Drinking Radiator Fluid

[BigSexy23]

Any suggestions? I have a 2016 Ram 2500 6.4L HD Blacked Out Version. I replaced the radiator, thermostat and old hoses. I had the system flushed last week, which restored my heat, and saved me from purchasing a heater core. Drove the truck for an hour, checked the radiator fluid and it was empty. The truck is not leaking. It's not running hot and the gages are reading normal.

 

[HuskerRam]

If you're not losing it outside the cooling system, you're losing it inside. Refill the overflow bottle and monitor. It's possible the system had air trapped when it was flushed and wasn't properly "burped." If you're still losing it, pressure test the cooling system. If you're losing pressure (and not leaking out), you may be burning it which *could* mean a head gasket.

 

[Burla]

Probably just filling spaces now after your flush, you are probably good. If you get white smoke out the tail pipe... This video shows an easy fix but more importantly a way to test without doing a compression test. I'd run RMI25 in that from now on, it is a leave in treatment. 2016 is literally ground zero casting sand issues.

Do Head Gasket Sealers Actually Work (FULL 2yr TEST with Engine Teardown)

Replacing a blown Head Gasket can be difficult and expensive. Sometimes your car is not worth fixing and this is where a head gasket sealer in a bottle comes...

youtu.be

 

[crash68]

you could use a vacuum fill to rule out air trapped in the system. The 6.4 utilizes a degas style coolant reservoir which should eliminate air in the system but it also has an EGR cooler which could be where the coolant is leaking

 

[rule18]

Yeah, the title of this thread made me wanna reply with something like, "why, is the tide pod challenge not that challenging any more"? I'll show myself out...

 

[mtofell]

you could use a vacuum fill to rule out air trapped in the system.

Yeah, lots of threads of guys having trouble getting air out of the system. I had my radiator replaced at the dealer recently and noticed on the receipt they use a vacuum method. If it's not leaking out or into the engine you're probably just fighting air bubbles in the system. I think the heater core is the highest point so you'll start to lose cabin heat if the system is low. Of course, lack of heat can also be the all too common clogged core.

 

[MrBonez]

Some vehicles/engines have a bleeder for getting air out of the system, normally you see these on the thermostat housing to get a trapped air pocket out so the thermostat will work and open before the engine itself overheats.

That's because air doesn't transmit heat as easily as water/ a liquid will so there is a delay of the themostat opening, meaning the engine will already be too hot by the time the thermostat itself will open AND the air will still be there later in many cases to do it all over again, leading to things like head gasket failure and so on.

In this case it's not a question of it being at the highest point, more like a place where air can easily be trapped and it simply cannot get out without a little help.

Another thing I've done before is while filling the radiator I'll squeeze the upper radiator hose repeatedly, inducing a sort of "Sloshing" effect in the system that helps get air out as I fill it. This can also be done after the system is filled and the engine is running, helping to make air move along to a place it can find to escape from the cooling system.

If you have a bad spot somewhere on the suction/intake side of the water pump, it might be drawing air in the system too, that possibly including a loosely clamped hose end on that part of the system.

Weak/bad radiator caps can cause a loss of fluid as well along with one that has a bad O-ring/gasket letting coolant escape while the system is pressurized.

 

[crash68]

B

I had my radiator replaced at the dealer recently and noticed on the receipt they use a vacuum method.

The dealership mechanic does it as they get paid flat rate whether it's warranty or not. The vehicle gets out of his repair bay quicker.
The Cummins and 6.4 HD trucks should have less chance of trapping air due to the degas style coolant reservoir but they also don't hold much excess coolant so any air makes the level drop quick.
Fun fact, on the assembly line, a vehicles coolant system is vacuumed down, filled and pressure tested in typically less than two minutes.

 

[Hanover Fiste]

A similar issue happened on my 2005. It turns out the water pump gasket was bad, causing fluid to leak without any visible evidence. A new water pump solved the problem.

 

[blackbetty14]

Not a Hemi or mopar engine but I had I was loosing coolant in a boosted LS 5.3 in my 78 vette. Some froth in the radiator but it was green and not milky brown. No coolant in the oil, no white smoke out the exhaust... yet after a bit of driving like 40 miles I would pop the cap and be a few rows down on the coolant level and some froth. I got a combustion gas leak tester and confirmed its the head gaskets, pulled the heads replaced gaskets and copper coated them and all is good. Couldn't find coolant anywhere and the green froth must have been from the hot combustion cooking the antifreeze and maybe a smidge of oil getting in. My theory is that at idle the cylinder pressure wasn't enough to push past the gasket which is when I would diagnose it obviously... when it boost cylinder pressure would skyrocket and bobs your uncle. Oh also a rad pressure and vacuum test both showed nothing and were steady as a rock to 25psi and -25inhg with the bad gasket

If your not seeing it come out its going in, just bc its going in doesn't mean you will see smoke out the tailpipe. If I were you I would:
- check your oil/dipstick for milkshake
- You can pressure/vac test the cooling system... that might find if its a pump or a cracked hose/leak. If your parked put some cardboard down and let that thing idle alot and give it some varying RPM.
- get a coolant exhaust gas tester... amazon less than $20 for the one that uses very little fluid will make diagnosing easier.
- You must be using alot more than me... which means the leak is more pronounced, I would think that smoke in the exhaust given the loss amounts or enough on the ground to see it easily.