leak?

[Floorist]

Need someone smarter than me, not hard to find. Dodge has been losing a little antifreeze. Pressure tested the radiator, it holds. cap holds. Should I pull the thermostat and test again? Is there a way to test the overflow system? No water in the oil or trans fluid.

 

[Dan]

Look at your spark plugs. It's possible a head gasket could have a leak small enough to not be pumping coolant into the oil.

 

[havasu]

I just helped my neighbor diagnose a similar issue tonight. It turned out to be a crack in the plastic radiator, right at the upper radiator hose spout.

 

[Nick]

They're making plastic radiators Now ?

 

[Dan]

For at least 20 years. The end caps on my '95 Suburban (coming up on 370K miles) are plastic. There is a rubber gasket between the tanks on the end and the body with the cooling fins. The piping and cooling fins are still aluminum.

 

[highup]

They're making plastic radiators Now ?

You drivin an Edsel?

 

[highup]

Just the end caps are plastic. The fins are aluminium.

 

[Nick]

Thanks , and No i never driven a Edsel ..

 

[Floorist]

Update. Let the Dodge idle for an hour, had a piece of cardboard under it. When the thermostat opened, water came out of the overflow pipe. No other drips. Oh and you cannot even see the water pump unless you pull the right front fender and the inner fender, not ready to do that yet.

 

[highup]

So it was just the cap?

 

[Floorist]

No. Got a guy looking at it today. Cap is good.