coolant dripping out

[davidmmm69]

the last few mornings have been brutal 0 to 5 degrees.
On my 95 explorer when i get out of work at 8:00 am I start the car up an let it run for maybe 10 minutes to up to 1/2 hour 2 days no in a row when i go outside the car is running and green puddle on the ground in front end of explorer...
Lift the hood and it looks like it is dripping out of the radiator. but it looks like it is dripping out of the radiator cap???
could it be bad and if it was bad where no pressure could build up wouldn;t it just leak into the over flow bottle..
that is what I do not get the over flow hose is before the radiator cap therefore it should get forced into the overflow bottle,
Makes no sense to me.
any help would be great.
thanks for advice.

 

[snocross1985]

Interested to see what others have to say. It has been very cold here lately and when I go out in the morning there is a small puddle of coolant under the truck. It did it last winter too when it was really cold, but never when it was warmer outside.

 

[mvoeller]

Hell it was -34 here the other night, with a high of -15 during the day.

Your coolant leak might be the end caps on the radiator leaking. A lot of Ford radiators leak when they get cold. I had a 95 F150 that wouldn't leak a drop in the summer, but there would be puddles under the truck in the winter from the leaking end caps. You can have the end caps resealed at a radiator shop, but it might be better just to get a new aftermarket radiator.

 

[BuffaloXplorer]

I've got a similar leak now coming from the overfill tube to the resivoir, immediately at the cap. Just doesn't seem a tight enough fit. I need to slap a small clamp on it. I've also had a leak at the coolant line that enters the rad. immediately below the rad. cap. Nothing so severe that i need to add coolant daily or anything, but sill a small concern. With mine, though, the level of the overflow never seems to change - hot or cold - is THIS a problem?

 

[ExplorerDMB]

Check everything for cracks - possibly even hairline cracks. The cap can go bad - so try replacing it with the correct pressure rating. Make sure the cap is on tight (both the new and old). Not a whole lot of advice, but it should get you somewhere if it is coming from the cap.

-Drew

 

[NCSUDockhand]

I've had the same thing happen. After driving it for a week with no other leak, I decided it wasn't a major concern. I've heard that cooling systems can develop much higher pressures sitting idling in cold weather because it takes a long time for the thermostat to open. If your cap was slightly weak, that would explain why the leak is coming from the cap. At least that's the rationalization I came up with for myself.

On a different note, I'm not so sure that starting your engine cold and idling for 1/2 hour is such a good idea. You have very low oil pressure. Everything I've read says it's better to start it and drive easily until the car is warm. That would also probably eliminate your leak.

 

[Eneurb]

I wouldn't be suprised if a rad would leak in those extreme temps. Your plastic side tanks and aluminum core will expand and contract at different rates, and I'm sure that could cause a little bit of leakage.

 

[davidmmm69]

this morning the same thing I got out of work at 8:00am and it was -4 at work and after it warmed up I ran back outside and it was dripping pretty good.

but thank god I have my 2002 explorer and the 1995 is just a extra vehicle when my wife wants the new one if it is snowing or something,.

 

[elkhunter]

There are a lot of people that would like to get their hands on the 'engineer' that designed plastic/aluminum radiators and heater cores.

 

[snocross1985]

I wouldn't be suprised if a rad would leak in those extreme temps. Your plastic side tanks and aluminum core will expand and contract at different rates, and I'm sure that could cause a little bit of leakage.

That was my thoughts exactly. Makes perfect sense.

 

[flying carp]

water pumps suck

i just made an attempt to replace my leaking water pump only to discover the two outermost bolts holding the pump in place snapped off. i'm sure someone else out there has had this same problem, any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated as i'm about to loose my mind.

 

[Dre]

these are prone to leak a bit in extreme cold. I have gone through that same problem before. I would not worry about it. Just make sure coolant level is OK.

as for the pump? first off - welcome to the board! second - start a seperate post if you'd like someone to address your problem. Snapping bolts in this spot of the engine is not pretty but there's always someone that has been there before.

 

[BuffaloXplorer]

Well, i examined the rad. cap yesterday and found it to be crudded with rad. stop-leak stuff i put in to stop a tiny leak at the tube entering the rad. - just below the cap. The only "leak" it stopped was the one that is supposed to leak - the overfill passage to the resivoir. I replaced the cap, cyphoned @ liter of coolant from the resivoir back into the radiator, and drove it a a while.

My questions are: How does the resivoir actually work? When does the resivoir level change? I've looked at it while driving (well, i stopped the X first) and again this morning (after sitting all night) and the level hasn't changed. The overfill tube is clear and the passage at the bottom of the resivoir is clear as well. I know that there's a "cold" fill level, but when warm should it be higher or lower? I'm thinking as the engine is warm and running, the level should be lower as the engine is using more, and while it cools down it flows back into the overfill. Is this right? What could cause the level to NOT change?

 

[ve4ron]

The coolant expands when it warms up and the pressure in the system lets it go past the cap to the reservoir and when it cools the coolant draws back into the rad lowering the level in the reservoir