Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Coolant level going down in bottle

[DPellegrin]

Hey guys I have had the same coolant in the truck now for about 50000 miles. I have lost about 1/2 a quart maybe less out of the aux bottle. Should I be worried about this or is this normal evaporation rate? It is rotella ELC I cannot see any leaks it has 96000 miles on it thanks.

 

[Skydiver]

I would think it is due to evaporation.

 

[RyanStewart]

I had a radiator guy tell me once that a quart a year or so was normal due to evaporation.

 

[K5IP]

My 95 does that too. It has a small leak at the weap hole on the water pump. It has been this way for a long time, but I now have a new pump on order. Check for signs of antifreeze below the pump. They may be hard to find for such a small leak. If you find this to be the case, rebuilt pumps can be had for about $35 to 50. A new one is $70 from Rockauto.

EVAPORATION? This is a sealed system.

Rog

 

[HEMI®Dart]

I have been losing coolant since the truck was new. NO leaks anywhere. Truck is not burning it and it's not in the oil.

 

[Skydiver]

ROG

It is a sealed system up to the pressure rating of the radiator cap.



Notice your reservoir level when it is cold then again after it is up to normal operating temperature.

 

[Missouri Mule]

Mine is the same as HEMI®Dart's it has lost coolant since new.

 

[DPellegrin]

I figured it out I had a loose clamp on the upper radiator hose thanks for all of your help.

 

[K5IP]

ROG

It is a sealed system up to the pressure rating of the radiator cap.



Notice your reservoir level when it is cold then again after it is up to normal operating temperature.

Skydiver,

Perhaps, but I don't think my truck lost any coolant during the first 7 or 8 years. Perhaps I did not notice it because I chaged and topped up coolant yearly.

Even the recovery bottle is capped off. It's hard to see much evaporation there.

Rog

 

[HEMI®Dart]

It one time I thought maybe the block heater was boiling some of the coolant off.

 

[Missouri Mule]

When I was loosing a lot of coolant it was leaking out the seap hole on the water pump.

 

[hsmith]

I do not go with the evaporation theory. I have a heater core leaking, has for some time, just waiting for the time to replace it along with the evaporator core since I will be there any way. Have already taken care of the head gasket problem. Causes a slight loss of coolant and a sweet smell inside the cab.

 

[JKure]

How hard is the heater core to change in a 98 reg cab i have. aI can smell antifezze after pulling a hill. but i dont see any sings of leakage in the cab?

 

[BLively]

its not too hard to do, just really time consuming. did mine last weekend. now i can see through my windshield and dont have to roll the windows down after gettin on it.

 

[Matt42]

How hard is the heater core to change in a 98 reg cab i have. aI can smell antifezze after pulling a hill. but i dont see any sings of leakage in the cab?

It takes a big leak to see liquid in the cab. Usually it's a pin hole size. Any drip comes out the A/C drain on the engine side of the firewall. When you finally get to the point where you change out the heater core, be double certain sure to ground all three metal parts of the new core. The OEM core on mine had a bad ground, and electrolysis may have hastened its demise. The replacement core I used, and also recommended by many here, has tubes you can rotate in the core to get them aligned easier for installation. They are isolated electrically from the main core, so I also fabricated grounds for them. Will that make any difference? Ask me in 10 more years.



Where do you live?