Coolant Leaking!

[B94Sport]

Two days ago I noticed a small puddle forming under my truck, just to the right of the passenger side front wheel... I didn't pay much attention to it. Yesterday I saw it again, bent down and swiped the puddle with my finger, and sure enough it was green and sweet smelling - antifreeze. I traced the leak as best I could and it seems to be coming from either the tubes the enter the heater core near the top of the core on the left hand side of the core (when looking at the truck head-on), or the plastic piece below the tubes (also attached to the core) that has the wiring harness with 4 wires attached to it.

What are these two parts called, which one is more likely to be leaking (It was damn cold outside and I didn't feel like investing the leak to its fullest extent just yet), and how much can I expect to pay for these parts in order to fix it myself? It doesn't look like it'd be that tough of a job, so I'm not concerned. Just want to get it fixed before I have to drive cross-country 3 weeks from now.

If it is not clear what I'm talking about, I can snap pics and post them, but not until tomorrow morning.

 

[EliteConcept]

does it only leak when you first start it up in the cold mornings while it idels

if it does and doesn't leak once its warmed up and idels....then its the radiator seals , the tanks are plastic and the core of the radiator is metal so when its cold they don't seal very well

this is what mine does,,, i can't afford a new radiator,,, so i have to watch the radiator level

 

[B94Sport]

I have not paid attention to when it leaks, I just know that I have found the puddles after I park it at work or somewhere else. In the mornings before I go to work, I have not looked yet. I will check tomorrow.

As for the radiator seals: A leak from them would show up as a leak from the heater core?

 

[Lifted95X]

This is your heater control valve most likely. Very cheap and easy to repair.

 

[daniel cauchon]

yeap ! I would go with what Sikora says...I just changed mine 2 wks ago , it takes 10 minutes and it cost about 30$ in Canada , so it must be cheaper in the states.

 

[B94Sport]

Oh... I was under the impression that the heater control valve was on the right side of the heater core... Thanks guys!

 

[X-1]

I don't think that first gen have those same valves as second gen do, mine doesn't have that valve. There is a drain hole below the heater core for condisation from the a/c unit, if it is leaking there, then heater core is going south on you. Good news is it is easy to replace!

 

[B94Sport]

I noticed through searching that the heater control valve was not used until '94... That is why you don't have one.

 

[DeagleDave]

are you sure it's not leaking from the hose the goes between the radiator and the thermostat housing???

EliteConcept - your personal page doesn't work, is it down? There is no Ford Emblem to double click on.

 

[EliteConcept]

i'm currently working on it...hope to have it up and running by the weekend
thanks for trying though!

 

[B94Sport]

I am sure that it is coming from the part that has four rubber tubes attached to it, which are secured with hose clamps. I went out and looked and it is definitely leaking from there. At first I thought it was coming from the wiring harness below it, but I traced the fluid residue up higher... The leak has stopped now, probably because a lot of my fluid seems to be gone from my radiator. (Fluid is about 4" from the bottom of it! -Good thing it has been like 30 degrees outside recently). I am going to buy the heater control valve and more antifreeze today after work and do the repair.

 

[B94Sport]

Replaced the heater control valve last night in the AutoZone parking lot at about 7:30... I needed to add almost 1.5 gallons of a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water!! That is not good. Anyway, repair was easy, and no more leaks!

Side note:
I think I may have gotten the connections for the two tubes on the front of the valve backwards. (Left is on right's connector and vice-versa). How would I know if this were the case? What would be the ramifications of this? I am guessing one tube brings coolant in and the other takes it out, so if they were backwards, I'd know really quick, right? Right now the truck is running at normal operating temp, the gauge has never gotten past half-way, and I have both hot and cool air...