Thermos andothers!....... Hopefully a clearer post than previous with picture

Needing help! 2002 2.5AWD auto./petrol located coolant leak / left side of engine...a small pool of coolantsitting in valley below to the right of the where two metal pipes join {thisbeyond the oil filler) have used someone’s photo / blue circled location......

Could it be the dreaded Head Gasket ? {click on picture to enlarge}

 

No it isn't a head gasket. The area you have circled in blue has O-Ring type seals at the connections. You have either cracked a casting or you have a simple O-Ring leak. You will never be able to tell without doing a pressure test as recommended a couple of times in response to your other posts

I have asked the moderator to combine your 4 posts into one so that you can see all of the responses you have received so far. Please try to stick with the 1 post so that all of the responses are in one place.

Thanks for the clearer picture.

 

As avern1 mentioned , this is a Coolant Temperature sensor that controls the fan and its speed speed and when to run. It easy to replace if needed and cheap as well as DIY but engine cold.

 

Like others have said, get a new o-ring or two, get the area apart and replace all the sealing pieces. Just makes sure that when you are pulling the hoses off, that you give them a good twist to break them free of the metal tubing. Shoving something between the hose and the metal surface can potentially damage the hose, leading to a different leak. Granted, with the age of the car, putting on new hoses may be a worthwhile thing since you are not 100% sure where the leak is coming from. The hoses are more than likely starting to get old and expanding, an indication that at some point in the future they are going to give you more grief. Though, you probably still have atleast a few more years of trouble free use of the hoses. Your call.

 

mechanic quick look today....... "valley pipe?" either replace the rubber seal or a bead of good quality silicone will cure it.

 

Do what you want, but if it was me I would replace it and fix it properly the first time. It's not like you have to drop the engine and it's going to cost you thousands of dollars.

 

+1 do it right. You may find yourself down the road stranded with an overheated BLOWN engine.