emt_hawkins

Hey all, hope all is better than it has been here in Michigan. Anyhow, I have been having a problem with my Cherokee, in the form of a "small" coolant leek. It leaks very little, however, when looking under the hood, its got the front part of the hood (bottom side, ofcourse) near the radiator fans wet (not dripping wet), and is dripping off the front right corner. I've looked and looked, but haven't found a darn thing. It's not overheating at all, and engine seems fine, just loss of coolant. I haven't taken anything off to look, but wanted to get ideas till I get a warm day that I can take a look.

It does not lose a lot, after several drives the recovery tank is down maybe 1" from the full level.

Any Ideas, suggestions? If not, Muffler Man's getting a visit.

Jesse Hallum

Same issue here a few years ago. Your leak will get worse. We replaced our OEM radiator with a 3-core, all-copper unit from radiatorbarn.com. It took about 2 hours to install, and it will likely outlast the rest of the Jeep. If you are mechanically-inclined, save some money and do it yourself. Also, stick with all-copper if it all possible; avoid cheap aluminum or plastic units.

If you want someone else to do the work, order a sturdy, all-copper unit from radiatorbarn.com, and take everything to Muffler Man for installation only. Most shops install OEM units (like the one that's currently leaking) and mark the parts up accordingly. The OEM aluminum/plastic unit should be replaced with a more reliable part anyway.

djb383

+1 on "the leak will get worse". -1 on copper/brass core rad......virtually all auto manufacturers have switched from old school rads with a copper/brass core to aluminum core rads for a reason.

xj wheeler

To confirm its the radiator, of course look around it. All sides and sometimes the vehicle running can make a difference. The hoses are a good place to look as well. And be sure to check if the radiator drain plug could be leaking.

modelcar

You could look at the weep hole on your water pump, just to rule it out.