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But I noticed the coolant reservoir seemed empty. I poured some water into the coolant reservoir and it emptied out again pretty quickly.

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That sounds pretty conclusive to me. Maybe a radiator hose ruptured or came loose?
 

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Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
 
Not weird at all, fairly common.


Sounds like coolent to me, but without seeing it myself I am just guessing.

Could be a hose...that's the best case situation. Could be the radiator, which would suck.


Good luck, let us know what it was...they only thing I can figure out is what the noises were. If it was just coolent, then there should have been very few noises.


What type of noises were they? How fast were you losing fluid?
 

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Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
 
It's also possible that your radiator itself is leaking somewhere. I had to have mine patched up once, and the damage was only about $35, I think.
 

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Posted by Irregardless (Member # 8529) on :
 
The 'massive quantities of fluid pouring' makes it sound less like a radiator leak to me (wouldn't think it'd be that sudden & catastrophic), but I don't really get the 'horrible sounds' either.
 

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Posted by Baron Samedi (Member # 9175) on :
 
It was a high-pitched squealing nose that seemed somewhat related, but not completely proportional, to the movement of the car.

After I got home and stopped the car I got out an a couple seconds later I heard some splashing. I looked under the car and the fluid was pouring out at the rate you'd expect if you opened a gallon of milk and turned it upside down.

Thanks for the help.
 

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Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
 
Hmm. Could also be the water pump, I suppose. If the bearings on it had seized up, that would explain the horrible noises, and if it broke, then it would spray coolant and empty out the radiator pretty quickly.

Edit: The squealing probably came from the serpentine belt, in which case I'd put my money on the water pump. Pop the hood and look at the belt. Is there fluid all over it and the rest of that side of the engine compartment? Can you tell where the fluid was leaking from?
 

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Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
 
I'm with JB, probably the water pump. That happened to me with those same symptoms (with the water pouring out as soon as you put it in).
 

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Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :
 
Yup sounds coolant related to me. I think probably the water pump (because of the noises and you can lose fluid quickly when the pump goes) or a hose coming off. Do all the hoses appear to be properly connected? Can you follow the water marks to see where it came from?

Edit: from the pics it's hard to tell where the fluid came from. I'd be surprised if it actually originated that far down (rather than dripping down from above). If it did actually come from that far down, it could be a blown hose or possibly a blown plug (I forget the actual name - the plugs in your engine block).

Out of curiosity, have you ever flushed your radiator? That fluid is dirtier than I'd expect to see in a vehicle of that age.
 

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Posted by Baron Samedi (Member # 9175) on :
 
Nope. I haven't owned the car for very long.

Thanks for the help, everyone. I'll feel much more confident talking to the mechanics now. If anyone has anything to add, feel free. If not, I'll let you know what happens.
 

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Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
 

quote:

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It was a high-pitched squealing nose that seemed somewhat related, but not completely proportional, to the movement of the car.

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When you get a lot of wet fluid on your belts, don't they make that sound? So if he blew a hose and it sprayed all over his fan belt, I could imagine it squealing.
 

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Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
 
Speaking of car problems, I have almost a thousand dollars of repairs to do to my car before we can drive it to D.C. The axles, CV boots, and brakes are all getting replaced.

This is not fun.
 

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Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Farmgirl:

quote:

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It was a high-pitched squealing nose that seemed somewhat related, but not completely proportional, to the movement of the car.

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When you get a lot of wet fluid on your belts, don't they make that sound? So if he blew a hose and it sprayed all over his fan belt, I could imagine it squealing.

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