help, as always, is apperciated.

anyways i searched for this topic and didnt find anything to answer my question.

for many months there has been a slow coolant leak from the upper passenger side right under the exhaust header.

the drip has gotten a little worse lately, and i want to replace it soon. im assumming its a gasket but i dont know. there has been no wierd noise and no other symptoms.

its on the back of the 2.4L block right under the header, where there feels like there is a small cylinder that is a part of the block, and my coolant light is comming on...so i gotta add coolant now every few weeks.

thanks for the help!



- Cameron (CaliforniaCavalier)
- www.csc-motorsports.com

The location you describe leads me to believe you have a failing water pump.

You'll want second opinions, of course, and ultimately should take it to a shop for a confirming diagnosis, but that's where the WP is on the 2.4. Could be a hose connection, too, but most likely the pump.

They are designed to "weep", or leak, coolant when they begin to fail to alert the owner that it is time to replace it before catastrophic failure occurs, possibly causing overheating and related damage to the engine.

Unfortunately, replacing the water pump on a 2.4 is a slightly involved process, as it is gear-driven, and requires several other components to be removed to gain access. While I don't like to discourage people from working on their own car, unless you are a somewhat experienced DIY'er under the hood, this is probably a job best left to the pros. Shop estimates will range in the $400-$600 range, typically, and most of that is labor.

If you decide to replace it yourself, however, at the very least get a good repair manual such as Haynes or Chiltons, preferably the more expensive factory manuals.

If you do some keyword searching in this forum (2.4 water pump) you will find many threads where people explain the joys of this chore.




-Ferrite

^Agreed. The method described in Haynes and Chilton (same company) is go in from underneath. That's a terrible way to do it, trust me. You'll want to remove the exhaust manifold and it's right there. Like Ferrite said, if you're a do it yourself type this should be no problem. Otherwise find someone who can do it.

I'll third that "water pump" opinion. It's probably the most expensive repair on our cars, unfortunately

The whole timing chain assembly has to come off... good time to have the timing chain replaced too.. if you're thinking about any cam mods, this is the prime time to do it...

would the water pump really fail though with only 70k miles on the car? ive babied it, as did the last owner....can it just be a gasket or somthing simple?

thanks for the great replies!




- Cameron (CaliforniaCavalier)
- www.csc-motorsports.com

The 2.4liters also leaks at the water outlet drivers side just need new o-ring.
just take your time and check to make sure it's not coming from thier, my 1999 was leaking from thier but took me three days just looking for it, This is also listed in the lemon aid guide dealer will fix for free. but for 1997 2.4
just going to have wipe all area's down start from top of engine and work your way down, start car and check for leaks. not say it's not your water pump,
but hope this helps. if it is your water outlet just pinch the hose and see if it leaks.

well whats wierd is it it ONLY leaks when the car is off and sitting there, and it does it a few drips an hour for a few hours.

i thoughout the water pump leaks while you are driving and dribbles out when its parked for a short amount of time, then doesnt leak until the car is started again.

and to everyone who has posted so far, thanks for the help, it is very much apperciated!




- Cameron (CaliforniaCavalier)
- www.csc-motorsports.com

The water pump is probably fine, its the water pump gasket that goes, they just replace the water pump because of wear, and they have to take it off anyways.

do you still have to disassemble the engine to get to the seal? or can you just pop the casing off, replace the seal, and reinstall?

i really dont want to have to go through weeks of work for a #$^% water pump.


- Cameron (CaliforniaCavalier)
- www.csc-motorsports.com

It sounds like you really need to determine where the leak is coming from. Get yourself under the car and start looking... a black light does wonders when trying to find a dexcool leak...

CaliforniaCavalier wrote:well whats wierd is it it ONLY leaks when the car is off and sitting there, and it does it a few drips an hour for a few hours.

i thoughout the water pump leaks while you are driving and dribbles out when its parked for a short amount of time, then doesnt leak until the car is started again.

and to everyone who has posted so far, thanks for the help, it is very much apperciated!

I have had that prob with my 97 Z24 (manual trans, ~ 85k miles) for quite some time - at least 8 months. At first I only occasionally had to top off the coolant every month or so. That was really no biggie, I could live with it.

Over time it has slowly gotten worse. Now I have to refill the expansion tank every couple of days - Irritating.

I never can catch it in the act or precisely see where its coming from - although I did recently spot a drop near the passenger side inner CV joint/axle.

Seems to do it only when the engine is stone cold, usually overnight. It must be noted that the car NEVER overheats. Temp gauge tops out at just a smidge under 195 - just like it did when it was new.

I'd like to think that it was a perishing thermostat gasket or something that is relatively simple to deal with. Hope it's not the water pump. I've read its replacement procedure & that looks like a real "cluster"...! God help me, if it's the water pump!