Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here XJ (84-01)
All OEM related XJ specific tech. Examples, no start, general maintenance or anything that's stock.

I'm confused

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Dec 31, 2011 | 08:52 PM
  #1  
dilljeepo's Avatar
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
 
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 320
Likes: 1
From: Calgary, Alberta
Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0L
Default I'm confused

Everytime I open my radiator cap the coolant isn't at the brim of the spout, so I put more in the radiator to fill it up and then the next day it's low again in the radiator, so I add more. After a while my reservoir filled up and started spewing out the overflow spout, and even though my reservoir was full to the brim (because I added all the time into the radiator) my radiator was still low everytime I checked it before driving. Why is this happening. I looked at the bottom of the reservoir but I can't find a place for the reservoir to flow back into the radiator, there is a hose but it just goes up and has a cap on it. How do I fix this it's annoying me
Reply
Old Dec 31, 2011 | 09:00 PM
  #2  
jbsjunk's Avatar
CF Veteran
 
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,630
Likes: 3
From: Hudsonville, MI
Year: 1986
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 5.0
Default

Might be your rad cap is bad, not letting coolant back in as it cools off. The expansion tank is connected to the rad by a hose next to the rad cap.
Reply
Old Dec 31, 2011 | 09:31 PM
  #3  
Gatchmo5710's Avatar
CF Veteran
 
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,209
Likes: 3
From: st.george utah
Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: l6 4.0
Default

Are u over heating or anything?
Reply
Old Dec 31, 2011 | 09:37 PM
  #4  
djb383's Avatar
CF Veteran
 
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 8,172
Likes: 17
From: The Republic of TEXAS
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L HO
Default

With a "open" or coolant recovery type system a properly functioning rad cap is very important..........the rad cap is a 2 way valve. The bottle should always have coolant in it somewhere between the 2 marks, engine hot or cold. Rad should always remain full to the top, check rad when the motor is cold.
Reply
Old Jan 1, 2012 | 08:16 AM
  #5  
kjc's Avatar
kjc
CF Veteran
 
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,031
Likes: 4
From: Blue Springs, MO
Year: 1993
Model: Grand Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L Laredo
Default

[QUOTE=dilljeepo;1428045]"Everytime I open my radiator cap... I looked at the bottom of the reservoir but I can't find a place for the reservoir to flow back into the radiator."
The coolant returns to the radiator thru the same hose it exits from. X2 on the other replies you got.. the cap is letting hot coolant out to the reservoir, but not allowing it to return to the radiator when it cools off
Reply
Old Jan 1, 2012 | 08:34 AM
  #6  
N8N's Avatar
N8N
Member
 
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
From: Sterling, VA
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Default

check the hose and connections as well... might be sucking air through a small crack or something so that the coolant will flow out to the bottle under expansion but it's not airtight so when the engine cools it sucks air back in instead of coolant. Basically everything between the bottle and fill neck must be pristine and well sealed for this to work correctly.
Reply
Old Jan 1, 2012 | 08:59 AM
  #7  
DrShaggford's Avatar
Seasoned Member
 
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 289
Likes: 1
From: Joliet, IL
Year: 1998,2001
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Default

x2 on the rad cap. I would also pull the bottle and make sure the passage thats built into the bottle isn't clogged. There might be enough room that at 15psi the bottle will fill but clogged enough that it won't return to the rad.
Reply
Old Jan 1, 2012 | 09:16 AM
  #8  
Firestorm500's Avatar
CF Veteran
 
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,734
Likes: 12
Year: 2015, 2012
Model: Grand Cherokee (WK2)
Engine: 3.6L
Default

Could also be a blown head gasket.
Reply
Old Jan 2, 2012 | 02:30 PM
  #9  
dilljeepo's Avatar
Thread Starter
Seasoned Member
 
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 320
Likes: 1
From: Calgary, Alberta
Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0L
Default

Originally Posted by Firestorm500
Could also be a blown head gasket.
WOAH!! I sure freaking hope not I just bought this jeep. I will try the Rad cap first, Hopefully that is my problem thank you all for replying I didnt know that the rad cap is a two way flow, letting fluid back in as well as out. It all m akes sense to me now it must be the rad cap. Thanks everyone for helping solve my problem.
Reply
Old Jan 2, 2012 | 02:34 PM
  #10  
The Rooster's Avatar
CF Veteran
 
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,074
Likes: 0
From: Bergen County, New Jersey U.S.A.
Year: 1990 Laredo
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 Inline 6 Renix
Default

what color is your coolant? I would do a coolant serviceand make sure everything is all nice new and clean.. I do it everytime i get a new car.. well new to me i should say.. who knows how long the coolant has been sitting in there... just to be safe
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
timelord
Introductions
4
Sep 24, 2015 01:16 PM
Harney315
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
1
Sep 23, 2015 09:41 PM
blueseasons
Cherokee Chat
12
Sep 21, 2015 03:03 PM
MoToad
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
4
Sep 20, 2015 11:50 PM
Programbo
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
6
Sep 20, 2015 07:12 PM

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:41 PM.