Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) how do you if your water pump stops working

[VHolloway]

how do you know if your water pump stops working

we had a coolent leak but i can't find out where it came from

the truck is not running hot everything was ok but the over flo bottle was empty

we can' find where the coolent was ccoming from???

 

[Diesel Gopher]

I have done the pump on both my dodges in the last 2 years, both times the pump itself started weeping. I may not have noticed when it was a small leak, but when it starts to drip a decent amount, the radiator fan "redistributed" the fluid in such a manner that, other than the smell of coolent, it would be difficult to locate the actual leak. You could try looking at the pump at idle to see if you can see anything. Good luck.



Matt

 

[RShipp]

Also, if you park it on concrete or blacktop you should see a leak under the front center of the engine.

 

[VHolloway]

it is full of coolent

thats the hard part

 

[georgej]

Are you saying the water level in the overflow tank keeps dropping? If so after checking the oil for antifreeze the water pump weep hole and all around the head and core plugs for antifreeze, I replaced the radiator cap and that stopped my mysterious antifreeze loss.

 

[RShipp]

Could also be a leak in the hose between the overflow tank and the radiator.

 

[VHolloway]

the radiator was full of coolent

but the over flow was dry

 

[sheamc]

Everybody has already given you the easy ones. Hose connections, water pump, check oil for water. I had my jeep do it a different way. Once the motor was warmed up, it would weep out of the head gasket. The dealership tried three times to find it with dye and never could. Late one night last winter the gasket gave way and it was all over the block. #@$%! It never was in the oil. It simply kept getting lower and lower in the overflow by it leaking out. Also, not being a smarty, but you do understand that as the radiator loses fluid when it cools down it draws it out of the overflow? Good luck with your mystery.



Shea

 

[VHolloway]

ok I think i know where it's leaking from

when it cold and you start the truck it leaks until the truck gets hot radiator need to be replaced

it looks like we can do this one at home am i rite

 

[Diesel Gopher]

it takes a little fussing to get the radiator out, but no special tools or anything. I had mine out a couple of times to clean the oil off it before I moved the oil overflow bottle. I am no mechanic, but an hour or 2 should do it for ya. Good luck.



Matt

 

[VHolloway]

i droped a tool down in that small space where radiator and intercooler we had a hard time to get that out of there

that may have started my coolent leak

napa has the radiator for $205. 39

thats the best price I can find



THE LEAK STOPS WHEN THE TRUCK GETS UP TO DRIVEING TEMP

DOES THIS SOUND LIKE A HOSE MAY HAVE A LEAK

 

[VHolloway]

Can i use stop leak

 

[georgej]

Don't use stop leak!!!!!!!!!!

 

[VHolloway]

ok so what do I do

i need the truck this weekend to move

thanks

 

[Midnite]

If it's just a small leak that seems to stop when the engine comes up to temp, I'd say just drive it and fill up the overflow bottle as needed until you can get the chance to fix it. That's assuming the leak is in the radiator or a hose--if you find mayonnaise in your oil (indicating coolant leaking into the oil system), then I'd probably park it until you can get the head gasket looked at.

Mike

 

[snuff]

please don't use stop leak, also im not sure about dodge but my ford i had a choice of size, rows, for the radiator, i got the 2 row for towing. anything in the oil?

 

[VHolloway]

oil is ok it only leaks when it is getting warmed up after that it's good to go no leaking

and it only leaks on the driver side

could it be where the transmission lines go in

 

[DFerverda]

The guys are dead on... NO STOP LEAK. The cost of a radiator is nothing compared to changing the heater core, after it is plugged and your heat quits, and it takes about 5-8 hours to change the heater core and is a pain in the butt.
The radiator change is only a hour job, the worst part is getting the windshield washer reservoir out. There is a tab/flap at the bottom that you need to push to get it out.
Good luck

 

[BigPapa]

I'm not recommending Stop Leak but, with all due respect, I have used Stop Leak in other vehicles, never my truck, with great success and I've never heard of anyones heater core getting stopped up by it.



Used it in a '92 Caprice that had a pinhole in the radiator. Drove that car 180K miles with no more leaking.



My 1955 Oliver tractor has a crack in the block. I've had to put it in there every summer. No problems.



There have been others. Heck, in the old days we used to put oats or pepper in there... .....



Scott

 

[DFerverda]

Yes i have used it in several vehicles also..... Last year i put some in my truck, within 2 weeks i started having to drive 10-15 miles before i got any amount of heat. Then it got real cold and i tried everything tstat new hoses flushed the core to no avail, finally changed the core and evaporator,(due to crud in the box) and now have real hot heat.
I cut the old core open and it was almost full of brown sticky crud, which i believe is the bars leak... ...