RDSHARE

I have a 2001 Aurora 3.5 with 51,000 miles, that is garaged. Each morning there is a puddle of pink-red fluid under the front end. It is not transmission fluid, the coolant is orange, any ideas? The Chevy dealer, ex Olds dealer, claims that the coolant gaskets need to be replaced, cost of approx $700.00.
I have spoken to a couple of other 01 Aurora owners with the same leak. The also were told coolantand radiator gaskets. but,s o far, nobody has had it repaired. ANy body else with the same problem??

Oldsguy

Hmmm, if it isn't tranny fluid then it must be oil or coolant, I don't think it would be oil.....
forgot about power steering fluid but that usually isn't pink or red.

RDSHARE

Thanks for the quick reply. I imagine that it is coolant, since the shop wants over $700 for gaskets, I am just wondering if the job is worth $700. I have 2 fellows I know with the same car and guess what, the same problem. I am wondering if there ever was a "hidden warranty" for known problems with this model year.

Oldsguy

I am not aware of any but it would be worth your time to check at a dealership or do a search on the internet. As to the price? Everything is higher than we would like it to be and that is mostly due to labor costs. Any service related work is close to $100/hr now depending on the area cost of living. A three hour job plus parts puts you in the ballpark.

American Lead

Hey guys, there is a lawsuit against dexcool because it is causing pre-mature failure of gaskets, and rusts your engine. Dex-cool is the only thing I can think of. Good luck finding your problem.

oldstimer

For what its worth, this sounds familiar to a well known problem with 97-99 Chevy small blocks. There would be a puddle of deathcool every morning. While the engine ran, no leaks. Pressure test fine. Next morning, a puddle of deathcool. It turned out the intake design was changed in 97 and it contracted at a different rate than the rest of the engine when cooling off. For the first few years of use, the elasticity of the intake gasket would make up for any difference. After the intake gasket became brittle, deathcool would leak, but only while the engine was cooling down.

RDSHARE

There are lawsuits all involving dexcool however, national class action has been denied at this time. All GM cars from 95 thru 01 that used dexcool are all leaking. My dads 99 Aurora had $1200 radiator, gasket repair a few months ago. He has contacted, as I did consumersunion and filed a complaint and in addition mailed copies of his receipt to GM demanding that they make good on the dexcool repair. Important to note, if you have had the gaskets replaced, do not use dexcool 1 or 2 cause, the same thing is going to occur. GM is now using dexcool 3, but I don;t know if it is any better

oldstimer

I researched a change from dexcool to green coolant in my 97 Suburban about three years ago. Water pump seal failure was a common complaint after the change over. Most believe that the dexcool goo that forms created a seal, and the green coolant washed it away. I changed to green coolant and swapped the water pump at the same time. Three years, no problems. Oh, I almost forgot, I also replaced the leaky intake manifold gasket at the same time.

hmaez

hmaez

I own a 2001 Aurora, have replaced fuel pump and fuel pressure regulator;
with no success. I should have purchased a FORD!
I have had 2 diognastics test ran and know one knows whats wrong.
Desperate for information or help.

Oldsguy

Not a great way to solicit positive remarks on an Olds site. Also, bringing up a dead thread about an unrelated problem to yours doesn't help either, except that the old thread related to the same year/model car as yours. I guess you are trying to imply that Oldsmobiles aren't for you. Maybe you should sell the car and buy a FORD.

J-(Chicago)

Hmm... This is a very interesting thread.
I converted my 85delta to dexcool, with new pump, hoses, thermostat, and edelbrock intake about 6 years ago and have never had a problem. Perhaps they are all waiting to happen at once....

J-(Chicago)

Oh yeah, I just remembered. I used 1/2 dexcool, and 1/2 green stuff that supposedly mixes with dexcool in my system. I wonder if that made a difference.

RDSHARE

OK Guys. I had the leak in the 01 Aurora. Shops couldn't fix it, claimed they tightened some gaskets, etc. The quick and easy and cheap fix was a container of Bar leak from the parts store. I think it was $2.00, I popped it into the radiator, topped it off withj Dex coolant and the damn thing hasn't leaked since! By the way, the dex cool lawsuit, was tossed.

Oldsguy

Man that sucks that a shop couldn't fix it. In my book they wouldn't be worth snot if they can't fix a coolant leak. Glad you got it fixed yourself and hope you have no more troubles.

RDSHARE

Now that my 2001 Aurora is another 2 yrs older, with 68K miles on it, the leak has been repaired by me. The Dex-cool lawsuit fizzeled out. Instead of a GM shop I went to the local Sunoco service repair. The rear gaskets were bad, in fact they were very bad. They replaced all of the engine gaskets, top, bottom, rear, wherever they could find them and that leak is repaired, well under the GM shop estimate of $700.

Now..... the trunk is leaking during a heavy rain. The spare tire wheel well was full of water and the only reason I knew was a musky-mildew smell in the car a week or so after a heavy rain.
I caulked the trunk weather stripping, top, sides and bottom and am waiting for the rains again. I have heard of other Aurora's with the same leak problem. Any other clues?

Lady72nRob71

Does the car have a sunroof? My Caddy had an issue a while back due to a leaky sunroof drain hose...

RDSHARE

I have a sunroof, but I wasn't aware that there was a drain tube....I'll have to search around I guess.
Right now the car is garaged-- again- with the trunk open--- again...

Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

Texascarnut

Yup, there are at least two drain tubes and probably four. The tubes are plastic and sometimes become disconnected at the moon/sun roof frame allowing water to just go where it will. With some makes of cars the rear tubes actually dump out into the same channel the trunk seal is mounted on or makes contact with. This often leads to a rust out in the channel and a very wet trunk.

I'd open the trunk and use a mirror to inspect the underside of the channel around the trunk opening. Bet you will find at least one rust through.

Dan Wirth

I recently had a power steering pressure hose replaced which was leaking a pinkish red fluid. Cost was about $175 for the hose. It is located on the front right side (passenger side) of the car's engine compartment. You may have to get the car on the rack to find it.

RDSHARE

My corner Sunoco station took over repairs to my 01 Aurora. Yes, it was the high pressure power steering fluid line that was leaking. About $200 later, the leak is repaired.
The trunk leak was the plastic drain tube that become dettached. It took me some time to find it. pulling out all of the left side trim, there was the tube... reconnected it. and all is good.

I did recently have the throttle position control fail. The car was traveling down the turnpike at 85 without ever having to touch the throttle pedal. Interesting ride home that night. In neutral the car tach was at 3500... at rest!

Dan Wirth

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Sounds like you got a good price on fixing that power steering hose leak. It cost me $175 for the hose and another $75 for the labor on my 2001 Aurora (at Goodyear).

I hope I don't have any more to worry about like traveling down the road at 85 miles per hour without gas pedal! But problems are starting to crop up on my car and have been expensive over the past year (understandably as the car is 9 years old now)..

The sender units or something chip related (I think) is causing low tire pressure, low coolant level, and low oil pressure lights to come on. There is nothing wrong. Also in the winter time I get a check engine light with check gas cap lite that means absolutely nothing. I have been trying to avoid taking the car to a Cadillac dealer, but no one else (been to two different reputable places) has been able to pinpoint the trouble. Will have to bite the bullet!