Beretta cooling system woes :(

[nikosuave8896]

Hello everyone!


It's awesome to find a bunch of members that are beretta lovers like me, I love my beretta, she isnt the prettiest out of the bunch like some of the ones you guys have, but I love my car it hasn't let me down yet but I have been running into some problems with her lately


First to start off, I have a 1994 3.1L V6 with about 103,600 on the clock.

Yesterday, I drove my car for about 2 hours total and I went to park my car and I saw something dripping from the drivers side ( my ac was not on and it wasn't raining) I went to look and see what it was and it smelled like antifreeze.

I looked under the car and saw it was all over the place (A lot of sitting in traffic and driving on the highway, etc i guess its bound to happen).

After a further diagnosis I determined that it was the radiator (the upper hose was going bad but the hose that feeds into the radiator the plastic has possibly a hairline crack as there was liquid coming from there, i just want to make sure it is the radiator and not possibly a head gasket or intake manifold). It does not leak when you start it up and drive it for like 10 minutes, i guess after a while when the system is really working hard, it does it.

Thats my first problem.


My second problem, is this really annoying rattling noise thats coming from where the belt is.

Last week, I had the belt and tensioner replaced but the noise still continues and yesterday it was really getting bad! (I am guessing THIS is the water pump, but I cant be certain, if it was the water pump with the leak, wouldnt it be coming from the passenger side?) The radiator is still the factory radiator i believe so 17 years of it in the car in my opinion is pretty good haha).

I have a video I uploaded 2 months ago, it still makes the noise today so any insight will be great!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hQEbZugN8Q

[spacecadetz26]

the radiator is a common issue. the plastic tank cracks on the drivers side.

the noise you have sounds like your ac compressor clutch is bad.

[nikosuave8896]

Thanks for the response, I just replaced the radiator today which is good now with new fresh coolant and a new hose where the leak started, all the other hoses were in good shape.

Reguarding the Compressor clutch, would it still make that noise even if nothing is on like ac, heat, vent, etc? When I turn the AC on, it sounds alot worse and a lot more louder.

The AC works fine too, its pretty cold, the person who had it before me put a new compressor in it, but its a pepboys compressor and I dont think they put enough refrigerant in it to begin with.

If it IS the compressor clutch, how much would it go for? (parts, labor) is there a guide? is it simple? The sound is driving me nuts.


I dont think the actual compressor is bad, it was so hard to tell cause the water pump is right above it, im guessing.

[spacecadetz26]

if you take the belt off you can spin the pulleys by hand to see which is making noise

[DTMAce]

If the noise sounds like a ringing bell like noise, its the A/C clutch bearing. And yes that will make noise usually until the A/C engages, but it sounds like that's your culprit.

[nikosuave8896]

It doesnt sound like a ringing bell more like a rattle

[spacecadetz26]

you can usually see the clutch wobbling slightly if its coming apart

[DTMAce]

Other thing to do, is to pull the belt loose, and free spin each unit by hand, see if any are wobbling or feel rough/loose. At that mileage, you are bound to have a couple of them going out. Idler and tensioner pulleys can go bad too. Typically on my vehicles, if I replace the belt, I replace the idler/tensioner pulleys too. Belts are usually good for 75-100k or if they are starting to show cracks/rot/pieces of belt missing, etc.

[nikosuave8896]

Belt tensioner and belt was replaced last week. Am i checking the pulleys that the belt goes around? Do i have to take the belt off to check to see which pulleys shot? The 3.1 engines a pain in the ass to take the belt off

[DTMAce]

You don't have to remove it, but I would at least take it loose so you can free spin the pulleys by hand. Simple procedure, and it works to help identify the bad pulley bearing. So yes you are checking the pulleys that the belt goes around. Don't worry about the crank one obviously. lol

[nikosuave8896]

Just realizing i put a new radiator in and refilled it with a gallon and a half of coolant i drove it let it sit for two days checked under hood nd the resovior was empty is tht normal?

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk

[nikosuave8896]

Okay update.


After replacing the radiator, i drove it for 20 minutes, adding coolant as needed. I let it sit for about 2 days cause of the hurricane that was here over the weekend, and i went outside to check the pulley, i said to myself hey, lets check the coolant level and there was like none in there anymore! So I added it and the car isnt overheating or anything, and coolants probably leaking out cause i kept opening the cap and it was leaking out to make sure i didnt overfill it.

How many gallons are in a coolant system and I just put antifreeze in, is that right or no?

Im afraid I have a big leak somewhere if the reservoir was empty. I only put about a gallon in a half in so far, which is why I am asking this,

and I cannot loosen the belt as there is no space in there, lol, but I did add a new video as since I replaced the radiator, the sound is alot different now,without the ac on, the ac on it makes the same noise, but this noise with it off sounds a lot like something is dragging,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjgF9FFiCTk

[Barry]

As per the rules, your first 5 posts require moderator approval. Please stop posting duplicate posts

[DTMAce]

Your cooling system typically holds around 2.5 gallons. You should top off the tank (there is a fill line, or just fill it about halfway) but do not fill it clear to the top. As long as it stays around half full, you should be fine. The system does take a few cycles to get the air all burped out. There is also a bleeder (brass fitting right on top of the water pump) that you can loosen (don't remove it) while the engine is warmed up and up to temp. The bleeder has its main fitting, and it should also have a little nut right on top (providing someone else didn't break it off). This little nut is also made of brass. It can be very easily twisted off. SO. Get a wrench that fits it exactly (or socket) and while the engine is fully warmed up AND running, loosen that little nut till it starts bubbling air and coolant. When its solid coolant (no more bubbles), tighten it, till it stops letting out fluid. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN as it can snap right off! As I said, its just a bleeder. This will help remove the air from your engine's cooling system.

Once you have the proper amount of coolant in the system and the air bubbles are mostly gone, the level of the tank should stop going down. As I said above, around half full COLD in that tank is normal.

Obviously, fix the radiator first. It needs replaced, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to replace the upper and lower coolant hoses, and maybe the thermostat while you are in there. 100k on the original possibly, so its most likely due.

EDIT: I see you had replaced it, so then you would proceed with the other ideas. My bad.

As for the pulley, I still think the best course of action is to loosen the belt and spin the pulleys by hand. They rent a tool at most auto places to make it easy to take the belt loose. All you have to really do, is move that tensioner, flip the belt off the alternator and then check your pulleys. Place the belt back into the proper spots and put it back on. You won't have to mess with taking the mount loose or anything like that. Changing those belts are a pain in the arse, I know. But you don't have to go that far.

[DTMAce]

I guess the only other thing to worry about with regards to coolant, is it getting into the crankcase due to bad lower intake gaskets or bad head gaskets. The easy symptom for this, is if your engine oil looks like chocolate milk. If it does, this is coolant mixing with your engine oil. This condition is fatal to the engine if not fixed immediately when discovered. The longer the engine runs like that, the more damage it does to the bearing surfaces of things like the crank bearings, rod bearings, etc. I doubt you have to worry about that yet, but as long as the oil is staying oil colored, you should be fine there. Chocolate milk though is bad. lol