plex4r

Suburban 2001 LT, <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
5.3 Ltr engine <o></o>
164,000 miles<o></o>
My Suburban has a major oil leak but I cannot see where it is leaking from. With the car in park, if I idle for about 5 minutes it starts to leak like a faucet turned on just above a drip.<o></o>
Probably related to this issue is the fact that the car has been loosing a large amount of coolant over the last few years. I usually only drive the car 2000 miles a year. Over a two week period I could have to put in 1/2 gallon of water, but sometimes it would be 2 months before I would need this much. It seems like in summer it would burn less. I did not see a leak anywhere or out of the weep hole. The coolant has likely been leaking into the engine oil, because the color quickly because a rust like color even soon after I change the oil. Also there would be some amount of gunk that would drain with the oil. <o></o>
I have looked all around under the hood but it cannot be seen from there. Underneath the vehicle the oil is dripping closer to the middle of the vehicle, coming from right above the transmission pan. It is not transmission fluid and I have had several people verify the color matches the oil color on the dipstick, and not the transmission fluid color. It is coming from above the transmission and dripping right across the transmission cable and around that side of the transmission pan, but I cannot see above there.<o></o>
Before I take it to a mechanic I would like to have a rough idea of what both of these problems could be: First the coolant leak, and secondly the oil leak. The first problem probably caused the second, and I’m sure I did not help matters by continuing to drive it for so long while the coolant leak was happening.<o></o>
Can someone please reply with what the cause of these issues may be and any rough estimate on what it would cost to fix it?<o></o>

jplinville

Judging by coolant loss and where you're claiming it's coming from, I'd say head gasket.

73shark

Could also be intake gasket. If it's being going on for a long period of time, probably some severe bearing damage has occurred.

Freewill

Where the oil leak is concerned the 5.7 litre in my 2001 express van had a oil pressure sending unit, at the top rear of the motor block near the base of the distributor, that broke internally and was leaking oil out on top of the transmission. Between the socket to change it, and the new unit, I made the repair for around fifty dollars.