does anyone else experience a leak on the coolant resevoir?

ForOffRoadDriving · Jan 11, 2011

my over flow bottle has been leaking coolant at the overflow hose-to-tank connection for quite some time now and im not sure if its supposed to be a sealed connection or if it is just venting out of this spot because the lid is sealing too well?

it usually bubbles/ bleeds after i shut it off, when the coolant returns to the tank. ill get another pic after lunch when its still warm :icon_thumby:

Big Jim M · Jan 11, 2011

When it is cool take the cap off the radiator and see if the radiator is full. If not fill it to make sure it doesn't overheat.
If it is full I see no real problem..
Big JIm

ForOffRoadDriving · Jan 11, 2011

the radiator is full, so my thinking is that maybe the fittment of the resevoir cap is so good that it seals pressure in better than the connection that is leaking, so if i just drill a little hole in the lid to make it vent better than the elbow currently is the leak should stop, correct? heres a pic of it a little more messy, i forgot to pop the hood and snap a shot after i shut it off, so this is about 20min after i turned it off.

Big Jim M · Jan 11, 2011

In that second photo it appears there is a small leak at the wiretie. If that is where the actual leak is then you might be sucking air into the radiator.
For sure I'd be pulling that apart and cutting the end off of the hose and re wiretying it..
The photo doesn't show the coolant to be coming OUT OF THE BOTTLE. But you may be able to see more than the photo shows.
If you only have ASSUMEDthe radiator to be full you might just for the hell of it take the cap off and LOOK

Big JIm

ForOffRoadDriving · Jan 11, 2011

usually it is bubbling from around the base of that fitting, but maybe i should snip that hose back and re-tie it. im just sick of this thing making a mess on my auxillary battery.

ForOffRoadDriving · Jan 11, 2011

double checked radiator, its full

and i snipped the zip tie off and cut the hose about 1" shorter then re tied it with a zip tie. we'll see how it goes, there is really no seal between the elbow and the resevoir, its just got little wings that hold it in like a squirter nozzle or a hood leveling pad. if it keeps leaking i may pull it out and put a rubber washer under it or just use some sealant and glue it shut?

ForOffRoadDriving · Jan 12, 2011

it was still leaking when i checked it last night after getting home, so i took some seal all and sealed the elbow to the tank, now it seems to vent out of the cap just fine without all the mess.

Big Jim M · Jan 12, 2011

That's a new one for me.. I guess it's never too late to learn.. Hopefully you have made a repair. I'd keep checking to make sure there isn't a underlying problem making the coolant escape.
Big JIm

Airmaster · Jan 12, 2011

i seem to always have a little residue above the cap, so you may have solved it. I'm always upset because I normally clean everything under the hood and it always gets dirty in and around that cap. Now I know what it's doing, haha.

I'll keep this in mind, and let us know how your fix is working down the line!

Dave99 · Jan 14, 2011

had the same problem, put some ultra black under the elbow and so far ive had no leaks for the past month. i think the elbow doesnt seal well and while driving coolant sloshes around and gets pushed up and out.

kimcrwbr1 · Jan 14, 2011

Maybe there is restriction in the dip tube in the reservor and yea it should be vented so the reservor dont build up pressure or have a vacuum. Lookin closer the overflow tube by the cap on the reservor may be plugged that would be the vent off the top.

ForOffRoadDriving · Jan 14, 2011

Well i checked it this morning when i got home after being up to operating temp (195*) for over 30min and this is what i found

im thinking maybe the hose going into the bottle may be clogged, so im going to remove the elbow and clean all the glue off it and start over.

Big Jim M · Jan 14, 2011

Well Michigan, I'm beginning to NOT LIKE your situation. I'm sure I'd be taking the container cap off and watching while it idles.. Looking for small bubbles in the coolant.
Your problem seems to be excess pressure coming out of the radiator.. At least that could answer the problem you are having.
So put the radiator cap on and drive it the normal distance. Upon returning leave it running and open the container, not the radiator, and watch for a few minutes looking for small bubbles..
If you do find bubbles you have an internal problem.. FIX IT!
Big JIm

ForOffRoadDriving · Jan 14, 2011

so during my insvestigation of one problem i created another........ for a few minutes anyways. i was removing the elbow to inspect the hose in the tank and i broke the elbow off so now i really needed to fix this. with a few minutes of thinking i was able to engineer a fix and now ive got no leaks after taking my lunch break.

i was trying to get the elbow further into the grommet, but the bulge of the hose is just too large to fit through and the grommet didnt have enough flex to go into the hole with the elbow pre-inserted.

big jim, ill go check for bubbles but i dont think im going to find any, this 3.0l only has 22,000 miles on it, but shit does happen so im going to go check- thanks

ForOffRoadDriving · Jan 14, 2011

no bubbles

does anyone else experience a leak on the coolant resevoir?

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