All my coolant fell out. What's likely the issue?

[Useight]

So here's what happened:

I drove my DeLorean for 10-15 minutes one direction. Everything seemed normal during the drive (note: this does not mean everything was normal, I just didn't notice anything out of the ordinary). Then I parked it for roughly 10 minutes. I do recall noticing, as I walked behind it, the sound of things being hot (like bubbling or boiling or whatever), but it's sounded hot back there every time I've parked. Anyway, then I drove back home, again without noticing anything out of the ordinary while driving. That is to say, I did not notice the temperature gauge or anything strange. But it could've happened.

However, the next morning, I discovered a large puddle of coolant on the ground under the engine. There was no trail leading up my driveway. And there was no (I checked in a different vehicle) puddle on the ground where I had parked it the day prior. All signs point to no coolant loss until I parked it after returning home. I checked the dipstick and the oil looked translucent gold. No sign of coolant mixing.

I've only driven the car a couple hundred miles since I purchased it. I'm pretty confident that it sat for decades with very little, if any, drive time before me, since the tires were from 1992.

I'm hoping that it's a split hose or maybe a broken water pump or something of that nature, as opposed to a blown head gasket or a cracked engine block.

Any thoughts on the likelihood would be appreciated.

[Timeless]

Photos would be helpful. You see and obvious signs in the engine bay? So you're driving on 1992 tires?
FWIW when I purchased my ultra low mileage car that sat for 20 years I went through all the electrical and mechanicals to modernize and make it reliable and updated for use/daily use. Thousands $ later it has been perfect on multiple road trips.

[dn010]

Put a pressure tester on it and that will save a lot of guesswork.

[Rich]

Put a pressure tester on it and that will save a lot of guesswork.

Yes, do that after you refill the system with at least straight water. No need for coolant mix until you're ready to drive it again.
Testers are sold at major parts shops. AutoZone might have a loaner.

Any car parked wet since 1992 is very likely to have leak a coolant leak. Or many leaks.

The most common massive coolant failure point on these is the original plastic coolant header tank in the engine bay. When they fail on the road it's a real show back there, one you would likely have seen immediately in your rearview mirror unless it was nighttime.

PS, don't drive it until tires are all replaced. Hankook Kinergy STs are a direct fit front/rear.

[Patrick C]

Likely a dryrotted hose or the plastic coolant bottle has cracked. Like the others said, a pressure tester will show you the leak quickly.

[Useight]

No, I'm not driving on those tires. I ditched them for brand-new ones immediately. I'm just assuming it sat parked for decades because the tires were so old that I have to assume nobody was driving on them.

I can take some pictures tomorrow, but I'm not sure what part of the engine to take pictures of. The coolant puddle is long gone, as I've cleaned it up. But it was a fairly sizeable puddle and it was near the center of the engine, but maybe slightly closer to the driver's side.

I definitely can't just put some coolant (or even water in) and then drive it somewhere. As a test, I tried putting some coolant in and then started up the engine briefly and I watched coolant go flying out all over the place (by this I mean it was visibly leaking in the front of the engine, just pouring out (and by "front", I mean the side towards the back of the car)). If I drove it, it would surely overheat extremely fast because all the coolant would be expelled pronto.

I wonder if I could find a pressure tester around here. Hopefully it would come with good instructions on how to use it.

But it does sound like people are thinking it's some kind of coolant leak, not a catastrophic problem of some kind. I'm guessing, though, if I were to do a pressure test at home, a mechanic would still want to do one before beginning work and then I'd get charged for a pressure test after buying a pressure tester myself. Might be more financially prudent to tow it to a mechanic and have them pressure test it.

[JETS 81 DMC]

To put you somewhat at ease.........

DN010 said to pressure test. That should be your first step to diagnose.

Not sure where you live if there is an auto parts store near you. You should not need to buy one.

As Rich said you can get a loaner pressure tester from one of the major auto parts stores. You pay what the tool costs and when you return it you get all your money back. That is how their tool loaner program works.

The pressure tester comes in a kit with different adapters and should have instructions. Also you can google how to use it. Take your radiator cap with you to make sure the correct adapter is in the kit.

Hope this helps along with all the other suggestions. :cheers:

[Bitsyncmaster]

You can probably back your car up on ramps right after filling with water. Or keep jacking each side putting a 2x6 under the tire each time. I do this often when my front is up on ramps. Doors are closed and that helps keep the stress off the body twist. I end up with a 6x6 under each rear tire. I even went higher when I pulled the transmission.

Then you can crawl under the car and probably see where the leak is if it's a split hose. You need to change the hoses anyway if they are original.

[Emit]

If the leak is that bad you don't need to get a pressure tester, just fill the tank up with water, start it (optional step) and then look with your looking eyes to see where the water is coming from - not where it's it's spilling off, but where it originates from. Use a mirror and a light if it helps, like Bitsyncmaster said, get the car up and get under it.

I'm not saying it's your problem but, given the age of the car and it's history everything made of rubber should be replaced - including all coolant hoses, fuel lines and flex brake lines.

[jwrayth]

I watched coolant go flying out all over the place (by this I mean it was visibly leaking in the front of the engine, just pouring out (and by "front", I mean the side towards the back of the car)).

Failed water pump hose #102149 (https://store.classicdmc.com/102149-water-pump-hose.html) would be my guess. Filled the VOD with coolant, and as you run the engine more spills out and overflows. Happened to my car and exhibited same symptoms.

[dn010]

From your description I would guess your water pump is shot but you said the key word "mechanic" so there is no point in speculating any further. There would be no point in pressure testing if you're just sending it along to someone else to fix and aren't doing the work yourself. Your mechanic will be able to tell you exactly what's wrong compared to us trying to diagnose a problem being catastrophic or not on the internet without a lot more detail. A coolant leak could be something catastrophic and your mechanic will be able to tell you if there is engine damage. Let us know what they find.

Also, the "financially prudent" part goes out the window with DeLorean ownership.


But it does sound like people are thinking it's some kind of coolant leak, not a catastrophic problem of some kind. I'm guessing, though, if I were to do a pressure test at home, a mechanic would still want to do one before beginning work and then I'd get charged for a pressure test after buying a pressure tester myself. Might be more financially prudent to tow it to a mechanic and have them pressure test it.

[Helirich]

If the leak is that bad you don't need to get a pressure tester, just fill the tank up with water, start it (optional step) and then look with your looking eyes to see where the water is coming from - not where it's it's spilling off, but where it originates from. Use a mirror and a light if it helps, like Bitsyncmaster said, get the car up and get under it.

I'm not saying it's your problem but, given the age of the car and it's history everything made of rubber should be replaced - including all coolant hoses, fuel lines and flex brake lines.

This!

[Rich]

But it was a fairly sizeable puddle and it was near the center of the engine, but maybe slightly closer to the driver's side

I definitely can't just put some coolant (or even water in) and then drive it somewhere. As a test, I tried putting some coolant in and then started up the engine briefly and I watched coolant go flying out all over the place (by this I mean it was visibly leaking in the front of the engine, just pouring out (and by "front", I mean the side towards the back of the car)). If I drove it, it would surely overheat extremely fast because all the coolant would be expelled pronto.


These most recent clues point to a failure in or behind the VOD area. Areas you can't easily inspect.

Easiest way to verify the leak zone is to leave the car where it is, not on jacks or ramps. Refill the coolant tank with water. Keep adding water (without topping off the tank) until you see water dripping onto the ground. Track the flow upward from there. No need to run the engine since the tank sits higher than the suspected leak and the leak isn't a small one.

The water would mainly flow to the ground from just ahead or just behind the rear crossmember (the part of the frame under the drivetrain) if the failure is in or behind the VOD.
There are several hose/pipe connections behind the intake manifold as well as the ones beneath it.

You can flatbed it to the shop now and let the mechanic spend 15 minutes doing this initial leak test. If you're lucky the leak isn't in the VOD area. The hoses above VOD and behind the engine are at least accessible without much teardown.

[Helirich]

From your description I would guess your water pump is shot but you said the key word "mechanic" so there is no point in speculating any further. There would be no point in pressure testing if you're just sending it along to someone else to fix and aren't doing the work yourself. Your mechanic will be able to tell you exactly what's wrong compared to us trying to diagnose a problem being catastrophic or not on the internet without a lot more detail. A coolant leak could be something catastrophic and your mechanic will be able to tell you if there is engine damage. Let us know what they find.

Also, the "financially prudent" part goes out the window with DeLorean ownership.

I have to agree. Can?t hardly imagine owning one of these without working on cars in your blood. Maybe if you bought one that gas been completely rebuilt.

[SupercoolBill]

Its probably the coolant pipe in the valley of the engine. Rotted out.

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[Michael]

So here's what happened:

I drove my DeLorean for 10-15 minutes one direction. Everything seemed normal during the drive (note: this does not mean everything was normal, I just didn't notice anything out of the ordinary). Then I parked it for roughly 10 minutes. I do recall noticing, as I walked behind it, the sound of things being hot (like bubbling or boiling or whatever), but it's sounded hot back there every time I've parked. Anyway, then I drove back home, again without noticing anything out of the ordinary while driving. That is to say, I did not notice the temperature gauge or anything strange. But it could've happened.

However, the next morning, I discovered a large puddle of coolant on the ground under the engine. There was no trail leading up my driveway. And there was no (I checked in a different vehicle) puddle on the ground where I had parked it the day prior. All signs point to no coolant loss until I parked it after returning home. I checked the dipstick and the oil looked translucent gold. No sign of coolant mixing.

I've only driven the car a couple hundred miles since I purchased it. I'm pretty confident that it sat for decades with very little, if any, drive time before me, since the tires were from 1992.

I'm hoping that it's a split hose or maybe a broken water pump or something of that nature, as opposed to a blown head gasket or a cracked engine block.

Any thoughts on the likelihood would be appreciated.

A leak that large can only be a busted hose, probably one of the lower ones and there are plenty. A waterpump would only lose the coolant in the housing and maybe a bit more if the system was still under pressure but not much. An upper hose leaking would A: show a trail and B: lose only a small amount (again if the system was still pressurized, you would lose more but you would have a trail).


My guess is you got very lucky and after you parked the car, the still pressurized system blew a hose, and you can probably guess depending on the splash pattern about were it was. You have a multitude of short hoses under the car for the hard pipes, the front radiator hoses and the rear hoses to and from the water pump and expansion tank...it's a lot of rubber and it's a good idea to go through this car from top to bottom after sitting for decades as you put it...heck I'm surprised it even started.

I think you dodged a bullet. Take this opportunity to do a LOT of things before putting a car sitting for 10-20 years back on the road. The tires alone need to be replaced simply from age. Imagine all the rubber in the engine that needs to be replaced, as well as other things such as fuel lines, pump, rpm relay and electronic refresh including fuse box cleaning and cleaning of all the grounds, vacuum lines, ignition refresh, all rubber suspension and drive line boots inspected. I could go on. Not trying to be a kill joy here, because if you are driving a car that's sat for "decades", sounds like it was stored correctly but that doesn't mean so areas need to be addressed to make it a fun car and not something you dread driving because it may break down.

[Useight]

Also, the "financially prudent" part goes out the window with DeLorean ownership.

Touch?. Every time I turn around, I have to spend more money on getting something else fixed.


Can't hardly imagine owning one of these without working on cars in your blood. Maybe if you bought one that gas been completely rebuilt.

I don't know a single thing about working on cars, unfortunately. I didn't even know how to drive a stick before I bought my DeLorean. So I just have to keep throwing money at problems, unfortunately. I've owned it since September and I've probably only put 200 miles on it so far - something breaks every other time I drive it. It's super fun to drive it - everyone gawks and takes pictures. But, man, the dang thing is broken more than its fixed.

I poked around the engine today to see about taking pictures, but I didn't see anything noteworthy. I even laid down on the ground underneath to get a look at the underside, hoping I would see a split hose, but I don't think I even saw any hoses. Some pipes maybe. I'm guessing the hoses are all inside the appropriately-named Valley of Death? Based on most of the guess here, it sounds like it's not going to be some catastrophic engine-destroying thing, so that's good. But it also sounds like I should have the mechanic replace a bunch of hoses and stuff once the manifold is taken off in order to get in there.

[Emit]

Touch?. Every time I turn around, I have to spend more money on getting something else fixed.



I don't know a single thing about working on cars, unfortunately. I didn't even know how to drive a stick before I bought my DeLorean. So I just have to keep throwing money at problems, unfortunately. I've owned it since September and I've probably only put 200 miles on it so far - something breaks every other time I drive it. It's super fun to drive it - everyone gawks and takes pictures. But, man, the dang thing is broken more than its fixed.

I poked around the engine today to see about taking pictures, but I didn't see anything noteworthy. I even laid down on the ground underneath to get a look at the underside, hoping I would see a split hose, but I don't think I even saw any hoses. Some pipes maybe. I'm guessing the hoses are all inside the appropriately-named Valley of Death? Based on most of the guess here, it sounds like it's not going to be some catastrophic engine-destroying thing, so that's good. But it also sounds like I should have the mechanic replace a bunch of hoses and stuff once the manifold is taken off in order to get in there.

I'd prepare you wallet accordingly for some recommissioning and maintenance work that has been neglected by previous owners (I'm not trying to be a pessimist, just pragmatic)...


If you're into the VOD and it is just a blown hose, it would be poor economy, as you said, not to replace all the hoses and the water pump, taking off the intake if it hasn't been removed before can put up a fight. Then you need to consider anything else the same age made of rubber:

Water hoses: run from the engine to the front of the car, there are about 20ish connecting metal pipes together, if one hose went already they can all perish and dump coolant, also the heater hoses will do the same thing
Fuel lines: The rubber high pressure fuel lines, need to be replaced with a modern version, and if you have the intake off you're there anyway -
Brake lines: Often overlooked

None of this is impossible work for a mechanic, there are kits available for all of the parts and many write ups including the official workshop manual. A delorean specialist however may be worth thinking of to get a recommissioning done

[Timeless]

I think you dodged a bullet. Take this opportunity to do a LOT of things before putting a car sitting for 10-20 years back on the road. The tires alone need to be replaced simply from age. Imagine all the rubber in the engine that needs to be replaced, as well as other things such as fuel lines, pump, rpm relay and electronic refresh including fuse box cleaning and cleaning of all the grounds, vacuum lines, ignition refresh, all rubber suspension and drive line boots inspected. I could go on. Not trying to be a kill joy here, because if you are driving a car that's sat for "decades", sounds like it was stored correctly but that doesn't mean so areas need to be addressed to make it a fun car and not something you dread driving because it may break down.
You are right and thank you for expanding upon my earlier statement. 2002-2022 mine sat. Yes it's in fantastic condition but I went throughevery system and updated everything.

[David T]

Touch?. Every time I turn around, I have to spend more money on getting something else fixed.



I don't know a single thing about working on cars, unfortunately. I didn't even know how to drive a stick before I bought my DeLorean. So I just have to keep throwing money at problems, unfortunately. I've owned it since September and I've probably only put 200 miles on it so far - something breaks every other time I drive it. It's super fun to drive it - everyone gawks and takes pictures. But, man, the dang thing is broken more than its fixed.

I poked around the engine today to see about taking pictures, but I didn't see anything noteworthy. I even laid down on the ground underneath to get a look at the underside, hoping I would see a split hose, but I don't think I even saw any hoses. Some pipes maybe. I'm guessing the hoses are all inside the appropriately-named Valley of Death? Based on most of the guess here, it sounds like it's not going to be some catastrophic engine-destroying thing, so that's good. But it also sounds like I should have the mechanic replace a bunch of hoses and stuff once the manifold is taken off in order to get in there.

The best advice is to find a place that you trust to take care of your car for you. It will cost a lot of money but you won't have to get your hands dirty. Go to YouTube and watch Hoovie's Garage and/or Car Wizard.

[Useight]

Confirmed by the mechanic to be hoses. I will be replacing four coolant-related hoses. I didn't catch the name of them, but they come off the water pump. Water pump itself is fine. Head gaskets and engine block are fine. Pretty much best case scenario.

Thanks for the help, everyone.

[SupercoolBill]

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[Rich]

Thanks for catching us up on your situation.

Glad to know it was one of the easy hoses, one of the 4 connected to the sides of the WP housing, not any of the ones behind it in the VOD.

Sounds like your mechanic already pressure-tested the system. You caught a break if the mechanic's right.



Confirmed by the mechanic to be hoses. I will be replacing four coolant-related hoses. I didn't catch the name of them, but they come off the water pump. Water pump itself is fine. Head gaskets and engine block are fine. Pretty much best case scenario.

Thanks for the help, everyone.

[SupercoolBill]

It takes a big man to admit he was wrong....I was wrong.
I thought for sure it was the pipe in the VOD. That's usually what goes.

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