Coolant leak and temp fluctuations

[Logic951]

Hello all! I have a 2014 ram 1500, 129k miles

I recently replaced the water pump and thermostat about 6 months ago. I replaced it because I was filling up with coolant every couple of days and had coolant all over the belt and alternator from coolant splashing everywhere.

Now, i have intermittent leaks sporadically on the passenger side. Some days i can park and come out later and There is a puddle of coolant on the floor. Some days the truck can sit for a few days not drive and there will be a puddle… And I find myself adding coolant every 3 months because the reservoir is bone dry and truck starts to get to 230’s while at idle.

I added coolant yesterday from local part store, and was driving back to work and the temps would fluctuate from normal temps to borderline over heating and then drop back down.

I will include pictures of what it looks like underneath my truck. I see coolant on the crossmember that is fresh. I want to say it may be coming from the lower hose, but can’t say for sure.

Can someone shed some light and wisdom. I have looked through a couple of the other threads… I’ve seen heater core. I’ve seen head gaskets, I’ve seen hoses. I am doing my research. Just looking for insight on my specific situation.

Thank you all in advance.

 

[Ken226]

So, after you replaced the water pump, did the problems go away, and this is a new issue? Or, did the same problems persist?



Assuming the origininal issue was resolved and this is a new problem,

Sounds like the "leak" is the hot cooling filling the reservoir, which overfills and leaks. After it cools, the coolant gets drawn into the engine, leaving the reservoir empty.

Check the fan clutch, electric fan, or possibly the electric fan control module.

Narrow it down by paying attention to when/how it starts getting hot.

Does the temp going above normal occur at idle, stop n go speeds, or does it occur at highway speeds?

Is the electric fan coming on? If so, what temp?


If this is happening at really low speeds, like idling, stoplights etc, my first guess would be the fan clutch. So, with the engine off obviously, go give the fan a push/pull and see how much resistance the clutch is giving.

Like so:

Symptoms of a Bad Clutch Fan and How to Test if it Has Failed

Symptoms of a bad engine clutch fan and how to test if it has failed. Also, how to replace a clutch fan. What is an engine Fan Clutch? A fan clutch controls ...

youtu.be

And

How to test a fan clutch

Description

youtu.be

 

[Ken226]

Another question.

When you replaced the water pump and refilled it with coolant, did you bleed/burp the air out of the system?

How to bleed coolant system on 5.7 Hemi

This coolant bleed and fill procedure also applies for the 6.4L Hemi in Dodge Charger , Dodge Challenger , Dodge Magnum , Dodge ram & other SRT SRT8 mopars t...

youtu.be

 

[Wild one]

Hello all! I have a 2014 ram 1500, 129k miles

I recently replaced the water pump and thermostat about 6 months ago. I replaced it because I was filling up with coolant every couple of days and had coolant all over the belt and alternator from coolant splashing everywhere.

Now, i have intermittent leaks sporadically on the passenger side. Some days i can park and come out later and There is a puddle of coolant on the floor. Some days the truck can sit for a few days not drive and there will be a puddle… And I find myself adding coolant every 3 months because the reservoir is bone dry and truck starts to get to 230’s while at idle.

I added coolant yesterday from local part store, and was driving back to work and the temps would fluctuate from normal temps to borderline over heating and then drop back down.

I will include pictures of what it looks like underneath my truck. I see coolant on the crossmember that is fresh. I want to say it may be coming from the lower hose, but can’t say for sure.

Can someone shed some light and wisdom. I have looked through a couple of the other threads… I’ve seen heater core. I’ve seen head gaskets, I’ve seen hoses. I am doing my research. Just looking for insight on my specific situation.

Thank you all in advance.

Ken has some good tips to follow. Just because you replaced the thermostat doesn't mean it's still good after 6 months.It's very common these days to only get a couple months out of a new thermostat,the days of replacing a thermostat and having it last 10 years are long gone,now you're lucky to get one that lasts a year.

 

[Dodge 1500 4X4]

Are you using the proper coolant OAT W distilled water per factory recommendations, and like Wild one your thermostat may be bad, remove it for now to see if problems change.

 

[Logic951]

I replaced the fan clutch when I replaced the water pump. It was a whole lot I got the local auto parts store.

When I filled with fresh coolant. I used the peak North American concentrate for Chrysler vehicles with distilled water.

I got the bleeder funnel and left the engine running while filling up with coolant. Did I miss something here?

 

[Logic951]

I have sat in my truck in the shade during summer in palm desert on my lunch hour and it got to past the 3/4 mark on temp gauge with it running with the AC on

 

[Ken226]

I got the bleeder funnel and left the engine running while filling up with coolant. Did I miss something here?

I don't know. Did you watch the video I linked? Is that how you filled it up, as per the video?


As in, remove the water pump plug and fill till coolant comes out off the hole? Per that video.

Because, with all due respect, that is why I took the time to look up a video on the subject and paste in the link. It actually takes us longer to type something out, than it takes you to read it.



I have no idea what a bleed funnel is, or what it has to do with getting air pockets out of the cooling system.



Edited to add: take a bottle of milk from the fridge and turn it upside down.... Lid facing down..

See that air bubble floating up on the upward facing bottom? In your engine, these air bubbles are spots that no coolant can get too, so they just get hotter and hotter. That hole in the front of the water pump is how you get that air bubble out.


Now, this may not be your problem. But if you didn't bleed it correctly, it might be at least a contributing factor

 

[Logic951]

I did not bleed the coolant/air in the way the video showed.

I was told at the parts store to get a funnel and pour the coolant in. Below is exactly what I used. If this was incorrect, I will unscrew the plug on the water pump and fill it through the reservoir until coolant comes out. And then plug it once it does and see how that goes.

I get what you are saying with regards to the milk jug. And I understand that logic.

I am still curious as to what would cause the random coolant dump.

 

[Logic951]

And, if I remember correctly, I put the funnel directly on the radiator not on the reservoir and filled it directly through the radiator

 

[Ken226]

I don't know. Did you watch the video I linked? Is that how you filled it up, as per the video?


As in, remove the water pump plug and fill till coolant comes out off the hole? Per that video.

Because, with all due respect, that is why I took the time to look up a video on the subject and paste in the link. It actually takes us longer to type something out, than it takes you to read it.



I have no idea what a bleed funnel is, or what it has to do with getting air pockets out of the cooling system.



Edited to add: take a bottle of milk from the fridge and turn it upside down.... Lid facing down..

See that air bubble floating up on the upward facing bottom? In your engine, these air bubbles are spots that no coolant can get too, so they just get hotter and hotter. That hole in the front of the water pump is how you get that air bubble out.


Now, this may not be your problem. But if you didn't bleed it correctly, it might be at least a contributing factor

When a spot with a big air bubble gets really really hot, then the air bubble moves and coolant hits the hot metal it flashes into steam. The sudden pressurized steam blasted coolant into the overflow tank, and out onto the ground.

Then the steam in the engine cools and contracts, which sucks the coolant and air that remains in the overflow tank, back into the engine.

The added cost of drilling and tapping the burp hole, then adding a plug is something that the engineers are Chrysler would not do, unless it was absolutely necessary.

 

[Logic951]

I understand, and that makes sense. And the area that it comes from is front passenger side.

I saw that plug when I installed the water pump. And the pump didn’t mention anything about opening that plug and adding coolant.

Thank you for you input and I will follow up in a few and let you all know what I found

 

[Ken226]

I understand, and that makes sense. And the area that it comes from is front passenger side.

I saw that plug when I installed the water pump. And the pump didn’t mention anything about opening that plug and adding coolant.

Thank you for you input and I will follow up in a few and let you all know what I found

Is the location of your leak near or under the overflow tank?

Or be in a place that the coolant could leak onto a frame member or other part and run over to the passenger side before dripping into the ground?

 

[Logic951]

I am unsure of where the leak is. It is random when it does leak. It is usually in the front right of the truck. When I looked underneath today, I saw fresh coolant on the lower engine hose and on the crossmember.

My overflow reservoir isn’t like on the video either. It’s right in front of my radiator cap.

 

[Ken226]

I am unsure of where the leak is. It is random when it does leak. It is usually in the front right of the truck. When I looked underneath today, I saw fresh coolant on the lower engine hose and on the crossmember.

My overflow reservoir isn’t like on the video either. It’s right in front of my radiator cap.

Yea, the car in the video was a challenger with a hemi. Different reservoir but same water pump.

 

[Logic951]

Just wanted to follow up. Been out of town and haven’t had a chance to do this yet.

I drove to work today, no issues. I sat in my truck during my lunch. And my temp went from 1/4 all the way up and I heard bubbling, I shut the truck off and I heard coolant bubbling in the upper radiator hose.

Could this be the the air being trapped? Like I was told previously?

 

[EdGs]

I would say a good chance that there is air in the system.

I also would not recommend some of the parts store coolants, but I am not sure which ones are compatible, and adding the wrong ones can cause their own issues.

I would only use the proper OE coolant. JMHO, YMMV.

I like to park with my nose uphill and leave the radiator cap off. Open the bleeder screw, and fill with coolant til it runs out the hole, then close the bleeder.

There is a fill funnel you can get that connects to your radiator neck. You can over fill it, and when your thermostat opens, it will draw in extra coolant as the air is forced out.

 

[Wild one]

Just wanted to follow up. Been out of town and haven’t had a chance to do this yet.

I drove to work today, no issues. I sat in my truck during my lunch. And my temp went from 1/4 all the way up and I heard bubbling, I shut the truck off and I heard coolant bubbling in the upper radiator hose.

Could this be the the air being trapped? Like I was told previously?

Get yourself a kit to check for exhaust gases in the coolant,as you might have a bad head gasket.

https://www.amazon.com/Block-Tester-BT-500-Combustion-Leak/dp/B06VVBSFTF

 

[Logic951]

 

[Logic951]

I was wondering when it would happen. Went out today at lunch there was nothing. Left work for the day, and there it was, the random coolant dump