What can be the cause for engine coolant leakage on my 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis ?
Asked by froeschl May 04, 2014 at 05:33 AM about the 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
My '87 Mercury Grand Marquis is loosing some engine coolant. There are 2 water spots on the floor - one in the front located near the water pump, the other behnd the engine. Can' t locate where the coolant is coming from. If it is the water pump - can it als be the cause for the rear spot ?
5 Answers
It could be. The water could be running down under the pan before dripping off. I would suspect the water pump. When the seal goes bad in the pump the water blows out, often this is the issue with cooling systems.
What if it's not the water pump ? How big is the risk that the coolant leakage is being caused by a bad cylinder head gasket ? Today I added some contrast agent. Maybe this will help to find the exit point.
A bad head gasket is always a possibility, especially seeing that it's an 87. For your sake I hope it's not, but a good inspection will be necessary to pinpoint where the coolant is coming out. Also, I would recommend checking your oil thoroughly to make sure coolant isn't mixing with it as it would be a possibility with a faulty head gasket. This would obviously cause larger problems and I would park it until you can get the gasket(s) replaced.
It seems to be the water pump gasket. The fluorescent agent I added to the cooling system days ago helped to locate where the coolant is coming out. Indeed, it is running down the engine block in the front area, then running along the oil pan gasket to the back and dripping off near the torque converter cover. So both spots have the same cause ! Thanks Mark, your answer was very helpful.
This sound like what my 2000 grand marquis is doing but mine won't start can I please have help? I replaced the starter and it still went start and the battery is good so idk what the problem is.