jessman

My car has a coolant leak. Someone told me to get bars leaks as it is the best to fix something like that. But I don't really get how to use it. I have a 94 Buick Century, and where do I put it in at. The bottle says to wait till the engine cools, but it also says to go get the radiator flushed and that costs like $80, not to mention I would have to make an appointment for that.

the person made it sound like you can just put this in your radiator???




Also, I am supposed to use the water mixed with anti freeze, but I accidently put in just anti freeze without the water last time I put it in. WIll anything serious happen? It has been running fine for 2 weeks like that.

bruiser

Yes, the anti-freeze needs to be mixed with water, preferably distilled water. Unless you got the pre-mixed type. With the engine cool, remove the radiator cap and pour the Bars in the radiator.

BUDFAN8

i never use the "stop leak" products. it can stop the leak but it is also known to clog up other things and it is a very temporary fix. my advise is find the leak and replace the cause.


on the anti freeze if you put in the concentrate it is alot thicker than what is required and can make your vehicle run hotter than normal. there is a drain at the bottom of your radiator, it moght be wise to drain some of the antifreeze and add some water.

jessman

well don't have that problem anymore, cause just popped the hood, and there is no anti freeze in the tank, lol! Dunno how long it's been like that

jessman

I just lifted up the hood for awhile, and foam started coming out the little hydraulic lifts that lift the hood up! I quickly shut the hood before a lot came out, but what was that stuff, and is it a problem? Also how long should you let the car cool if you just got done driving it like 3 blocks?

Snoopdogie187

For the bars leak, I dont recomend useing that stuff. I know someone that used it and it did clog it and made it worse. There is something called blue devil (cost a lot, didn't buy it though, but the price said $80) and my uncle (he is a mechanic) uses something by preston (sp). both of them are more of a liquid, and not like barrs leak. Just my opinion though that they probably work better.

If there was no antifreeze in the tank, then you may want to be careful as it could start draining out of the engine, but check the raditator and see if there is any in there.

For the foam, if your car uses hydraulics to keep the hood up, and foam is coming out of those, then they are probably going bad and need to be replaced. Other then that I can only think water or something else got into them, and is mixing with air.
3 blocks isn't a lot, and shouldn't take long to cool, it depends what you are going to do with the car, but maybe an hour to be safe, just got by feeling I think. If you mean let the car ideal after you drive it, then if you are really careful, just a minute or two at most, I feel anyway. For a short ride, the car may not even fully warm up anyway or just warmed up.

jessman

well I ended up putting the bars leaks in that night. And it seems to be working. It's been 4 days, and my temp has been at a little below halfway point constantly, instead of being up very high before.

One thing I didn't know was that you can simply put water in the coolant tank. My step dad helped me, and he said to dump the remaining anti freeze straight into the radiatior, and then fill the coolant tank with water.

icrman

Only time to use a product like that is if you are stranded miles away from anything.
In time you will be replacing the radiator, heater core, and overhaulling/rebuilding the engine. Stop leak stuff is horrible.

qldit

Good Morning Gentlemen, that Bars Leaks stuff is an extension form the days of "steam engine" boiler technology, where boilers often had pressure leaks.

The principle of operation is similar, in stream engines they found if they added a bucket of "laying mash" (for chickens) to the boiler water it would circulate and end up in leakage places and seal leaks. So you will appreciate what happens with the particles in that jar of pellets and the soluble oil it is sold in.

The stuff works quite well in most cases but it is only a temporary fix, and there is the possibility it can proliferate and block small orifices in the cooling system.

I would suggest the best policy is to locate the leakage source and address it properly with new gaskets or hoses etc.

The bonnet struts leaking sounds like you don't open that hood very often! LOL!

Never let the coolant system operate with low or no coolant unless you have a lot of spare cash. I can be very unforgiving.

Best of luck there.

Cheers, qldit.