Jonwebb

I've been slowly losing coolant ever since I got my jeep 3 months ago, Is there anything else that could be causing it other then a cracked head? It's an 2001 with 155xxx miles so I know there's a strong chance the head could be cracked

DrShaggford

Could be a number of things. Could be a cracked head, cracked head gasket, could be leaking from the water pump, thermostat housing or any of the hoses, could also have a leak in your radiator. What does your oil look like? Does it look like it should or all milky?

Jonwebb

The oil looks normal. And there is no odvious leak or dripping coolant in the engine bay. I do seem to get more condensation out the tailpipe when idling in my driveway. But that's compared to my old merc sable v6 which seemed a little more efficient

Qroberts7

Water pump most likely. I wouldn't worry about the tailpipe condensation as that seems to be pretty normal for the xj, but I thought I had a cracked head before and freaked out only to find the water pump was the culprit.

tjwalker

Anytime you have "unexplained coolant loss" on the 00-01, you have some work to do. It's either leaking it or burning it. You need to find out which camp you are in.

Do not assume anything, one way or the other. Figure it out.

I always recommend that you start with a COMPREHENSIVE search for a leak. That means getting the vehicle up on a hoist and checking every square inch of the underside with the best light you can get. Pay special attention to the seams on the radiator and the weep hole on the water pump and of course, all hose connections.

If you do have a cracked 0331 head, the coolant that is mixing with your oil and is destroying your engine bearings. Here is a thread that all 00-01 owners should read.

http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums...d.php?t=391831

Good luck and keep us posted.

Jonwebb

How do I test for a leaking water pump? I don't see any coolant leaking from that area

tjwalker

You don't "test", you "look" for the leak. On the bottom of the water pump, there is a weep hole, which oftentimes can start leaking coolant when the pump is starting to fail.

Been under that Jeep yet? Gotta get dirty. Topside inspection won't cut it.

Northwoods Snowman

Check cylinder compression too. If the gasket is blown it will usually show up during a compression check as a low cylinder, or two low adjacent cylinders (if the leak is between the two).