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Leaking fluid from radiator cap
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dohblah
New User
Aug 22, 2016, 10:09 PM
Post #1 of 7
(4383 views)
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Leaking fluid from radiator cap
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I have a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. I recently replaced the radiator, but started having overheating problems again soon after. I took it into the shop and they told me the head gasket was cracked and the repair cost was going to be more than the van was worth at this point. They suggested trying steal seal as a stop gap for the time being until I could find a new van.
I did that and I think it has fixed that issue, or at least I'm not getting random misfires anymore and I don't have any fluid coming out the tail pipe.
But now when the engine heats up I start loosing coolant from the radiator cap. I thought maybe the cap was bad, so I bought another one and still see it spraying once the engine heats up. I took the rubber gasket off the old cap and added it to the new one (double gasketing the new cap) yesterday and that stopped it leaking from the cap. However when I got up this morning and the engine is completely cold I went to check the radiator levels and found that the upper radiator hose was still a little tight. When I opened the cap a little fluid and air sprayed out (it was still under pressure).
So could the double gasket be blocking something to the coolant reserve tank? I pulled the hose off that goes to the reserve tank to make sure it wasn't blocked and it flows fine from the reserve tank.
Any advice?
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Aug 23, 2016, 1:59 AM
Post #2 of 7
(4255 views)
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Re: Leaking fluid from radiator cap
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? I don't understand this "leaking from radiator cap" thing well. Where is the cap placed, on the radiator or a pressurized recovery tank or a cap on both only one holds pressure - can be done either way.
It really shouldn't leak at a radiator cap ever? That's confusing as it would release pressure to recovery tank or if just an access cap the pressure is at a pressure cap that wont allow more pressure than it rating say about 15lbs.
You may in fact need a head gasket job but this leak isn't adding up to me yet. Neck or surface where cap (old and new do same thing) leaks and shouldn't so probably not the cap at all.
Could still leak then be the cause of overheating then cause a head gasket problem
Can't say. The suggestion to use a sealer just made this all worse and harder to diagnose now. All that would have to be flushed out and find why it's doing this.
It almost can't hold pressure in a system if cooled down from warm and running so that makes no sense yet either.
Time to find out what is really wrong before you give up on this vehicle over something yet undiscovered or proven at all and if any kind of good shape would be worth the fix IMO even if a head gasket job,
T
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Aug 23, 2016, 4:11 AM
Post #3 of 7
(4141 views)
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Re: Leaking fluid from radiator cap
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You STILL have a blown head gasket.
You STILL have combustion gasses getting into the cooling system causing the over pressure and now you have likely plugged up your new radiator with the gunk you tried to fix it with.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Aug 23, 2016, 4:15 AM
Post #4 of 7
(4135 views)
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Re: Leaking fluid from radiator cap
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The funny part is that head gaskets usually don't blow unless there was something else that caused it. I guess the cause wasn't found and repaired before the mechanic in a can was used.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Aug 23, 2016, 4:18 AM
Post #5 of 7
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Re: Leaking fluid from radiator cap
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Yeah, he replaced the radiator but it was too late. The damage was already done and now he's trying to clog up the new radiator.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Aug 23, 2016, 4:32 AM
Post #6 of 7
(4121 views)
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Re: Leaking fluid from radiator cap
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It is probably going to need another engine, radiator, hoses, flush the core out, and etc. It would also be extremely important to figure out what caused the head gasket(s) to blow in the first place and rectify that. I can't remember the last time doing a head gasket job on one of those because it is something that doesn't happen on its own unless there was another issue that caused it. Those engines are really not that difficult to do head gasket work on in my opinion. Too bad it is all botched up now with sealer. Its a pity they sell that crap.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Aug 23, 2016, 5:56 AM
Post #7 of 7
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Re: Leaking fluid from radiator cap
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How could this hold pressure if it was just left overnight? No sense here,
T
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