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Coolant leak - can't locate

Old 03-06-2011, 10:10 PM
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Default Coolant leak - can't locate

Hey guys,
So I noticed my amps running low and smelled coolant when I got out of the heep tonight - popped the hood and sure enough there's coolant sprayed all up on the underside of the hood and all over the components on the front of the engine. I started it up, examined with a flashlight - but no signs of leakage. Is there a common failure point on these that would facilitate it getting into the fans?

Items I'm sure it's not: Thermostat/Housing and Radiator (Rad is new and Thermostat is easy to see). I'm also fairly certain it's not the head gasket as this is a '98 Limited that has never overheated (or atleast in the last 20k miles that I've owned it anyway).

It's cold, dark, and raining tonight - but tomorrow morning it's got to get me to work - so I thought I'd post and get some ideas before morning.
Old 03-07-2011, 04:30 AM
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How can you "see" that the thermostat is working?
Possible points of failure
1:Over heating and spraying out of the over flow bottle
2:Heater hoses,upper and or lower rad hoses cracked,damaged
3:rad cap loose,broken,not sealing
4: You said the rad is new but I would watch for leaks any ways
Old 03-07-2011, 05:23 AM
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Water pump possibly leaking and slinging coolant every were?
Old 03-07-2011, 08:28 AM
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Weep hole on the water pump. Only seen when there is a pressure applied to the system. Rent a coolant pump from Autozone. When you pump the system, look for a pressure drop and at the water pump.
Old 03-07-2011, 08:36 AM
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What is a coolant pump and what does it do?
Old 03-07-2011, 08:44 AM
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Originally Posted by Boomer573
What is a coolant pump and what does it do?
I hope everyone is using the right coolant. Last summer, I was using the Autozone green 50/50. I got it dirty cheap... Worked there. Found out that it was overheating my truck in August just driving from Jersey City to Englewood. Called an old coworker from Dodge..... Was using the wrong type. I guess some jeeps are very picky!
Old 03-07-2011, 09:14 AM
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Your leak may be at the heater valve. Also I had a leak at the bottom of a new radiator via the trany line. It was flowing antifreeze down the trany line so it looked like it came from somewhere else but with the fan going it (antifreeze) gets every were.
Old 03-07-2011, 02:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Dre
Weep hole on the water pump. Only seen when there is a pressure applied to the system. Rent a coolant pump from Autozone. When you pump the system, look for a pressure drop and at the water pump.
^x2...right on the nose. that is your problem
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