# wheres my antifreez going 2004 chevy 2500 6L gas



## chuckraduenz (Jan 4, 2009)

iv been adding a gal of antifreez about every 2000miles or less. i dont see any leaks. exsaust dont smell sweet and dont smoke white. the oil looks clean and is not over full. so what is it im confused..... looking for ideas......


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## chevboy167 (Dec 7, 2011)

Take it to a shop you trust and have them pressure test the cooling system when its cold and warmed up to operating temp. That will tell you if its leaking externally or internally.


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## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

My bet is on the waterpump. You cannot see it cause it is way under the pulley. My wifes 6.0 Escalade did the same thing. I finally found it by doing some searches. Found a vid on YT as well. Pretty easy job to do. Got all parts and a couple idler pullies at rockauto.
T.J.


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## bswalks (Dec 9, 2010)

Mine water pump too, but i wasn't listing that much coolant before I found it.


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## Rubicon 327 (Oct 6, 2009)

My brothers 03 was doing the same thing and like everyone else has said......*water pump!* Auto Zone lends out coolant pressure testers if your inclined to check it yourself.


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## chuckraduenz (Jan 4, 2009)

kinda find that strange that it dont leak. as i replaced the water pump in my 01 dodge but the only reason i knew that was going as i seen it dripping under the truck and seen it was comeing from the weep hole on the pump. but ill give it a try. a pump is cheaper than a motor.

so dose the pump burn it? leak it out only when driveing?


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

The water pump in our Denali was weeping just a bit, only way i figured it out was the stains on both sides of the timing cover. I topped it off, has not lost a drop in two months. I will be changing the pump this spring.


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## chuckraduenz (Jan 4, 2009)

well i did the cooling sys check and didnt help. i did it hot and cold. the sys is rated at 15psi. tryed 15psi and 25psi. but it did nothing. tryed it in a few times at 10min per time. they said need to try a dye test.


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## chevyzrule810 (Oct 5, 2010)

my 2006 with 70,000 was leaking coolant as well.Not as much a yours but a good amount.After pressure testing the system I found it to be leaking at the gasket behind the water pump.I replaced the water pump as the gaskets are behind the water pump and were included with the water pump I got.I also replaced the clamps on the upper and lower radiator hoses,and coolant bottle cap as mine wasn't working properly.


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## streetfrog (Dec 9, 2007)

driverside head gasket . they weep from the rear down the back of the block. check there


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## johnhenry1933 (Feb 11, 2013)

It's a sealed system. If it's not leaking (as you have already noted, verify with pressure test), it's going into the engine (as noted above via streetfrog: headgasket). You'll fry the engine in short order (starting with gaskets, then heads, etc., etc., etc.) if it's not fixed promptly.


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## TMLGC (Sep 22, 2013)

Subscribing, I just posted very similar question in the repair section along with pics for my 2000 Chevy 2500 with the 6.0. I had brought mine to a shop and they originally said water pump then looked further and said they did not believe it was the pump. I'm not losing a gallon but my low coolant light comes on every 2-3 weeks and I add a small amount. It is frustrating. If it is a head gasket some internet research advised it could be a $1,000-$1,500 repair?? What does a rebuilt engine cost, I would think not far off that??


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## streetfrog (Dec 9, 2007)

TMLGC;1647761 said:


> Subscribing, I just posted very similar question in the repair section along with pics for my 2000 Chevy 2500 with the 6.0. I had brought mine to a shop and they originally said water pump then looked further and said they did not believe it was the pump. I'm not losing a gallon but my low coolant light comes on every 2-3 weeks and I add a small amount. It is frustrating. If it is a head gasket some internet research advised it could be a $1,000-$1,500 repair?? What does a rebuilt engine cost, I would think not far off that??


Several thousand plus the labor to swap it , book calls for about 40 hrs to swap it. not including any part swapping or fluids etc. :crying:


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## Holland (Aug 18, 2010)

streetfrog;1647790 said:


> Several thousand plus the labor to swap it , book calls for about 40 hrs to swap it. not including any part swapping or fluids etc. :crying:


Where are you getting *40 hrs *from??


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## johnhenry1933 (Feb 11, 2013)

Holland;1647804 said:


> Where are you getting *40 hrs *from??


Yeah. I think it's more like 12-14 hours to swap an engine.


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## RichG53 (Sep 16, 2008)

I agree 12-14 hrs...Not 40 hrs...Gee !!


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## streetfrog (Dec 9, 2007)

Straight out of the labor time book. It's not the old 350 gas motor with crap loads of room anymore. call a dealer and ask.


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## Holland (Aug 18, 2010)

Straight from alldata
Complete Assembly With Transfer Of Parts

Manual Trans

Includes: Transfer All Fuel & Electrical Units. Does Not Include: Transfer Of Optional Equipment. 
Warranty 6.5 Standard 11.4 

Auto Trans

Includes: Transfer All Fuel & Electrical Units. Does Not Include: Transfer Of Optional Equipment. 
Warranty 9.3 Standard 14.8 

Doesn't matter what the book says anyways. If your dealer says it takes 40 hours for an engine swap find another dealer. These really aren't any harder to swap than an old tbi or vortec 350. 

To the op, sorry for the side track, find your leak yet?


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## wirenut (Jan 16, 2004)

seems to be another of gm's known problems....asked a buddy of mine who's a parts mngr and he gave me a pack of gm pellets to put in cooling sys... seems to have stopped


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## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

All those pellets do is clog up stuff. The engines were not designed to leak and then to have pellets as a band aid.


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## Trosscam (Aug 23, 2011)

check water pump to block gaskets. they're aluminum with orings molded to them. they tend to seep over time...not enough to leak on the ground but enough for level to slowly go down.


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## damian (Jan 29, 2009)

there is a service bulletin addressing coolant leak issues bad head castings small leak under valve covers neer spring pockets coolant evaporates and tough to detect, visual inspection reveals coolant tracs, bulletin describes castings involved years etc.


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## Whiffyspark (Dec 23, 2009)

chuckraduenz;1628539 said:


> well i did the cooling sys check and didnt help. i did it hot and cold. the sys is rated at 15psi. tryed 15psi and 25psi. but it did nothing. tryed it in a few times at 10min per time. they said need to try a dye test.


Pump it up more you won't hurt anything.

Check your oil for coolant

Is your exhaust smoking?


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## damian (Jan 29, 2009)

sorry wrong engine on bulletin, i thought you said 6 cyl not 6.0. sorry to alarm you.


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