Fluid leak. Need help/advice

[01sapphirebob]

So with the weather being nice tonight i decided to pull the '08 out of the garage and fire her up just for a little bit. We once i got the car off the lift i noticed a fluid on one of the drip pans. I ran my finger through it and it felt "wet" and "greasy" to me. Appears to be red in color. Fluid on the drip pan was on the pass side of the car. Approximate locatation would be right behind the knuckle on the lower A arm. The only two fluids on the Pass side if the car are washer fluid and coolant. Nothing jumped out at me as to where the leak would be coming from.


Heres a coupke pics of the spot where i found the fluid. I had run my finger through the spot by the time intook the pics
http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t558/weilandfrk/27BFA241-B8EA-4DF0-AE88-A20BB41428B9_zpshd3yijyo.jpg (http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/weilandfrk/media/27BFA241-B8EA-4DF0-AE88-A20BB41428B9_zpshd3yijyo.jpg.html)

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t558/weilandfrk/77E7DAC8-C567-430B-B667-51FBA8910A33_zpso3vp5lkp.jpg (http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/weilandfrk/media/77E7DAC8-C567-430B-B667-51FBA8910A33_zpso3vp5lkp.jpg.html)

Red coolant
http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t558/weilandfrk/BD571D6A-ECBC-4273-86E5-D8959E05D953_zpswy0ppurj.jpg (http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/weilandfrk/media/BD571D6A-ECBC-4273-86E5-D8959E05D953_zpswy0ppurj.jpg.html)

Any thoughts or suggestions on where to check for leaks would be great. Ive heard of the oil cooler lines being a problem on the GEN III/IV's but not coolant lines.

Thanks!

[FLATOUT]

Yep that's coolant. I had a similar leak and I think I caused it by doing several header installs. The lines running to the heater core usually get pushed and pulled during a headers install so the primary's will slip in. Mine got over stressed and was leaking at the crimp fitting.

I bought a new one from Tomball and the leak is gone. Nothing major but it needs to be fixed.

[01sapphirebob]

Yep that's coolant. I had a similar leak and I think I caused it by doing several header installs. The lines running to the heater core usually get pushed and pulled during a headers install so the primary's will slip in. Mine got over stressed and was leaking at the crimp fitting.

I bought a new one from Tomball and the leak is gone. Nothing major but it needs to be fixed.

Thanks FLATOUT!

Ill check it out tomorrow.

[FLATOUT]

Anytime buddy, getting the old one out was interesting to say the least. I actually cut it in half since you can't reuse it once it starts leaking. The new part actually is several pieces which makes for an easier install.


Thanks FLATOUT!

Ill check it out tomorrow.

[Steve M]

Definitely coolant, probably time to sell before it gets worse. I'll give you $3.50.

[01sapphirebob]

Definitely coolant, probably time to sell before it gets worse. I'll give you $3.50.

Not a penny over $3.00. ;)

[01sapphirebob]

Anytime buddy, getting the old one out was interesting to say the least. I actually cut it in half since you can't reuse it once it starts leaking. The new part actually is several pieces which makes for an easier install.

FLATOUT,

Are these the lines you are referring to? I tried to look a little bit today but my untraied eye didnt really see anything...

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t558/weilandfrk/9FE687AE-D986-4B21-859F-B56DA8AB32D1_zpskp9qec9z.jpg (http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/weilandfrk/media/9FE687AE-D986-4B21-859F-B56DA8AB32D1_zpskp9qec9z.jpg.html)

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t558/weilandfrk/58FBF0AB-A427-460D-8268-8640EAB169B9_zpss2qycbfn.jpg (http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/weilandfrk/media/58FBF0AB-A427-460D-8268-8640EAB169B9_zpss2qycbfn.jpg.html)

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t558/weilandfrk/EB8DB5B4-790B-47C3-8989-99626A0FD878_zps4asr6dak.jpg (http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/weilandfrk/media/EB8DB5B4-790B-47C3-8989-99626A0FD878_zps4asr6dak.jpg.html)

If not do you have pics you could post? Not of tour install but just of the lines you had to replace in general. Im very much a novice at this kind of thing. I did have headers installed this past fall so im thinking whatnyounare suggesting coukd be the cause. Thanks again for any and all help.

[FLATOUT]

Yes, on your last picture the bottom line, you see that metal "crimped" part where the rubber mates to the aluminum portion. One of those was leaking on mine. It wasn't very obvious and there are a couple to check before you decide what or where the problem is actually coming from. I would take a dry paper shop towel and blot those connections until you find the source.

It's got to be something in there around or below that overflow tank and the heater core I bet.

Andy

[SnakeOyl]

A couple of other things to look very closely at is the nipple coming off of the coolant tank and the perimeter seam .

We have seen failures in both areas. The nipple can develop a crack if the hoses are "horsed" around, and the seam where the two halves are joined together can begin to fail. You would be very surprised to see how much the tank swells when it is hot and under pressure from the radiator.

Our suggestion is to make sure the tank is filled above the seam level, put a radiator pressure tester on it and see where the leaks comes from.
Make sure you don't exceed the manfacturers max pressure.

If you don't have a pressure tester, go to your local AutoZone and rent one for a few bucks. It really a pretty easy task.

Good Luck with the search!

[Mopar Boy]

Weeping rad hose itself? I have seen that before.

[Garron]

If the coolant is overfilled it will come out of the overflow hose and you would not see anything. Just one more thing to check

[01sapphirebob]

Thanks everyone for the advice. Ive spent some decent time today with the car and cant seem to find the leak. My buddy just came over with his highpowered flashlight. He inspected as much as he could and still nothing turned up. A possible oil cooler line leak was discovered but no coolant leak. Looks like we are gonna pressure test tomorrow.

[01sapphirebob]

So reviving an old thread. Looks like my mystery fluid showed up again. Car never leaked againg after last year.

Pic of the fluid

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t558/weilandfrk/008CB1F5-60E9-4462-B159-0E2CB00978A3_zpsfopjggac.jpg (http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/weilandfrk/media/008CB1F5-60E9-4462-B159-0E2CB00978A3_zpsfopjggac.jpg.html)

Does everyone still think its coolant?

Area directly above the leak...

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t558/weilandfrk/69379F0B-58D9-4F38-87DC-BF04A4EE0E31_zpsacqcj7mg.jpg (http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/weilandfrk/media/69379F0B-58D9-4F38-87DC-BF04A4EE0E31_zpsacqcj7mg.jpg.html)

[CarolinaViper]

Bob.

Don't relay on the location of the fluid on the ground to be the location of the leak (as it might not be a direct drop), As the fluid will travel to the lowest spot on the (hose or frame rail...or whatever) before finally falling to the ground...really hard to find a leak in a roof of a house for the same reason. Best think is to reverse the search. Look from the ground to see where its dripping from underneath the car and then follow that point to the source. This process has help be a lot in the past.

Jeff