coolant leak, pressure testing, radiator

ok, thanks for response. i think what you're saying then, is that the engine can continue to run and does not overheat unless of course i lost enough coolant and did not replace. However under pressure testing it is showing that the water pump is leaking as well as other parts of the radiator/cooling system? He is proposing a big job and very expensive for this '96 Saab which isn't worth a whole lot in the first place. So I'm just wondering if i need to spend 1,500 to fix it now?

It is common for Saab water pumps to go bad. And considering the car is 14-15 years old the hoses and radiator are probably bad. If you do want to repair the car look into reman'd parts for the water pump and radiator, they are sure to be cheaper than new ones and usually have a warranty that is just as good as new parts.

i changed my water pump and a few hoses all for around 150.00 and a few hours of time i got the pump on e-bay for 25.00

thanks for the info. unfortunately i don't have tools or know hoe to do repairs. what would it cost approximately to have the radiator repaired/replaced if that is needed? and the water pump you got off e-bay was used i assume. how do you know if its working before you buy it on e-bay, and what if it doesn't work?