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My 2002 Dakota pickup (54,000 miles) has developed a leak of coolant, and I am completely baffled as to where it is coming from.
It only leaks once the engine is shut off, never when the engine is running.
I immediately thought of the overflow tank, but under close inspection, it is not coming from that.
I checked all hoses, no leaks,
Checked water pump gasket, and thermostat, no leaks there.
Checked the petcock, no leaks there.
The water accumulates just below the bottom of the radiator.
It doesn't leak much, perhaps less than 1/4 cup at a time.
I checked as best I could without removing the radiator, and see no breaks in the radiator.
As I said, it only leaks once the engine is off.after being driven, even for a short time{less than a mile.
What do you think?
have your radiator cap checked .. radiator pressure will spike a bit soon after you shut off the engine ..it may run at 12 to 13 lbs under normal use but spike to 15 lbs when you shut it off ..
first question is where is the puddle under the truck? if at the center under the front of the engine, i would suspect that coolant is leaking from the water pump weep hole, for instance.
Press paper towels all around under the radiator above the leak. A paper towel will get a wet spot when it touches something wet. Follow the wetness with the paper towels to its source.
Did you check the intake? Water pump weep hole? How do you know for certain it is not leaking while you are driving?
If it were leaking while driving, the engine temp would rise, and if enough leaked out while driving, it would effect engine performance.
Also, the level in the overflow would be low.
None of this is happening.
The leak looks like it at the bottom of the radiator, but with the design of this radiator, I can crawl under and see the bottom of the radiator, all the way across, and don't see any holes in it, or traces of water seeping from anywhere on it.
first question is where is the puddle under the truck? if at the center under the front of the engine, i would suspect that coolant is leaking from the water pump weep hole, for instance.
The small amount of water noticeable after turning the engine off is directly under the front part of the truck, just under the radiator.
Also, I don't have to reach operating temperature for it to leak.
The leak is no where near the water pump.
I removed the shroud to get a better look, but that didn't help at all.
Some days it doesn't leak at all, but on most days it does.
I had a Honda CRV that would do something similar, very small amount after the car shutoff would show up along the bottom rail of the radiator , frustration as I couldn't find it . I changed the radiator cap and it stopped .
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