So some general info on the car before I start. It's a 2001 LS V8. Has 120k miles. I've had the car since September of 2023. Automatic trans and I rebuilt that valve body as soon as I got the car. Passenger valve cover is bad but a new one is on the way. The car has no heat either. I assumed this was the blend actuator door and I don't mind to much cause I live in Fl.
So I noticed the other day after getting gas that my temp needle bounced up to 3/4 to H. It was only for a second but went home and looked at it and noticed my coolant was low. I started the car and let it idle and drove around for 25 mins and the car never left temp so I assumed it was fine and I just needed to top off. Went on a trip (130 miles) and temp was fine the whole time. Topped it off when I got there with some 50/50 and went on with life. A couple days later I noticed that the needle was high again and this time it sat until I got up in speed and brought it back down. It was fine after that. I checked the coolant again and it was low to where it was after the trip again. Filled it up to the right spot and let the car sit for a day. Came to see if it leaked anywhere and check the level. It was 1/2 inch from where I filled it to but nothing but a little puddle of oil. New valve cover is on the way! I assumed the car was still a little warm when I filled it and did the trip back home. Got back checked it and it was low again. Everytime I check its been about 3 inches from cool fill line when its low.
So I actually started looking at stuff now that I was home. The coolant is like a yellowish tan color and cloudyish. It genuinely matched the color of the degas bottle itself. I've been putting in 50/50 green. Checked oil cap for signs of coolant in the oil and there was a drop of goop on it. The oil itself looks fine on the dipstick. Went on a drive to temp the car and came home and let it run idle in the driveway for about 15 mins. No overheating issues. No smoke from exhaust. Started the car with the degas cap off and it didnt even bubble much less shoot water out. There was water leaking under the passenger side. I've had ac all the way off since I got back from the trip so it wouldn't cause a water drip. The puddle of oil has gotten progressively bigger over the past couple months but I assumed this is cause the valve cover was getting worse.
Picture of oil cap and dipstick with goop drop circled.
I decided to flush the coolant and this is how that process went.
I drained the radiator and this is what came out.
I then flushed it with a roughly a gallon of water until it came out clear and this is how that looked.
I'm not sure if this is normal as this is my first time doing this and my first car.
After this I looked up how to bleed and completely flush the system. In the process of reading I came across the dccv. From what I read it could be causing my no heat issue and maybe a leak from a hose but thats very uncommon. So I tried to get to it but its been a struggle. There's so many hoses and other stuff blocking it. After taking off the intake and upper radiator hose I finally could see it.
This is another picture I got of it.
The rusted part on the right side of the circle is the bottom of the dccv. It is completely rusted and it was wet. Idk if this is from when I removed the upper radiator hose or not. I would love to actually be able to get to this thing but there is a lot of hoses and I have no idea where to begin. I looked up tutorials and they had a lot of space compared to me and like 2 hoses. I'm assuming they were either 2nd gen or V6 version of the car.
Now moving onto the heater core. This is a also a possible explanation for why my heat doesn't work and a coolant leak. But what gets me is that its just water leaking under the passenger side. No smell or color to it all.
This is where the water is leaking from under the passenger side. About 2 months ago I added an amp and sub to the car and when wiring it I pulled the carpet up on the passenger side and there was a wet spot. The carpet wasn't wet on the top but there was a wet spot under it. I have no idea if that could relate to this. I also know the whole dash has to come apart and im not very excited to do that if thats the problem.
I have no idea the coolant has been leaking and to be quite honest I never checked it before now. It seems to run at temp even when it is low so if the needle only bounced a couple times and I never noticed then this could have been like this for a while.
So right now the car is sitting apart while I wait on the new valve cover to come in anyways.
These are what I think some possibilities of issues are:
My dad suggested that maybe the coolant-water ratio is way off and that explains the lack of color of the coolant in the degas bottle. Since antifreeze is more dense and the degas bottle is the highest point. It may also be boiling away and thats why there is no obvious leak except for whatever water is coming from the passenger side.
The heater core is a possibility too and that's why there's no heat and maybe that "water" is coolant.
I know the the degas bottle is known to go bad too but there is no sort of leak from that area of the car so I kinda just assumed it wouldn't be that.
It could be some sort of micro headgasket leak but I feel like thats very unlikely too.
I know that the radiator is also known to leak above the dccv and this is sometimes what causes them to go bad and based on the rust on it that wouldn't surprise me but at the sametime I saw no leak up there at all.
I'd like to note that since I filled it up when I got back home from the trip I hadn't lost any coolant. I didn't do much driving but about an hour in total between idling and the little bit of driving around I have done. I was also interstate driving on that trip both ways so 80 mph at around 2700 rpm for an hour or so straight.
Thank you anybody for help!
So I noticed the other day after getting gas that my temp needle bounced up to 3/4 to H. It was only for a second but went home and looked at it and noticed my coolant was low. I started the car and let it idle and drove around for 25 mins and the car never left temp so I assumed it was fine and I just needed to top off. Went on a trip (130 miles) and temp was fine the whole time. Topped it off when I got there with some 50/50 and went on with life. A couple days later I noticed that the needle was high again and this time it sat until I got up in speed and brought it back down. It was fine after that. I checked the coolant again and it was low to where it was after the trip again. Filled it up to the right spot and let the car sit for a day. Came to see if it leaked anywhere and check the level. It was 1/2 inch from where I filled it to but nothing but a little puddle of oil. New valve cover is on the way! I assumed the car was still a little warm when I filled it and did the trip back home. Got back checked it and it was low again. Everytime I check its been about 3 inches from cool fill line when its low.
So I actually started looking at stuff now that I was home. The coolant is like a yellowish tan color and cloudyish. It genuinely matched the color of the degas bottle itself. I've been putting in 50/50 green. Checked oil cap for signs of coolant in the oil and there was a drop of goop on it. The oil itself looks fine on the dipstick. Went on a drive to temp the car and came home and let it run idle in the driveway for about 15 mins. No overheating issues. No smoke from exhaust. Started the car with the degas cap off and it didnt even bubble much less shoot water out. There was water leaking under the passenger side. I've had ac all the way off since I got back from the trip so it wouldn't cause a water drip. The puddle of oil has gotten progressively bigger over the past couple months but I assumed this is cause the valve cover was getting worse.
Picture of oil cap and dipstick with goop drop circled.
I decided to flush the coolant and this is how that process went.
I drained the radiator and this is what came out.
I then flushed it with a roughly a gallon of water until it came out clear and this is how that looked.
I'm not sure if this is normal as this is my first time doing this and my first car.
After this I looked up how to bleed and completely flush the system. In the process of reading I came across the dccv. From what I read it could be causing my no heat issue and maybe a leak from a hose but thats very uncommon. So I tried to get to it but its been a struggle. There's so many hoses and other stuff blocking it. After taking off the intake and upper radiator hose I finally could see it.
This is another picture I got of it.
The rusted part on the right side of the circle is the bottom of the dccv. It is completely rusted and it was wet. Idk if this is from when I removed the upper radiator hose or not. I would love to actually be able to get to this thing but there is a lot of hoses and I have no idea where to begin. I looked up tutorials and they had a lot of space compared to me and like 2 hoses. I'm assuming they were either 2nd gen or V6 version of the car.
Now moving onto the heater core. This is a also a possible explanation for why my heat doesn't work and a coolant leak. But what gets me is that its just water leaking under the passenger side. No smell or color to it all.
This is where the water is leaking from under the passenger side. About 2 months ago I added an amp and sub to the car and when wiring it I pulled the carpet up on the passenger side and there was a wet spot. The carpet wasn't wet on the top but there was a wet spot under it. I have no idea if that could relate to this. I also know the whole dash has to come apart and im not very excited to do that if thats the problem.
I have no idea the coolant has been leaking and to be quite honest I never checked it before now. It seems to run at temp even when it is low so if the needle only bounced a couple times and I never noticed then this could have been like this for a while.
So right now the car is sitting apart while I wait on the new valve cover to come in anyways.
These are what I think some possibilities of issues are:
My dad suggested that maybe the coolant-water ratio is way off and that explains the lack of color of the coolant in the degas bottle. Since antifreeze is more dense and the degas bottle is the highest point. It may also be boiling away and thats why there is no obvious leak except for whatever water is coming from the passenger side.
The heater core is a possibility too and that's why there's no heat and maybe that "water" is coolant.
I know the the degas bottle is known to go bad too but there is no sort of leak from that area of the car so I kinda just assumed it wouldn't be that.
It could be some sort of micro headgasket leak but I feel like thats very unlikely too.
I know that the radiator is also known to leak above the dccv and this is sometimes what causes them to go bad and based on the rust on it that wouldn't surprise me but at the sametime I saw no leak up there at all.
I'd like to note that since I filled it up when I got back home from the trip I hadn't lost any coolant. I didn't do much driving but about an hour in total between idling and the little bit of driving around I have done. I was also interstate driving on that trip both ways so 80 mph at around 2700 rpm for an hour or so straight.
Thank you anybody for help!
