Help with a coolant leak

[Underpowered]

There's coolant dripping from what looks like the head gasket area down onto my exhaust pipe (making it smoke). I drained the oil and (luckily) I saw no coolant. So do you think if I replaced the head gasket that everything would be good again?

[yozsi]

i would first make sure its not the head gasket. check your heater hoses and bypass hoses. especially the ones going to the intake manifold and under it.

[Rigmaster]

There's coolant dripping from what looks like the head gasket area down onto my exhaust pipe (making it smoke). I drained the oil and (luckily) I saw no coolant. So do you think if I replaced the head gasket that everything would be good again?

Yeah, replace the head gasket......that cures all ills. :P



Seriously, give up a little more info (what type of car is it? year/make/model/engine, etc).

There are plenty of other places for coolant to escape from besides just the head gasket.



Bret.

[Underpowered]

ooh, okay its a 1985 318i. theres coolant leaking from SOMEwhere, but i cant quite pinpoint it. it seems to be collecting a lot around the rear of the engine bay, passenger side. it looks a little wet around the head gasket area, and im not sure which hoses are coolant hoses (couldnt find the manual for E30's.)