Common causes for coolant leak? (99.5)

mkiv808 · Jun 29th, 2006, 12:37 AM

I have a slow coolant leak that a shop I no longer go to thought might be a blown head gasket. I have about 106,000 miles on my 1999.5 SE. I have never had any overheating and there's no sign of coolant at the oil cap. No white steam out of exhaust. Sometimes after running the car for a while I hear a intermittent "sizzle" sound coming from the engine bay after turning it off, like something is dripping and evaporating.

I found this on a Google search:

Coolant leak: Coolant may leak from the front of the cylinder head, which may appear to be a head gasket, but comes from a threaded plug in the front of the head. (1990-95)

Coolant leak: Coolant leaks in cylinder heads could be coming from blind plugs. The plugs can be resealed without head removal. (1990-95)

Although it says 90-95 could this be the contributing factor? I can't imagine the engine design was changed all that much.

What other common causes are coolant leaks caused by on Pathfinders?

I'm getting it pressure checked, but I'd like to go armed with some info. I'd hate to have any unnecessary repairs done.

lewisnc100 · Jun 30th, 2006, 08:51 AM

My 97 has had two coolants leaks. The hose next to the PCV valve is a coolant hose and mine had a slow leak, dripping down slowly and sizzling on the manifolds. I also had a slow leak at the coolant bypass hose above the thermostat. Another common spot is the fast idle cam wax pellet.

Xeno · Jun 30th, 2006, 02:03 PM

Water pump
Freeze plugs
Intake manafold(carb vehicles)
Heater hoses
Cracked overflow
Bad cap