Disappearing Coolant

[Clancaster23]

Just bought a 2006 1500 with 136k on it. When I looked at it and test drove it, it ran fine, no problems and all fluid levels were good so I took it. The town I went to get it is about 120 miles from me and mostly turnpike at 70 mph. Ran fine all the way back, the temperature gauge stayed just a little bit to the left of the middle normal mark. Get it back to the house and check stuff again. There is almost no coolant in the reservoir, it was below the full mark. So I fill it up, go for a ride through town, stop to check it when I get back and it's almost empty again. There are no visible leaks anywhere from the radiator or anywhere else. Funny thing is, it isn't overheating while I run it. it rarely moves past the middle normal mark. So where is the coolant going? I'm kind of afraid to run it now fearing it will overheat somewhere and I'll be stuck. What are the possible problems with it?

 

[LeesEvoX]

There is only two places coolant can "dissapear"

1) An external leak somewhere in the system. I.e. crack in radiator, or a coolant hose, or even the coolant tank.
2) and Internal leak.... I.e a head gasket, or worst case. Crack in the block.


Have you checked the engine oil? if there is an internal leak. the coolant will mix with the oil, and look gross.

 

[Clancaster23]

Here's what it looks like. I don't see anything wrong with it but maybe someone who knows more about this stuff than I do will. Don't know if it matters but this is the 4.7 V8.

 

[buddy guy]

Here's what it looks like. I don't see anything wrong with it but maybe someone who knows more about this stuff than I do will. Don't know if it matters but this is the 4.7 V8.

View attachment 213211

Looks like oil to me. If it was oil mixed with coolant I would expect it to look creamy & foamy like a milkshake with a weird colour. It would be very obvious.

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk

 

[Marley]

Check it again after it sits awhile as the coolant will separate from oil.
Also look under oil fill cap for condensation.

If someone recently did a radiator flush, it can take a couple of runs to work out all the air.

 

[Clancaster23]

It's been sitting since last night and it didn't move today up until I checked the oil and took that picture. I did check under the oil fill cap and nothing out of the ordinary there. I went and rented a cooling system pressure test and have to use the universal adapter because there's no screw on place, the radiator or the overflow bottle. where you put the end into the radiator opening as far as you can then twist the knob on it and it locks it in somewhat and you can then pump air to apply pressure to the system. I'm not sure how high I should be looking to go though. I get to 15 or 16 and it pops off. I think I'm supposed to go to 16 but I can't find that exact number online anywhere. I get it to 15 and it doesn't move very much if at all but I don't know if that's enough pressure.

 

[Clancaster23]

Got it to work. When I went to look at it, they had said they recently put a water pump on it. The water is coming out between the pump and the block, part of the gasket sticking out underneath and I guess it's not your typical flat gasket but more of an o-ring type. It's seeping out from that side. So I have that to do now. Could have been worse.

 

[Dodge 1500 4X4]

Just for future reference your rad cap will have the psi stamped on it, some are 20 psi you should pump it up 2-5psi over the cap psi and see if it holds that pressure.

 

[Snake15eyes1998]

Remember your water pump bolts are different sizes. Make a cut out. If you didn't know this. Glad you found the problem.

 

[Bill Knight]

The water pump went on my 04 Ram, I did change myself. But not before my alternator ate a lot of coolant. It sounds pretty rough now, the Hemi engine has no ticks or any noises that would worry me. But the alternator sounds like it's about to get out walk on its own lol....