Now that I've got my starter back in, it's time to hunt for the hithertofore elusive coolant leak. I haven't been able to find anything dripping and no obvious red crusties. I have acquired the coolant dye/blacklight setup and am wondering if anyone has any advice. Also, do pour the dye directly into the radiator or should I put it into the overflow tank?
Use advanced, search put "idahodoug" in username, (click "yes" for exact name), put "dye" in for keyword.
You do realize that if it ain't an external leak, you may have big troubles, yes? Not trying to jinx you or anything. Any goo under the oil filler cap?
The oil is looking clean as the day it was put in (1000 mi ago). I'm am a little paranoid that Dan has voodoo'd me since I failed to order anything from him last month.
probably cicrulate quicker if you put it directy in the radiator, you will have to take some of the fluid out of the rad and put it in the ovberflow to make room for the dye,
if you just put it in the overlow it will take many heet cool cycles to get much of it drawn into the cooling system propper
good luck, maybe if you order some nice shinnye new leather seats or soemthing he will pull the pin out before your head cracks.
I poured it directly into the radiator and drove it for about 15 minutes with the heat going. I didn't see any dye on a quick inspection of the hoses and radiator. None on the oil cap or on the dipstick. There was some glowing in the overflow container. Is it possible that I'm just seriously low following the stealership's changing of the PHH and that all the fluid I've added is just to bring it up to normal levels?
Sully, how long ago was the cooling system drained? it can take a day or two for the cooling system to let go of all of its cought air, making the fluid level drop as ti does.
It was drained about a month and a half ago. I didn't really watch the levels until about 2 weeks ago when I happened to be under the hood and noticed it was low. I guess I'll just keep adding for a while and see if it stops dropping. I spent a while in, under, and around the truck last night with the light and no signs of dye anywhere. The only thing I haven't done is pull plugs... *Sully crosses fingers*
It was drained about a month and a half ago. I didn't really watch the levels until about 2 weeks ago when I happened to be under the hood and noticed it was low. I guess I'll just keep adding for a while and see if it stops dropping. I spent a while in, under, and around the truck last night with the light and no signs of dye anywhere. The only thing I haven't done is pull plugs... *Sully crosses fingers*
That's a while ago. At this point, if the overflow level is noticeably lower (when checked first thing in the morning with the engine stone cold) from one morning to the next, you'd better start considering all possibilities.
Sully, what do you mean by "low"? Did you notice the overflow was almost dry, did you open the rad cap and see the fins? What? Give us some actual data here.
Also, you were asked about goo under the oil cap by CJF and instead replied with a generic comment that the oil l"ooked good". Worthless reply - did you check the dipstick for glow? Did you check for goo under the cap and just didn't say so? Or as most of us suspect are you just saying the oil "looked good" which is worthless. Sorry to be a pain here but these are key and important questions that deserve a precise answer to help diagnose if you have a problem.
Doug, sorry to be vague. I was trying to throw this out for the mud collective before my house was overrun by screaming children for my daughter's 3rd birthday party. Now that sanity is restored, here's what details I have. The coolant was drained when the PHH and thermostat were replaced mid-February. I (foolishly perhaps) didn't recheck the coolant level again until mid-March, when I noticed it was low. To date, I have added 34oz. of coolant/water. The overflow container was sucked dry both times I topped it off with coolant. It then sat for a week and a half waiting for a new starter. When I opened the radiator cap, each time it was full. I haven't seen any puddles under the engine and no new red crusties. I added dye to the radiator yesterday and ran it for 15-20 minutes of around town driving. As of last night, there were no emulsions or dye on the dipstick or oil cap. When I said the oil looked good, I meant that its color looked as new as the day it was poured in (about a month ago), no lightening noted. There is no visible dye in the engine compartment or coming out of the radiator. I have not yet pulled the plugs or checked inside the truck, but I have not smelled any coolant inside the vehicle and I have been running the heat almost constantly since I bought the truck. There was a faint glow of dye in the bottom of the coolant overflow tank (it was virtually empty at the time) and there was a lot of dye just above the lip where the radiator cap sits, but none past the seal on the cap (I suspect that it's just residual from when I added it). That is the extent of my investigations to date.
I think I've found my leak. When I got in the truck this morning, my floormats were squishy. The paper towel test was red. Haven't had time to tear into it more fully.
Raven,
Being a mechanical neophyte, I'm not sure what you mean by bypassing and blowing out lines. What could cause the core to fail? I know that there was an HG issue addressed by the PO a couple years ago and the PHH blew a couple months ago.
Just to be sure have you checked this fluid in the cab for the presence of the dye you added?
by bypassing I mean taking a length of heater hose and connecting the heater hose coming out of the engine and connecting it directly to the inlet of the engine bypassing the heater core, this prevents coolant from circulating through the heater core and temporarily stops the leak without having to disassemble the interior right now, you will also need to empty the heater core and lines of coolant or they will leak out their contents until the level gets down to the level of the leak. You can do this using compressed air (be aware of the coolant shooting out the other line)
The PHH is the start of the outlet you can start your bypass further down stream where it is more accessible,
Being in Chicago I would imagine it is still cold up there, you may be able to bypass just the main heater and leave the rear heat operational for some heat to the occupants. I would have to look under the hood again; I do remember it is tight in that area.
Generally heater cores fail due to corrosion, weather from the inside or outside usually only seen in old vehicles,
It could also just be a simple hose or connection leak, wont know until you track it down, but coolant in the cab usually comes from the heater system
Could also have mechanical damage, chafing of a mis-routed line, mis-fit between the core and its housing causing rub through etc.
