1997 Jeep Cherokee... I purchased this a year ago from an elderly couple so I thought that it would be in decent shape. When I purchased it the antifreeze didn't have too much of a problem. Once winter rolled around it would go through antifreeze like crazy but no leaks. I had Firestone do a pressure check and they came up with nothing. The summer came and it ran fine, I didn't need to continually add antifreeze.

This winter has rolled around and it has gotten worse. I noticed today that it leaked a large pool. I went to work and when I finished noticed another large leak. I returned home and now have white smoke or what appears to be thick steam coming from under the hood. I looked under the hood and it looks like antifreeze was poured over various parts of the engine. There is no specific pooling of antifreeze under the vehicle. It's spread all over. I made an appointment at Firestone but don't want ripped off. Any ideas? What should I say to make it appear that I know what I'm talking about? Thanks!

Probably a ruptured by-pass or other hose. If it's a hose, you should be able to easily tell. Squeeze all hoses and see how they feel and look for any ruptures. Worse case scenario is a bad head gasket, usually caused by overheating. The head becomes warped and the gasket leaks. Don't drive the car, until you solve the leak, unless you want an "eye popping" bill. Have it towed.

Since you bought this from an elderly couple, you want to replace all fluids (brake, transmission, power steering, antifreeze, and engine oil), filters (engine and transmission), and hoses (radiator and heater hoses). Don't assume anything. Items should be replaced on time or mileage, whichever comes first. This is now a 10 year old vehicle. Read the FAQ section for some recommended maintenance ideas.

97 cherokee's with 4.0 don't have a by-pass hoses. It's probably the water pump, most common problem with 4.0L leaking massive amounts of coolant. The radiators will leak now and again, same for the thermostats. And with any vehicle, a hose can blow at anytime, if replacing a radiator hose, replace both upper and lower, and always have the heater hoses inspected.