Dear Tom and Ray:

I have a 1987 Chevrolet Cavalier with a four cylinder engine and 53,000 miles. My problem is it loses antifreeze, but only in the coldest weather. You can see wetness under the car, and I have to add more fluid sometimes after only 50 miles. It never loses antifreeze in warm weather. This happens every winter. It seems to help if I keep a lower level in the antifreeze tank. Of course, when I explain the problem to a mechanic, the answer is always a pressure test and the threat of a new radiator core. Before I do something dumb like that and then still have the same problem, can you suggest anything else for me to do? William

Tom: We suggest you do the pressure test, William. Don't be a chicken. I once avoided the dentist for a year and a half because I was afraid he was going to tell me I had a cavity. I did have a cavity, but by the time I got to the dentist, I needed a root canal.

Ray: So do a pressure test, but make sure you do it under the conditions in which the car leaks--in this case, outside in the cold weather. If the mechanic does it in his warm garage, where it's probably 65 degrees, the coolant won't leak and you'll never find the problem.

Tom: It sounds like something is shrinking in the cold weather. We know that things shrink when they get cold. Then, once the engine runs for a while and things heat up, whatever it is expands and the leak stops. It could be a seal on the water pump, a crack in the overflow bottle, or something as simple as a bad hose or hose clamp.

Ray: Whatever it is, if it's an external leak, a pressure test will certainly find it. So stand up for yourself, William, and get it fixed. No one should have to take a leak like this lying down! 1854

Everybody wants a new car. But from a purely financial point of view, there is no question that buying a used car is always cheaper, even in the long run. To learn more, order Tom and Ray's pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1992 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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