COOLANT LEAK
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Stony Brook, New York
Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L I6
This is the second time that this has happened in a week... Drove the car for about 2 hours today, came home and parked in driveway... A few minutes later there is coolant pouring out up from the radiator cap... It is a light brown color and after about 5-10 minutes it stops... Is this a bad radiator cap or something more serious... Any Help is much appreciated.
Need some more info.
Sounds like it could be a bad HG at worst, but other things need to get checked.
Has a coolant flush ever been done?
Is your overflow tube clear?
Fans working?
Using a good water/coolant ratio?
Is their oil in your coolant?
How about coolant in your oil? It'll look milky brown/yellow.
What does the bottom of your oil fill cap look like?
Sounds like it could be a bad HG at worst, but other things need to get checked.
Has a coolant flush ever been done?
Is your overflow tube clear?
Fans working?
Using a good water/coolant ratio?
Is their oil in your coolant?
How about coolant in your oil? It'll look milky brown/yellow.
What does the bottom of your oil fill cap look like?
CF Veteran




Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,839
Likes: 116
From: In the middle of Minnesota!
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
First of all, you really, really need to be concerned about this, as any overheat can crack the factory 0331 cylinder head, if that is what you still have on your engine.
This MUST be resolved immediately, and even when you find the root cause and repair it, you need to watch for "unexplained loss of coolant", which is the #1 symptom of a cracked 0331 head!
Time to review ALL cooling system components. Radiator, radiator cap, fan clutch, water pump, thermostat, hoses.
Spending money on cooling system maintenance is the best money you can spend on your vehicle.
If you have milky oil or are losing coolant, you may already have that cracked head. The head does NOT tolerate overheats.
This MUST be resolved immediately, and even when you find the root cause and repair it, you need to watch for "unexplained loss of coolant", which is the #1 symptom of a cracked 0331 head!
Time to review ALL cooling system components. Radiator, radiator cap, fan clutch, water pump, thermostat, hoses.
Spending money on cooling system maintenance is the best money you can spend on your vehicle.
If you have milky oil or are losing coolant, you may already have that cracked head. The head does NOT tolerate overheats.
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
From: bone, idaho
Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
sometimes before the oil goes milky you may be able to see little water dots on the oil when you check the dipstick. They are really small and easy to miss and don't necessarily prove anything but watch for those as well.
Couple pics of my cracked head i toke off today, mine just started leaking one day right under the first manifold pipe in front and i thought was waterpump, changed it and still did it, changed head gasket and thremostate and rad cap, still did it, so pulled it apart again to find this..
But my new head for my jeep should be here tommorrow, have to wait till this weekend to fix..
But my new head for my jeep should be here tommorrow, have to wait till this weekend to fix..
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Stony Brook, New York
Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L I6
Thanks for the info... The coolant that is brownish sizzles out of the radiator cap only after car has been ran for over an hour. I am hoping it is not a cracked head. Bringing it into my guy this weekend, I will bring up your thoughts.
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