HELP-leaking fluid on 1990 Chevy S10 Blazer
#1
HELP-leaking fluid on 1990 Chevy S10 Blazer
Yesterday my S10 Blazer started leaking fluid from the left front. Any suggestions?
#2
Left front is a little too general. What color is the fluid? When is it leaking, running or off? Is there any smell to the fluid?
#3
When I came home yesterday it was really leaking, now only a few drops here and there. I checked all the fluids and the only one that was really low was the power steering fluid. The fluid looks almost pinkish in color it's hard to tell because of black debris. No smell. Just leaking. The fluid seems to be dripping down from a black coiled line. Does this help?
#4
O.K., the pinkish color may be from someone using trans. fluid as power steering fluid which is fine. Your best bet is to get the entire area as clean and dry as possible then run the engine and while in park turn your steering wheel back and forth. Shut off the engine and see if you can tell where exactly the leak is. Hopefully, if it is power steering fluid, it's just a brittle hose or something simple. Good luck! Post back if you need more help.
#5
and if you're unlucky, that's transmission fluid coming from the transmission fluid cooler or the lines to the transmission cooler. Auto or stick? there's not enough information here.
#6
well steering lines are known to run on 87 to 93 cause of tbi design i had an 88 that started leaking then blew the line so yeah gota be careful
#7
Ok- thankfully it's not leaking like it was. I checked all my fluids and the oil and transmission fluid were ok. I checked the radiator (this is after my car cooled down) and was pressurized-the radiator was not empty, only took a little to fill it. But being old, it has the rust smell to it. And question-is the plastic thing for the radiator water be dry. It's getting worse when I drive it-the oil guage is all the way up; engine light only sporatically; I also suspect that I am using more gas. It's hard to explain it over puter. I used to know a couple of gear heads-but not anymore. I'm thinking that I need it to be professionaly looked at-without having to incur their services, but another brick wall. Any help on this will be most helpful. Thank you guys.
#8
Well you should snap some photos of the leaking area first off so we can see what you see. If its coolant sometimes you can hear it squirting or bubbling when you shut the hot engine off and its quiet outside. Coolant you will also smell, its sweet smelling. If its steering, there is 2 main hoses that it goes from where you fill it up on the pump, down to the power steering unit, have a look at those from up top and underneath for a fresh wet leaking spot. If you have an auto trans there will be cooler lines on your radiator - the 2 smaller lines, not the fat rubber hoses for coolant. Follow those lines and see if they are leaking. If you are making a puddles on the ground it wont hurt you to taste a drip on your finger, coolant tastes sweet like kool-aid. Where do the leaks line up with the bottom of the truck? back of engine, front? left side? right? Wouldnt hurt to give the whole engine a wash from top and bottom before trying to find your leak too.
And you can use the "paperclip method" to get the code that is blinking your engine light for us at the same time. To do that undo a paperclip or twist tie, sit in your drivers seat, between your knees there is a wire plug, stick the wire in the top 2 left holes to jump them together. Then turn the key to the on position and dont start it. Notice the engine light blinking? blink blink pause blink long pause (21) - this happens three times - now your trouble code comes through - write down the pattern of blinks and pauses for us and report back. It will be something like 32 (blink blink blink pause blink blink) you see how the blinks make a number? There may be multiple codes to get. You could also pop into an autozone and get the guys there to scan your codes with the computer for free and report them to us. Dont let the kid there sell you anything till you come talk to us first though
And you can use the "paperclip method" to get the code that is blinking your engine light for us at the same time. To do that undo a paperclip or twist tie, sit in your drivers seat, between your knees there is a wire plug, stick the wire in the top 2 left holes to jump them together. Then turn the key to the on position and dont start it. Notice the engine light blinking? blink blink pause blink long pause (21) - this happens three times - now your trouble code comes through - write down the pattern of blinks and pauses for us and report back. It will be something like 32 (blink blink blink pause blink blink) you see how the blinks make a number? There may be multiple codes to get. You could also pop into an autozone and get the guys there to scan your codes with the computer for free and report them to us. Dont let the kid there sell you anything till you come talk to us first though
Last edited by ohsofly; 02-11-2011 at 09:26 AM.
#9
u have 4x4 so one thing i know about blazers is the front diff there know for going bad and leaking so it could be that but i know my s10 leaks oil but i know i need a pan gasket just trying to put it off right till spring for the rebuilt another place u might wana check is behind the heads on both side intake and valve covers are prone to leak after normal use as well.
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