1995 Chevy Cavalier Overheating and coolant leak

STADEL24

MEMBER
1995 CHEVROLET CAVALIER
4 CYL
FWD
MANUAL
200,000 MILES

My 1995 Cavalier has been losing coolant for about the past year. I couldn't ever see where it was going no puddles in the driveway so I just kept adding it when the light would come on. Today I added coolant before I left and after about 5 miles I noticed my engine temp was climbing higher than I had ever seen it so I shut the car off and let it cool. Car was running fine but the coolant light was on. I started it up and added some coolant and just by luck seen that when it was on all the coolant was coming out under the belts on the passenger side somewhere. There is no coolant in oil it was just changed, no smoke and car runs fine. It just loses the coolant pretty rapidly and wants to overheat. What could this possibly be, I don't know cars well and I don't want to get ripped off. Thanks

5 Replies

WRENCHTECH

MECHANIC
20,761 POSTS

You need top pressure test the cooling system to find out where the coolant is going.

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Monday, November 1st, 2010 AT 8:41 AM

STADEL24

MEMBER
3 POSTS

Is there a way for me to do this easily myself. I don't know a bunch about cars but if I can do it without paying that would be great. Thank you so much for your quick response and help!

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Monday, November 1st, 2010 AT 8:53 AM

WRENCHTECH

MECHANIC
20,761 POSTS

It would probably be cheaper and more thorough to just pay someone since you don't own a pressure tester or a lift to do this.

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Monday, November 1st, 2010 AT 8:55 AM

STADEL24

MEMBER
3 POSTS

I will do just that, thank you so much for the advice! I have been looking on the internet all morning for some type of solution. Apparently it's VERY common in this type of vehicle to have engine overheating problems. There were so many head gasket cracks and water pump failures to read about I lost count. I just hope it's not the head gaskets or off to the junkyard it goes! I have owned it since it was brand new with very little problems until now so I guess I can't complain to much. Thanks for your time.

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Monday, November 1st, 2010 AT 9:01 AM

WRENCHTECH

MECHANIC
20,761 POSTS

Overheating issues are possible in all vehicles. In recent years most all engines make the heads from aluminum which is very heat sensitive so if you have an overheating problem and don't immediately shut it off as you are supposed to, that's when the head gasket problems occur.