I am having a few car issues with my 1991 pontiac sunbird :(?

hanniebananie09

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I am 19 and a girl and I don't know alot about cars, but a lil advice or info would help....

my sunbird is leaking antifreeze, and sometimes when I start my car it sometimes dont start it just sometimes clicks and I gotta turn the key a few times :( please help thanks
my antifreeze is leaking, and I am sure it is the antifreeze cause I cheak it and I gotta keep adding more in every soo many days.. but I cant tell where its leaking at... and the 2nd prob is my car sometimes wont start.. but it clicks.. could it be a battery.. or ground wire or maybe the starter?
 
You need to pin point the anti-freeze leak or have a friend that is handy with vehicles or a shop check it for you and fix it asap.Really I strongly do advice you to not spend any money until you have someone reliable go over the coolant system and clean every post on the battery, starter, alternator, engine block ground and all the grounds with a wire brush etc, plus clean or replace the o-ring connectors , replace or fix any rusted or corroded wiring.With that old of a vehicle probably needs at least new battery post connectors and the starter, alternator , engine block ground wires if they've not been replaced I suggest that when you clean the connections and replace any ground screws etc that you replace those thicker positive and negative main charging/starting system wires at the same time.Bec those wires will tend to internally rust and corrode to the point that the whole starting/charging system is been drained just to even start the engine and that will end up causing stress and drain on the battery, starter, alternator etc.

If you want some shop suggestions try a older small town or family run radiator shop bec some will offer free estimates and they also may offer more reasonable labour fees.You can also try local schools or colleges that offer auto repair courses bec some will fix vehicles free of any labour costs etc.


Whatever you decide be sure you try all the basics first such as using cardboard and leaving it under the vehicle for awhile over night etc to see what the anti-freeze spots are on the cardboard compared to the radiator , rad hoses , etc are located.Feel each hose going to and from the rad and see if any are extra soft or worn or leaking , plus check the rad hose clamps , go over the rad look for any green or corroded spots along it's outer and inner frame. See if any of the rad's fins are extra soft or flaking or if the metal pipes you see on the rad are leaking or greenish etc bec all are clear signs of a faulty radiator.Go over the engine, check the smaller hoses you see that go up near the lower windshield area under the hood , these two are the heater-core hoses and they could leak anti-freeze too.Be sure to check all fluid levels and look for any signs of possible contamination such as coolant in the oil etc.



Hope that helps and best of luck.By the way if a friend can help you have them be sure that the starter, battery are fully tested to be sure their still in good working condition and you might want to get the alternator tested too , most part stores offer free starter, alternator, starter tests , I'd just recommend for a extra piece of mind that if possible that either you or a friend mark your parts before having anybody offer you free part testing services.
 
are you sure its antifreeze?
put a large piece of cardboard under the car engine area
if the leak is green? its antifreeze
red? transmission
black- oil

ok, so you green and figure out its antifreeze
next-
while car is running look under the hood at the radiator and hoses- you should see the leak
get it fixed

clicking might be alternator or battery
go to auto zone- they check your battery for free
 
Could have been the Head Gasket (that no other mentioned) which WILL cause starting problems.
Telltale sign: wispy tailpipe steam.
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your starter could be going really tough to change and for the antifreeze check the carpet near your feet if its wet then you need to change the heater core...leak will be under the car near the passenger side
 
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