We recently purchased a this car w/ 249,000 on it. There is only two problems w/ it.

1.) The thermostat went out so we had to replace it. Everything went fine with that and now there is heat in the cabin, whereas there wasn't before. Now there is an anti-freeze leak and we cant seem to locate it. Any suggestions on where it could be? It's not by the thermostat or around it.

2.) The orange UP arrow on the instrument panle flashes constantly and if you switch to economy mode from sport it still flashes. I know it is supposed to be in economy, but dont understand why it flashes. Could the switch be bad? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

You should pull your codes and reset the cel. The flashing up arrow normally means that the gear shifter is in the wrong gear or the car has switched into the limp home mode. I usually drive all of my cars in the S mode because I always want all of my power available when I need/want it.

As for the leak? How do you know it's leaking? Did you drain it to change the t-stat? If so, you may have to keep topping it up until it gets filled properly.

 

1.) Well you told us where the coolant is NOT leaking from but you didn't say where it was coming from?

2.) Yes, it could be the switch (if you're lucky). Try toggling several times; you could test it with a meter too...

 

The leak is coming from the passenger side toward the firewall on the bottom of the block. When we replaced the thermostat, we didnt drain the coolant, just replaced the old w/ the new. And thanks for the arrow advice.

 

You're best bet on the antifreeze leak is to have the system pressurized with a hand pump and an adapter to the recovery tank after rinsing the engine off. That way any antifreeze you see would be new and follow it up to the source. You could also buy a small bottle of dye at any auto parts store and add it to the coolant and use a black light to follow the trail there just is no way to tell you where it's coming from without looking at the engine. Head gasket, if it's a turbo there is a small approx 2/3" long piece of rubber on the back corner connecting metal pipes, the recovery tank might have a crack or a small hole in one of the heater hoses misting onto the block ???.

Orange arrow. Try shifting through all the gears a couple of times. It might be the neutral safety switch/gear indicator switch starting to go. This will sometimes adjust it back to where it will go out. I've had it a couple times and it's taken care of it. I'd still pull the code(s) just in case.

 

In that area i would suspect the H2O pump; pull off the timing belt cover and ck it out...

I also like the idea of pressure testing the system, but most folks don't have a pressure tester. If it's the pump you should be able to see a trail up the weap hole.

 

Wow...sounds good...i'll try it out and let u guys know how it goes

 

Also, when was the timing belt last done? Was the H2O pump ever changed? When I did my thermostat it weep'ed from the pump for a week or so and stopped. No leaks now. Do you smell antifreeze in the cabin? Is the carpet wet up under the heater?

 

On the cooling system pressure testing kit. I know O'Reilly auto parts has one in their too loan program but I don't think they have the screw on adapter. Maybe NAPA, AutoZone, Carquest or ....... does. The tool loan or rental programs are handy for getting the odd tools you'd normally not want to purchase for a one or two use job.

 

Well, its been awhile since I last updated this thread, but we think we located the leak. It seems as though it is coming from the around the thermostat after all. We pulled the passenger side wheel well out to look around underneath the engine because the leak is only visible from underneath the car. It is visible around the crankshaft pulley and not by the H2O pump.

Our hypothesis is the thermostat housing gasket could be bad. It leaks immediately as you turn the car on, even when it is cold. And we replaced it because there was no heat coming into the cabin, not because the engine was overheating or anything. Any feedback would be appreciated, as always.

 

a stuck thermostat can give you no heat in the cabin, absolutely. When I did my t-stat i made sure that I used the gasket, plus i put some of the liquid gasket material on both sides of it. Also, did you install the o-ring on the t-stat before you installed it? Did you torque both bolts on the housing down properly? When I did mine, I did a couple turns on one, then the other, so that both sides would snug down at the same time.

 

I chased a leak on my 960 for almost 5 months. Turned out to be the gasket around the t-stat. It fell apart when I pulled the t-stat out. Replaced it $1.65 and I was good to go.