Coolant leak after accident

Many vehicles have the front end packed with parts that were not there in prior years. In this case there are a lot of parts behind the bumper area that can get damaged. In your case the AC condenser and radiator are very close to the front and it is very likely that although the outside of the car may look fine, the fascia cover with energy absorber (Styrofoam block) and the impact bar (actual metal bumper) were moved back enough to damage the AC core and radiator. It takes very little impact to do damage on these cars with all the lightweight plastics used. With the leak and steam I would start by looking at the radiator and the hoses, I think you will find one of the plastic tanks on the radiator has cracked and you need a replacement radiator. I would also check the coolant level ASAP because it is very easy to overheat and damage an engine if the coolant runs low, plus the coolant used in your car really hates getting air into it from running low, it will turn into a thick goo like slime. Then you end up replacing many more parts to remove that from the cooling system.

Do you think it is worth fixing? I never had any problems with it and all I know is that it was leaking some fluid after the accident. There insurance wants to cut my car as a loss, however it is still drive able and they never took it too get inspected. It's my first car and I really want to save it if possible but not if it's going to cost an arm and a leg.

It doesn't look that bad, a replacement bumper cover, energy absorber, headlight (likely broken mounts) straighten some tin and replace the leaking parts. If you hunt around you might even find a fascia in the correct color. If you want to hunt go to www.car-part.com and put in your information and it will show you salvage yards that have the parts. That should give you an idea of the cost. Then you can decide if you want to fix it.

The reason the insurance wants to write it of is because they were not an expensive car to begin with and the wholesale value isn't that high so anything more than a few hundred dollars likely exceeds the threshold of totaled.

Okay, thank you. I appreciate the help.

Good evening, I had an accident where my serpentine belt broke and I hit a guard rail in May, 2021. There wasn't a lot of damage on the outside but all kinds of fluid and steam came out. The lights on the dashboard also lit up. After the serpentine belt was fixed I continued to have issues where the lights on the dashboard would flash on and off occasionally(ex ABS light, etc...) The D light would have a pulse motion. Then the P light started to do it as well. My car was also not starting right away. Took it back and they saw the fans to cool down the engine oil was broken so it was replaced along with other things. It was still not running right and the lights were still flashing. When I took it back to Pepboys they said if it's electrical they couldn't fix it so I took it to the car Honda dealership. They couldn't find anything at first but said I needed to replace my battery because it showed a defect and that should take care of everything. Two days later it wouldn't start right away. Called and they said it was cold out that's why it didn't start. I was confused considering it was a brand new battery. Still having issues they finally found a code for a sensor but said it wasn't detrimental to me driving the car. I still had issues with it starting until it just stopped this on Easter. I am being told I need a new starter now. They said they couldn't detect it before because it's connected to the battery source. I figured after they replaced the battery they should have known it was the starter. ***The question I have is could the liquid that came out have come from the coolant hose and leaked onto the starter causing damage or it to completely stop working? My insurance company said that because of my mileage it was bound to happen but I didn't have a problem with my car starting before the accident. I really need advise. Thank you

Hi,

Chances are coolant wouldn't hurt the starter motor. It is located in a place where it constantly gets wet when it is raining or snowing.

However, I'm questioning if the starter is the real problem. Can you explain what it is doing when you try starting the vehicle? If you turn the key to start, does it do anything? If you don't hear the starter engage, do the lights dim indicating there is power going to a faulty starter?

Let me know. Also, if you could record what is happening and upload it for me to see, it should help me.

Note: If the starter isn't working, it is easy to check. Take a look through this link. If you have questions or need help, let me know.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/starter-not-working-repair

Let me know.

Take care,

Joe

I re-entered my question. I put it in the wrong place, but I will attach two videos I took of me starting my car. I hope this can give you a better insight.

Hi:
I just noticed you have a new post for this issue. Because it is a different type of vehicle than the original post here, I am going to jump to the new one and answer. We like to keep them specific to one topic and type of vehicle so it is more helpful to others.

I'll see you there. LOL

Joe

Thanks... sorry I put it in the wrong area

Hi:
No problem whatsoever. I hope my response to the other thread you have helps. I will watch for your reply.

Take care,

Joe