i often find that the overflow hose will leak at the radiator neck and you would only really notice it after the car is shut off and the temp spikes for a bit since there is no longer flowing coolant. a zip tie is usually enough to prevent this from happening but naturally a screw clamp is always preferred if you can position it and tighten it so that it does not interfere with cap.

 

Ugh sorry to bump this again but I just can't seem to get this leak to go away completely. It stopped for a bit after the new hose but now it's back, albeit less than before. I tried to snap a couple of pictures of the trouble spot but they're not that great. You can see the wet spot on the metal body right below the lower hose. Again, it only leaks after I turn it off. I had it idling for 20 minutes in 100 degree heat and the temp never rose above 215 (confirmed via OBDII reader).





Could it be:

A cracked radiator?
A bad cap? (don't know how old it is)
Hose clamp losening up after a couple of heat cycles?

I'm pretty new to working on cars by myself so any help is appreciated.

 

So I grabbed a new cap from the dealer and I noticed my current cap is 18 psi. Stock is 16. Could this be the cause of my issue?

 

If the cap is holding pressure at a higher rate than OE then it could be. Be sure to clamp and check the overflow hose. Also if you continue to see leaks after the cap you are going to need to pressure test the system.

 

FINALLY the leak has gone away, this time I think for good. I replaced the cap with an OEM Mopar cap, lower hose and the reservoir/overflow hose along with all new clamps. I was close to just replacing the entire radiator!

Silver lining to all this is that I've driven my Jeep a ton recently (it's not my daily).