Coolant reservoir spewing coolant.

[19jdog]

My 3.0 has been spewing coolant after I park. I'll come back either after work or the gym and there is a pretty good puddle under the car. It is not over heating at all. The weird thing is, it doesn't do it consistently. Like every 2 days of driving. On friday I was in bumper to bumper traffic for hour and a half. Highest the coolant got was 227 degrees according to my torque app. This past weekend I replaced the reservoir and the cap. Still have the same issue.

Thoughts?

[imnuts]

Are you sure it's coming from the expansion tank?

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[19jdog]

Are you sure it's coming from the expansion tank?

Sent from my DROID Turbo 2

Well when it started there was dry coolant right below the hole on the bottom of the tank. I'm pretty confident its coming from the tank. I did bleed the system an hour ago. hmmm

[eljay]

^This. Check to see where the leak is coming from. The expansion tank is pressurized where the coolant is up to temperature (so never open it up with warm engine!). Yours looks pretty new. Was it changed recently? If yes, check the hose connections and the seal around the cap. Grab a white rag/towel and go around the tank in sections and see if you can catch the leak in case there's a small crack. Is that just a plastic casting mark in the middle bottom of your tank in the picture?

[19jdog]

I posted saying that the problem was happening with the old tank and cap and with the new reservoir tank and cap. I bought the tank on friday

[B6ayfour]

Check the coolant lines around the expansion tank, just because its under that area doesn't always mean its coming from that exact spot above, ask me how i know....

[imnuts]

I'd get a pressure test kit, pressurize the system, and then look for dripping. It could be one of the hoses connected to the tank instead. When I was loosing coolant, I picked up a kit from Harbor Freight for like $40 or so.

[diagnosticator]

Get a sample of the coolant and have it analyzed for the presence of dissolved combustion gasses in the coolant sample by a lube oil analysis lab, If there is combustion gasses dissolved in the coolant, then there is a head gasket leak over pressurizing the cooling system.

If there is a Caterpillar heavy equipment dealer near you, they usually have an analysis lab,

The reason this symptom only happens after parking, is because after turning the engine off, the coolant temp actually increases due to the coolant absorbing heat from the massive engine parts and with the coolant flow stopping with the engine off, the coolant gets hotter before it gets cooler. If the cooling system is already pressurized more than normal, additional heat absorption by the coolant will raise the system pressure above the over pressure relief opening set point point of the tank cap.

[eljay]

I posted saying that the problem was happening with the old tank and cap and with the new reservoir tank and cap. I bought the tank on friday

Oops, sorry, I overlooked that. I hope you'll be able to track this down with the other excellent advice here.

[crazyquik22023]

Highest the coolant got was 227 degrees according to my torque app.
Thoughts?

227 degrees is too hot.

[19jdog]

227 degrees is too hot.

I don't know about that! Driving to work on a cool morning, temperature is at 206-208 degrees 20 degrees warmer is too hot???

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[userbob0001]

Probably. The thermostat opens and the fans come on at 212F so you shouldn't get much above that and only for short durations

[diztek]

those expansion tanks fail regularly. i went through 4 of them in 10 years.

[SJorge3442]

227 degrees is too hot.

The 3.0 runs hot. Its just the nature of the engine. Our coolant temp also reads at one of the hottest points in the system.

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[19jdog]

Oops, sorry, I overlooked that. I hope you'll be able to track this down with the other excellent advice here.

No worries!


I think its the thermostat. Over heated on the way home from work. Limped her home waited for her to cool, then put more coolant in her while she was running. Bled the air out of system, took her out for a jaunt. So far so good. I will be replacing the thermostat this weekend though! This is getting annoying

[SJorge3442]

No worries!


I think its the thermostat. Over heated on the way home from work. Limped her home waited for her to cool, then put more coolant in her while she was running. Bled the air out of system, took her out for a jaunt. So far so good. I will be replacing the thermostat this weekend though! This is getting annoying

Hmm. Generally when thermostats fail, they fail in the forever open, right? Thats what I've always been told at least. [IMG][/IMG]

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[diagnosticator]

No worries!


I think its the thermostat. Over heated on the way home from work. Limped her home waited for her to cool, then put more coolant in her while she was running. Bled the air out of system, took her out for a jaunt. So far so good. I will be replacing the thermostat this weekend though! This is getting annoying

T-stats never fail closed due to the way the stat is designed to function