Antifreeze is leaking from bottom of car

I doubt that you need a thermostat at this point even if the vehicle is overheating. First we need to address the coolant leaking. It is important that you find the exact point where the coolant is leaking from before we can make a determination on how to fix it. There are many places coolant can leak, in addition to the the two big hoses that go to the radiator, there are lots of smaller hoses and lines as well. Coolant can also leak from the heater core (but you would smell it strongly inside the car), heater hoses, intake manifold, etc. For this reason I am going to ask you to grab a flashlight and try your best to locate the leak visually.

There are two ways to do this.

1. You can go and rent a coolant system pressure tester. This will have adapters to connect to your cooling system. Pump the system up to pressure (usually around 14 pounds). Then go look for the leak(s). You may have to pump it up from time to time if you have a big leak.
Or
2. Start the car and allow it to warm up. When it gets warm, begin looking for the leak(s). See if it is coming from any of the small hoses, or the engine itself. Let me know what you find.

Jon

Hi and welcome to 2CarPros.com.

Chances are the thermostat is not the issue. Take a look through this link. It discusses all the places a leak could occur and how to fix them. Also, it shows how to pressure test the system.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-is-leaking-coolant

Let me know if this helps.

Take care,
Joe