Help, I have a coolant leak somewhere...

MarTTy4653 · 12-16-2008, 12:51 PM

Hi, Guys...I have an '86 MRII. This morning when I was on the road on my way to work, the temp needle pegged at maximum. It's about 20 degrees outside now, and we just had an unseasonably cold couple of days. I noticed a lot of steam coming out of the area under the coolant overflow tank near the oil cap.
Since I'm a newer MRII owner, I don't know the car as well as I should yet...I did put some more coolant in, but the overheating started up shortly after I started up the car. What / Where are the things I need to be looking for? It seems like there's a loose or cracked water hose leaking somewhere, but I just can't see it yet. (Too much steam in the way on a cold day)
Thanks in advance for any help, Marty

MarTTy4653 · 12-16-2008, 12:58 PM

ooops, sorry for the double post....

Jackstand Queen · 12-17-2008, 04:40 PM

So when the car originally overheated, the system was full of coolant? If the car was driven with low coolant level, then it overheated due to abscense of coolant.

Hmmm . . . . if it was full and overheated . . . . its an unusual occurance.

The leakage you noticed is from the radiator cap, which allows coolant to escape into the overflow tank when pressure exceeds 13 PSI.

It could be a thermostat (located in the cluster of pipes mounted on top of the tranny). But in most cases when thermostats fail, they don't allow the coolant to get hot.

Check for collapsed radiator hoses and damage to the metal pipes the coolant runs through in the middle of the car.

Some other important questions: does your coolant have black floaties in it? Is your oil foamed up when you check the oil dipstick?

12-16-2008, 12:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
MarTTy4653 No Skills Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Help, I have a coolant leak somewhere... Hi, Guys...I have an '86 MRII. This morning when I was on the road on my way to work, the temp needle pegged at maximum. It's about 20 degrees outside now, and we just had an unseasonably cold couple of days. I noticed a lot of steam coming out of the area under the coolant overflow tank near the oil cap. Since I'm a newer MRII owner, I don't know the car as well as I should yet...I did put some more coolant in, but the overheating started up shortly after I started up the car. What / Where are the things I need to be looking for? It seems like there's a loose or cracked water hose leaking somewhere, but I just can't see it yet. (Too much steam in the way on a cold day) Thanks in advance for any help, Marty

12-17-2008, 04:40 PM	#3 (permalink)
Jackstand Queen Cage Fighter Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 677 Thanks: 52 Thanked 56 Times in 53 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	So when the car originally overheated, the system was full of coolant? If the car was driven with low coolant level, then it overheated due to abscense of coolant. Hmmm . . . . if it was full and overheated . . . . its an unusual occurance. The leakage you noticed is from the radiator cap, which allows coolant to escape into the overflow tank when pressure exceeds 13 PSI. It could be a thermostat (located in the cluster of pipes mounted on top of the tranny). But in most cases when thermostats fail, they don't allow the coolant to get hot. Check for collapsed radiator hoses and damage to the metal pipes the coolant runs through in the middle of the car. Some other important questions: does your coolant have black floaties in it? Is your oil foamed up when you check the oil dipstick? Last edited by Jackstand Queen; 12-17-2008 at 05:25 PM. Reason: afterthought

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

12-16-2008, 12:58 PM	#2 (permalink)
MarTTy4653 No Skills Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 7 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	ooops, sorry for the double post....