Nuts and Bolts with Buffalo Jim

Hey Buffalo Jim,

My 1991 Ford Explorer is leaking coolant from the engine compartment. Almost every time I walk outside, there's a bunch of green stuff--the environmentally safe kind!--puddled in the driveway. My son popped the hood and looked at the radiator, but it seems to be fine. Actually, it looks like the coolant is leaking from behind the engine. What could be causing this? How difficult is it to fix? And is it going to cost me the money I had saved for my vacation?

--Lori Cayhill

Don't panic, Lori. You're going to be drinking rum drinks with those little umbrellas before you know it. If I were a betting man, I'd wager that you've got a leaky hose or a bad control valve that connects your radiator to the heater box inside your dashboard. Both of these are easy fixes that any qualified mechanic can do in less than a half-hour. Worst-case scenario, you've got a couple of rusty freeze plugs in the back of your engine. If you need to have these replaced, make sure your mechanic uses brass plugs. Tin ones will rust out on you again. Whatever it is, the whole operation shouldn't cost you more than $200 at most. If it's just a valve ($50) or a hose ($20), you're looking at a substantially cheaper repair. Just remember to have a Mai Tai for Buffalo Jim.

Buffalo Jim is the owner of Allstate Auto Marine. You can find him this weekend stuffing his face with lamb and baklava at the Greek Food Festival at St. John's Greek Orthodox Church. E-mail him your car and/or gyro-related questions at buffalojim@lasvegasmercury.com.