Hello, I have a 2000 Chevy and I love my car! It’s been GREAT! However, several years ago I had a leak which now I assume it was the intake gaskets but my then boyfriend decided to do a fast fix and add STOP LEAK!!! Yes, I know what an disaster!!! =) ever since I have had problems with overheating… So I ended up having the intake gaskets replaced this stopped the leakage! But ever since the “STOP LEAK” it’s never been the same! Heating and cooling is so so! SO, I just put a new radiator and reservoir tank on it in hope of getting rid of all the buildup STOP LEAK GUNK! Now today its almost 90 in Kentucky and I decided to run the A/C when I pull in the drive I see it smoking!! =( I lifted the hood and see at the right side ANTIFREEZE is all over my battery and up on the hood! I am physically sickened at today’s most recent discovery!! Can anyone please help with this crazy coolant problem! At this point I am hoping that maybe it is a hose!! I would be happy to take any thoughts or ideas on how to solve this once and for all!! Thanks!!
Take it into an independent repair shop and tell THEM your story…Step one is a cooling system pressure test to locate the possible leak…
Am I right in guessing your friend put a stop leak product in the radiator? If not where did he put it?
It maybe a bad hose. Not all issues start at one cause for a car of this age. Stop leak can fix one issue but it will not fix old crumbly hoses. The radiator and tank were replaced Why? Stop leak may have been an issue but probably this car coolant was never flushed and you plugged the radiator before the stop leak was used.
Did they use the “Dexcool” coolant in 2000? (the orangy looking stuff, not the green coolant–there may be an underhood sticker stating what it was filled with) If so, I think that Dexcool combined with a prior leak and not having the coolant changed regularly may be the main problem. Google ‘Dexcool problem’ and you’ll see what I mean. If it had the orange coolant and he added green to it to top it up, that could cause problems too. Stop leak isn’t the best thing to do to a car, but unless he put more than one dose in there, it shouldn’t cause severe problems.
Like Caddyman said though, take it to a shop and have the system gone over. It could be a leaky hose. If your temp gauge rises past normal or your temperature light comes on, do not continue to drive the car–get it towed, even if you were just on your way to the shop to have it looked at.