[BillRoundsEsq]

This is not a good leak to discover that you have developed. The head gasket is an internal leak. They can be difficult to diagnose visually because it is contained in the engine itself and it will be quite costly to repair. What happens in this scenario is that the head gasket will leak coolant into the cylinder or the crank case. This will dilute the oil and damage your engine’s bearings. This can also foul the spark plugs. If this happens you will see white smoke coming from the exhaust. more

[bugmenot]

It is possible that the coolant has worked its way through your system and you have now noticed it leaking from the exhaust manifold or the tail pipe. This is more than a cracked coolant reservoir or a hole in your radiator. This is indicative of a more serious and costly repair and it need to be addressed quickly. Here are some possibilities of what could be the root of your problem

[emeacham]

The coolant system in your car is a pressurized system. As you operate your car, the coolant in your radiator warms and expands and thus flows into the reservoir tank. When you car cools, the excess coolant will cool and return back to the radiator, typically leaving the reservoir tank 1/3 full. Coolant should not move from this enclosed system. If there is a problem in this system you may find that coolant leaks from the exhaust manifold. What does this mean?

[Dark_Ghost]

If you use traditional green antifreeze you can also foul the oxygen sensor and the catalytic converter. This type of coolant contains silicates. If the coolant leak into the cylinder is severe, you can end up locking the engine. more

[Babylon]

A cracked engine block can cause internal coolant leaks, which will often dilute the oil on the cylinder walls and damage piston and rings. If your car's antifreeze contains silicates, it can also foul the catalytic converter and oxygen sensor. If a lot of coolant leaks into the cylinder, your engine may "hydrolock" and refuse to crank when you try to start it.

[cacba]

Coolant leaks are often the cause when a car's engine overheats. A leak can occur anywhere in the cooling system and is usually easy to find, as the coolant can often be seen spraying, seeping, bubbling or dripping from the leaky component. Depending on the type of antifreeze used in your car, coolant color can vary between green, orange and yellow. The engine manifold consists of a series of tubes that are attached to the carburetor and several engine parts.

[stone]

Several gaskets seal the connection between the intake manifold and the cylinder heads. When these gaskets fail coolant will enter the crankcase or intake port, or drip down the outside of the engine. Intake manifold gaskets on many general engine models are made from plastic, and typically fail between 50,000 and 80,000 miles.

[tuxsoul]

A series of hoses connect the manifold with other engine parts. An old, cracked hose is a common cause of a coolant leak. A cracked and leaky hose must be replaced. more

[uanisawatkinsz]

The head gasket connects the engine block with the cylinder head. Coolant can leak into the crankcase and dilute the oil, damaging bearings in your engine. A head gasket leak can also foul the spark plug and cause a lot of white exhaust smoke. Add sealer to the cooling system in an attempt to plug the leak temporarily, but arrange for the head gasket to be replaced in the meantime.

[Centaur]

Freeze plugs are often situated just behind the exhaust manifold. Coolant leaks from these plugs may seem like it is coming from the manifold itself. Freeze plugs are the expansion plugs in the side of the engine block and cylinder head, and often corrode from the inside out.

[ninaheadley]

Q When I changed the transmission fluid on my 2005 Impala, a 4-inch "clip" with a V in the middle fell out. I don't know what it's for or where it goes. I think it was near the transmission filter. I'm going nuts with this one.

[richardfields112]

Q I have a 2002 Olds Alero with the V6 engine. Recently I noticed that coolant is leaking. I have been told it is a slow leak from the intake gasket. My mechanic recommended that I get the leak fixed to avoid having the coolant mix with the oil. Is there a way to tell whether the leak is external or internal? If it's external, do I really need to fix it?

[chariottrading]

The car has about 95,000 miles on it, but my mechanic says that with this fix, some new plugs, wires and regular maintenance, the car will go 200,000 miles easy. Do you agree? Should I spend the $800 to $1,000 for the intake fix, new plugs, and new wires?

[binarysecurity]

The smell of coolant and/or a whitish cloud of smoke from the exhaust at startup can be an indicator of coolant in the combustion chambers, which can be confirmed by a chemical test for exhaust hydrocarbons in the coolant. Pressure-testing the cooling system and starting a cold engine with the radiator cap off to see if coolant is immediately pumped out can also confirm a leaking cylinder head gasket. Engine overheating or fluctuating coolant temperatures are also indicators of coolant loss. more

[Cchild07]

The bottom line: As long as the coolant leak is relatively small, doesn't contaminate the oil and doesn't allow the engine to overheat, try the stop-leak product first. If the leak is beyond these simple parameters, have the repair done professionally.

[williams9gross]

A Coolant leaking internally from the intake manifold gasket or cylinder head gasket can end up in one of two places: mixed with the engine oil or burned with the air-fuel mixture in the exhaust. Coolant mixed with oil is bad news because ethylene glycol doesn't work well as a lubricant. It doesn't take long for contaminated oil to destroy an engine.

[BitterTea]

Visual Crack On Exhaust Manifold

[celina111]

As a result, making broken bolts or studs a fairly common problem. Not to mention, the repair for this can be a nightmare as well. The good news today is, there are better tools and techniques for making this repair easier. [links]

[allinvain]

Leaks in a manifold are often cracks in the metal, due to the intense temperatures of the engine. Cracks may start out as small as a hairline crack; which may be noticeable when the vehicle is first started. Once the manifold heats up quickly; the crack might self-seal as the metal of the manifold expands.

[darkskiez]

So, these factors all depend on where the leak is located in the exhaust. The further away from the engine and the catalytic converter the leak is; the less chance damage can happen.