coolant leak might be solved

[markus]

just took the car out for a 20 minute drive and while backing up to fix my spot i saw drips. shut the car off and saw drips. I then pipped the hood and looked around and noticed coolant on the lower raciator hose. Hmm. started queezing the hose and heard a clicking noise. then moved my hand to where the thermostat housing is and felt wetness there. Would that clicking be my thermostat housing moving because it has a crack in it? The car is going back into the shop monday for a coolant leak. The guy said it was a lose hose clamp, I think its my thermostat hosuing. Also I noticed the lower radiator hose wasnt hot compared to the upper one. Is this because the lower hose comes out of the raditor and has cool water in it?

[Ross]

The lower hose should also be hot at op temp.

[markus]

strange.temp needle reads normal and i get good heat.

[Dave M]

Lower rad hose should be noticably cooler than the top. Warm, but not hot.

[markus]

thats hot it was. if my thermostat was hung open the car would never warm up and it does and the needle stays right in the middle. im going to tighten that hose clamp and see what happens. but im still suspecting thermostat housing has gone kaput.

[Jeff in MN]

I just solved a leak this week on my e34. I was absolutely sure it was coming from the area of the #1 cylinder intake, possibly the head gasket. This week with the very cold weather the leak worsened and I was able to see that it was coming from the upper hose connection on the Radiator! Turns out the fluid was running down the underside of the hose towards the head, then it would hit that "T" right by the intake manifold, then would drip down on to the intake manfold and ride the seam over to the bolts on the #1 intake, then run down the side of the block. (Making it look like it was coming from the head gasket area.) Breathing easier now.

Good luck,