KJ CRD 2.8 Coolant Mystery

memoisbill · **Joined:** Fri Apr 26, 2019 10:38 pm **Posts:** 4

This is probably going to be a bit long so grab a snack and refreshments.

So about a week ago my low coolant warning went off at start up. I looked for coolant on the ground, there was none, I topped it off drove 65 miles and noticed the temp gauge needle was creeping up higher than where it usually is (just below 1/4 or 3 hash marks) during the drive. It went up to about half on the gauge then went back to the usual position. I parked it for a few hours and checked it before I left and it was fine.

Next day I needed to add some again. Tank had pressure in it. No sign of leaks or drips. Temp gauge was wandering again on the drive.

The following day I noticed a small amount, about a 2" diameter spot on the ground right below where the a/c condensation drips off the frame. Bam! Must be a heater core. Coolant level was good. I drove it only a couple miles that day after I noticed the spot.

The next day I drove about 20 miles to an appointment, when I pulled in and parked I noticed a coolant smell, hopped out with it running and there was a decent amount leaking now. I shut it off, went to my appointment, about an hour. When I came out there was a puddle about 12" in diameter. I started it up no leaking like before. I can see some dried HOAT spots on the firewall, trans dip tube, that general area. I stop by a car was on the way home, hosed it down. Headed home, park it running, no leak. Come out the next day no puddles. Tank had pressure, and I added some coolant. Maybe a cup or so.

Drove it today (it sat for 4 days) about 40 miles total. Temp gauge stays at half, and no leaks, no smell while running the a/c on the way home. I don't smell or feel any coolant in the condensate that was dripping out the same spot. The coolant level is good.

I plan on bypassing the heater core this weekend to see if the makes a difference. Anyone else experience anything like this before?

I should add I have about 173k miles on it. I changed the water pump at the 100k timing belt service. It's an OEM pump. As far as I know everything else in the cooling system is original.

TIA

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Sat Apr 27, 2019 8:49 am

memoisbill wrote:

This is probably going to be a bit long so grab a snack and refreshments.
So about a week ago my low coolant warning went off at start up. I looked for coolant on the ground, there was none, I topped it off drove 65 miles and noticed the temp gauge needle was creeping up higher than where it usually is (just below 1/4 or 3 hash marks) during the drive. It went up to about half on the gauge then went back to the usual position. I parked it for a few hours and checked it before I left and it was fine.
Next day I needed to add some again. Tank had pressure in it. No sign of leaks or drips. Temp gauge was wandering again on the drive.
The following day I noticed a small amount, about a 2" diameter spot on the ground right below where the a/c condensation drips off the frame. Bam! Must be a heater core. Coolant level was good. I drove it only a couple miles that day after I noticed the spot.
The next day I drove about 20 miles to an appointment, when I pulled in and parked I noticed a coolant smell, hopped out with it running and there was a decent amount leaking now. I shut it off, went to my appointment, about an hour. When I came out there was a puddle about 12" in diameter. I started it up no leaking like before. I can see some dried HOAT spots on the firewall, trans dip tube, that general area. I stop by a car was on the way home, hosed it down. Headed home, park it running, no leak. Come out the next day no puddles. Tank had pressure, and I added some coolant. Maybe a cup or so.
Drove it today (it sat for 4 days) about 40 miles total. Temp gauge stays at half, and no leaks, no smell while running the a/c on the way home. I don't smell or feel any coolant in the condensate that was dripping out the same spot. The coolant level is good.
I plan on bypassing the heater core this weekend to see if the makes a difference. Anyone else experience anything like this before?
I should add I have about 173k miles on it. I changed the water pump at the 100k timing belt service. It's an OEM pump. As far as I know everything else in the cooling system is original.
TIA

From your description, it appears your thermostat is bad and not controlling the coolant temperature.
At normal operating temperature, the gauge needle should set at one tick mark (176 deg. F) below 12:00 (see picture blow)
Also, a leaking heater core will not cause an engine to run hot as long as the coolant level in the tank is maintained. Certainly a cup or two of liquid is not really that low.

A test for a leaking head gasket:
Vent all pressure from the coolant reservoir tank on a completely COLD engine,
With coolant reservoir cap back on and tight, start engine and let it idle for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
This is not long enough to cause any great amount of thermal expansion (additional source of pressure) combustion pressures are much higher than coolant pressure.
Shut the engine down, and check the coolant reservoir cap again.
Did any pressure build and and escape when you cracked cap open?
If it did, you most likely have a leaking head gasket and time for more inclusive tests.

memoisbill · **Joined:** Fri Apr 26, 2019 10:38 pm **Posts:** 4

WW,

I ran it for a couple minutes, no pressure build up.
I was wondering about the thermostat because of the wandering temp, maybe its stuck partially closed now? I'm going to watch it.

I was going to put in the bypass today. I decided to look around to see if there was any coolant beforehand. I did see some on the firewall behind the expansion tank. I moved the tank out of the way and noticed coolant on the tank and the mount it rests on. I ordered a pressure tester so I can see if the tank has a leak.

This is the most annoying issue I have had. I'll post an update after I pressure test.

iakj11 · **Posted:** Sat Apr 27, 2019 8:41 pm

Coolant on the tank - might be as simple as a loose hose clamp on the small hose that connects to the top of the tank. I had a leak there and was surprised at how much coolant it would leak. To be sure, replace the hose clamp there with a new worm style clamp.

WolverineFW · **Posted:** Sat Apr 27, 2019 10:05 pm

Yep.....seen that before on mine....leaking head gasket.

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

memoisbill · **Joined:** Fri Apr 26, 2019 10:38 pm **Posts:** 4

WolverineFW wrote:

Yep.....seen that before on mine....leaking head gasket.

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

Seen what before on yours that was a bad head gasket?

WolverineFW · **Posted:** Sat Apr 27, 2019 11:28 pm

memoisbill wrote:

WolverineFW wrote:

Yep.....seen that before on mine....leaking head gasket.

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

Seen what before on yours that was a bad head gasket?

All your symptoms...

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

memoisbill · **Joined:** Fri Apr 26, 2019 10:38 pm **Posts:** 4

WolverineFW wrote:

memoisbill wrote:

WolverineFW wrote:

Yep.....seen that before on mine....leaking head gasket.

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

Seen what before on yours that was a bad head gasket?

All your symptoms...

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

Hmm. I find it odd that a bad head gasket would cause coolant to come out where the evaporator drains, or end up on the firewall and under the expansion tank. Looking at it again when I put the tank back I did notice the "insulation" on the firewall has a gap between it and the firewall. So I could see if it was leaking up by the tank and running down between them coming out at the bottom.

Hopefully the pressure tester will provide some sort of resolution.Thanks for your comments.

WolverineFW · **Posted:** Sun Apr 28, 2019 9:01 am

You do realize the small side on the right side of the coolant tank if you are facing the engine is an over flow?

It is not pressurized and on the back side of it if you look carefully there is an open port. If you have a failed head gasket and combustion gasses are forcing their way into the cooling system and the coolant is being pushed into the overflow, that if fills up it goes out the open hole and drips down the passenger side of the engine bay.

memoisbill wrote:

WolverineFW wrote:

memoisbill wrote:

[quote="WolverineFW"]Yep.....seen that before on mine....leaking head gasket.

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

Seen what before on yours that was a bad head gasket?

All your symptoms...

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Sun Apr 28, 2019 12:06 pm

memoisbill wrote:

WW,
I ran it for a couple minutes, no pressure build up.
I was wondering about the thermostat because of the wandering temp, maybe its stuck partially closed now? I'm going to watch it.
I was going to put in the bypass today. I decided to look around to see if there was any coolant beforehand. I did see some on the firewall behind the expansion tank. I moved the tank out of the way and noticed coolant on the tank and the mount it rests on. I ordered a pressure tester so I can see if the tank has a leak.
This is the most annoying issue I have had. I'll post an update after I pressure test.

That's good news, hopefully the test rules out a head gasket leak and all you have is a cooling tank or hose leaking in the area where you are seeing coolant drip.
You probable also need to replace the thermostat also based on what you have described so far.

KJ CRD 2.8 Coolant Mystery

Who is online