from.. but while I was underneath the car I believe i found where it is leaking out of.. and more than likely the reason my starter went out.. my trouble is I really don't know the names of parts... very well.. I was wondering if anyone could clear up what this specific hose is and what the best way to fix this leak might be.. the picture i have is of the top of the hose coming out of the side of the motor but it is leaking out of the bottom where it goes into the back of the motor.. and at that part of the "hose" it is metal.. i'm thinking/hoping i can just tighten the bolts on either side of it??.. it is right above the starter.
another question I have is when I was detaching hoses trying to get at the starter better i found a bunch of white creamy sludge.. i also have a picture of this. It's the same hose that I am trying to figure out the name of.. at the top we found this sludge and at the bottom going into the back there is the leak. I'm assuming this is from mixing coolants which i believed was not ok but was persuaded that it was. one thing that confuses me is at the top it looks like this.. but it leaks out green coolant at the bottom.. where the coolant in my reservoir is now orange..? .. I'm just asking for some feedback, and what the best way to get rid of this sludge would be? and if it is really from mixing coolants!? much appreciated!
i'm actually having a lot of trouble getting pictures uploaded.. it only comes up with a red x no matter what i do? i do not have on read-only and i tried resizing?
-
The best way to repair a leaking hose is to replace the hose. Once you get the leak fixed have a shop flush you cooling system. If you don't want to spend the money, just add suffficient coolant and hope for the best.
I am not sure what the white creamy sludge is but I will take a wild guess and say that it is coolant churned with air (or, heaven forbid, motor oil).
Coolant comes in several colors. Maybe the original coolant was green and that was topped off with orange coolant.
Good luck.
-
that is exactly what happened with the coolant.. i don't mind spending money on it, i just wanted to learn how to do it. thank you
-
Youtube.com has several videos on how to service a cooling sytem. However, I don't know if any of them are Aveo friendly. A shop will charge between $40 and $70 for the service. Considering the mess, it is a bargain. However, I know that "I want to do it yourself" attitude as I have often had it myself. The following is a generic video: Flushing Your Car's Coolant System - YouTube
Good luck.
-
the white is typically dried coolant. but if you mixed two incompatible (hard to do now as they are "safe" if newer of either type).. then they will start to harden inside, and be less efficient and thick.
the hose i think you are referring to is the heater hose that runs around the block, also feeds the heater core. not sure of the part number or name, but if that is it, you should consider replacing if possible.
the start should be swapped out from underneath?