Original post below. Update here: unfortunately it turns out I have a coolant leak that requires dropping the engine to fix. I'm going to have the the coolant fittings welded so it will never be an issue again. One option is to pin the fittings, but while this will prevent the fittings from coming loose, it won't guarantee they won't leak. With all the racing I do I decided to have them welded. I'm going to have some other work done while the engine is down like new plugs, coils, etc. Any other recommendations? I'll keep this thread updated with the progress.


Over the last month I've had 3-4 instances where I've noticed a leak under the car when I haven't been driving it. Normally I would say what I'm seeing is typical AC condensation (water), but when I haven't driven the vehicle it doesn't make sense. The liquid sure looks like water, however it smells a little like grease and is slippery, but this could just be from engine runoff? Are there any clear liquids in the car? I can confirm it's not oil, tranny fluid, brake fluid, or radiator fluid. Any ideas, or am I just nuts and it's condensation (even though I haven't driven the car)?

 

Check you coolant level (it is a plastic container with a blue lid on the top left side of the engine). They sometimes develop a leak on the hoses or the container itself cracks or coolant leaks out the top. It has clear indication of Max-Min levels. It sounds like a coolant and if the level is low then you know you have a leak in that system.

 

Get your car on jack stands to see where the leak is coming from.

It looks like under your waterpump. The dreaded coolant fittings can start like this. Typically you should be able to smell the coolant haze.

If the leak is on the passenger side of the engine, it might be Pentosin coming from the power steering pump or reservoir. You can pull the dipstick from the reservoir and smell the distinct Pentosin to compare to what's on the floor.

 

^^what Kevin said.
C

 

Picture looks like drivers side to me

Best case: overflow tank
Next best: water pump
Hope not: coolant fittings

 

taste it, if it is sweet its Antifreeze

 

BINGO, you guys got it, it's the coolant. I was expecting to see bright yellow for coolant vs. the light pink/almost clear. Now it's time to jack it up and find the source. Let's hope for the easy access fix!

 

keep us posted!

 

Be very cautious about driving the car until you discover the source of the leak. If you are driving and the water pump fails you could potentially have catastrophic damage to the engine.

I had a Carrera lose a water pump and it cracked a cylinder. It was new engine time..

I hope you find the source of the leak..

 

UPDATE: unfortunately it turns out I have a coolant leak that requires dropping the engine to fix. I'm going to have the coolant fittings welded so it will never be an issue again. One option is to pin the fittings, but while this will prevent the fittings from coming loose, it won't guarantee they won't leak. With all the racing I do I decided to have them welded. I'm going to have some other work done while the engine is down like new plugs, coils, etc. Any other recommendations? I'll keep this thread updated with the progress.

 

Forgive me for being so vague, but some vendor was selling upgraded components and they *might* have related to coolant leaks (not sure). Do a thorough search in this forum. I have lost track but I was thinking of installing these better components on my next engine drop. Again, sorry to be so vague, maybe someone else can chime in.

 

OK, got off my iPhone and on my laptop to do a proper search.

Check out this thread:https://rennlist.com/forums/997-turb...gt2-gt2rs.html

I have not used this so no personal experience but if this is the source of your problem it looks like a great solution.

 

Who's doing the work?

Do the fuel filter while the motor is out it's much much easier to replace while everything is apart. Inspect the coolant expansion tank at the same time and replace if it's showing any signs of age or cracking. The two main coolant hoses on either side of the engine bay have proven to crack directly down the middle with age. Since they'll already be apart and are relatively cheap might as well throw those in the mix while you're replacing everything else.

997's have 6 joins that need to be welded whereas 996's have 8 joins. The two additional joins on the 996 are the plastic fittings that can fail on the 997 as shown by jcnesq. The sharkwerks metal pipe replacements for under the oil cooler would also be a good preventative fix while you are in there.

If you're doing the labor yourself (like I did on my GT3) I have a guy here in columbus that's welded up a half dozen sets of these fittings now and can be trusted to do the job correctly on the delicate thin-walled aluminum fittings. PM me for his info if you need it.

 

Good suggestions, the shop working on the car is P3 Autokraft who I trust completely with the car. They are a great bunch of guys and know their p-cars well. They also suggested the SS pipes from Sharkwerks so you guys are on the same page. I'll keep posting updates here as i get them. btw, do most road tracks requires that you pin or weld coolant pipes, or is it just recommended?

 

^tracks don't require you to pin or weld the coolant pipes. Most normal cars don't have this kind of reliability problem...most/some tracks require water wetter or distilled water however. Coolant being too slippery if leaked.

You can go with sharkwerks or others and do the welded fix. The brazing needs to be done by pro so as to other (over)heat related damages are not done. Search over on the "997 GT2/GT3" forum and ton of information.

These coolant lines can let go and as Phillip has stated it will be a disaster if they get on your wheels or the car behind you...