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Puzzling coolant leak

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Old Jun 4, 2011 | 06:19 PM
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Default Puzzling coolant leak

It appears to be coming from under the passenger side of the engine, behind the water pump (and therefore well behind the radiator), about where the front of the engine block and steering rack is. I've never seen it actually leaking out but there is a small pool of it on the ground after it's been sitting. I can't see any coolant actually on the car itself when I look in the engine bay and under the car. I checked the coolant level and it's more than full, completely up to the top of the radiator filler neck, all the way up to the cap itself. The water pump was replaced a few months ago. Where could it be coming from? Could the coolant level somehow be too full and it's overflowing out from somewhere? The car does not overheat.
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Old Jun 4, 2011 | 07:23 PM
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Did you check your coolant level when the engine was hot or cold?
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Old Jun 4, 2011 | 08:12 PM
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Both, and it's definitely full.
I just took it for a drive and the temp gauge needle is moving just a little to the right, but not very much. Normally it doesn't move to the right of center at all, not even when I race it in hot weather. The last time the needle moved to the right at all was when the water pump was leaking and the coolant level was way way low.
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Old Jun 4, 2011 | 08:26 PM
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Before I put my cam in my car was leaking coolant too. When I'd run it and the engine would warm up the water pump would start to leak and I'd get a little pool after I parked it. When the car warms up the pressure goes up in the radiator and wherever else the coolant flows so things start to leak if they aren't sealed. Anyway, while doing the cam I replaced the 2 gaskets between the water pump and the engine and since then it hasn't leaked. Also, if you've taken your radiator out or disconnected any lines, if you switch the two lines near the cap on the radiator coolant with bubble out of the fill cap near the battery once things heat up so maybe check that if you've messed with the lines. Somewhere on here there's a picture of how the lines should look when they're hooked up right. Also, there's a lot of coolant in the radiator/hoses etc. so the coolant level won't go down a lot until a lot of coolant leaks out.
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Old Jun 4, 2011 | 09:01 PM
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It's not leaking out of the radiator cap, but it could be where the water pump (which I had replaced recently) meets the engine.
I just had a horrifying though: Could the engine block be cracked where either the water pump or the AC compressor bolt into it?
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Old Jun 4, 2011 | 10:15 PM
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Check the weephole on the pump. Is the fluid leaking out under the pulley and down the front of the block?
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Old Jun 5, 2011 | 08:55 AM
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I don't have access to a garage right now, which makes it hard to get under the car. I'll try to get under there and get a better idea of where the fluid is coming from.
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Old Jun 6, 2011 | 07:51 PM
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When the pump leaks it usually runs down the block to the oil pan then wicks rearward making it difficult to find the leak.
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Old Jun 7, 2011 | 09:23 AM
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I sort of doubt the engine block just cracked all of a sudden if it wasn't leaking before. But also check the bearing on the pump like wssix99 said because usually when a pump goes that bearing is shot and it leaks out there from behind the pulley or whatever its called.
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Old Jun 7, 2011 | 04:01 PM
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I looked underneath and couldn't tell where it might be coming from; there's oil and power steering fluid blown all over the underside. Again, the pump only has a few months and a few thousand miles on it.
It's weird that it only does it sometimes, and never when I'm looking at it. I've even started it and let it run for a while while keeping an eye on it. This bitch is sneaky. lol
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Old Jun 8, 2011 | 11:04 AM
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Do you have a puddle of coolant on the ground? If not, it must be a very slight leak and you won't be able to observe something like that.
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