Coolant leak

2002 HONDA CIVIC

74,000 MILES • 1.7L • 4 CYL • 2WD • AUTOMATIC

NEILO2CIVIC

MEMBER
16 POSTS

Hi, my car is leaking or i should say seeping/slow leak. I have added no coolant. When i look at the motor from the driver's side. I see a small coolant leak. I know there is a weep hole on the pump. There is also a coolant pipe that goes underneath the intake from the back of the water pump housing to the thermostat. On the water pump side, the pipe is sealed with an o-ring.. No disrespect. I'm not talking about the water pump rubber seal/gasket. You can see the pipe I'm speaking of in the exploded view .Can that run down or maybe i should say. Is it a known problem to leak and run on top of the water pump weep hole? It's snowing and brutally cold right now. I mainly ask because the mechanic says he needs to take the cover off to see the leak. I want to know before and not be obligated to a costly repair. T/belt with pump service done 3 years and only 8,000 miles. Am i wrong to think the way i do? One more question the Honda service manual says it's normal for the weep hole to seep. What is considered normal? As i wrote earlier I've added no coolant slight stain on cover also no noises at all. Thanks, any help or suggestions is appreciated. Neil

Jan 30, 2022 at 8:00 AM

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

✓Experienced Mechanic
110,240 POSTS

Hi,

It sounds like it's coming from the weep hole. The connecting pipe at the rear of the pump area you mentioned is unlikely to allow coolant to reach where you see it.

Now, there are two places you can see coolant from the weep. See pic 1 below. Check those two areas. You can also take a mechanics mirror under the manifold to inspect where the connecting pipe is mounted. If you look at pic 2, it gives a better idea of the connecting pipe. Take the mirror and look upwards to see if the pipe has evidence of leaks.

As far as acceptable weep, it isn't uncommon to see a small amount of staining from the coolant. If you start seeing puddles, then it becomes a concern. Based on your description, it doesn't sound like an issue. Especially since no coolant had to be added leads me to think what you see is normal or expected.

Is it possible for you to upload a couple of pictures showing me what you see? That may help.

Let me know.

Take care,
Joe

See pics below.

Images (Click to enlarge)

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Jan 30, 2022 at 1:15 PM

NEIL2002CIVIC

MEMBER
119 POSTS

Hi Joe, thanks for confirming what i thought. I wasn't sure but also thought unlikely the connecting pipe would trail coolant there. I will get a mirror out this week...heat wave of 40 expected. LOL I will clean it down gently where there is a slight stain. The factory blue coolant does stain even if just a drop. I didn't think he would need to disassemble my car to isolate the leak. He knows my car and did the t/belt service. Some are threatened by someone elses knowledge. Especially when i mentioned the weep hole seepage. At least it's outside the pump and diverted away from the t/belt. Not business smart. Thanks for the help. Have a great day and stay healthy!
Neil

Jan 30, 2022 at 7:17 PM

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

✓Experienced Mechanic
110,240 POSTS

Neil,

You are very welcome. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Also, if you want to do it yourself, I can get you the directions and help you through it.

Let me know.

Joe

Jan 31, 2022 at 9:07 AM

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