Coolant Leak '06 Explorer
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Joined: Jul 2008
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Coolant Leak '06 Explorer
Hi everyone. Yes I'm named appropriately! Noticed a leak outside this morning on '06 Explorer with only 49.9k on it. Bought the car just a few months ago and have liked it a lot so far.
Coolant looks like it is coming from the bottom of the radiator. Also the wall behind and meeting the radiator looks wet as well at the bottom. Puddle is on the driver's side right underneath radiator. Looks like everything is dry up top.
I've read the threads and it seems like it could be close to anything from water pump to head gasket to bad hose. I did manually see if the radiator drain was loose and it was not.
I took it into service today but know that they probably see dollar signs when a girl walks in by herself. Any ideas on what to ask them so that they don't think I'm a total idiot with an open wallet?
Thanks for any posts that may help.
dumbgirl..
Coolant looks like it is coming from the bottom of the radiator. Also the wall behind and meeting the radiator looks wet as well at the bottom. Puddle is on the driver's side right underneath radiator. Looks like everything is dry up top.
I've read the threads and it seems like it could be close to anything from water pump to head gasket to bad hose. I did manually see if the radiator drain was loose and it was not.
I took it into service today but know that they probably see dollar signs when a girl walks in by herself. Any ideas on what to ask them so that they don't think I'm a total idiot with an open wallet?
Thanks for any posts that may help.
dumbgirl..
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 11,931
Likes: 180
if its a water pump seal, then the pump needs replaced. if its anything else, normally a radiator sealer will take care of it. go to Wal Mart and get the small bottle of Bars Radiator Sealer. I prefer the aluminum /liquid type, not the oil pellets. Just pour into the radiator and run it an hour. See if it still leaks at the end of the day. For $4. you cant go wrong.
Former ******
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,901
Likes: 2
From: Salt Lake City, Utah
I would not mess with a radiator sealer. Too many people including myself have had problems with such sealers. They seal over everything indiscriminately including the heater core passages and the cooling passages in the radiator itself. If you have a leak, you need to repair the leak itself. Using a stop leak product to plug one tiny leak is like repainting your car because it has one tiny scratch, and not removing any of the trim or covering the windows and just painting over everything. You get paint where it isn't wanted or needed, likewise with stop leak, you get the stop where it isn't needed or wanted. Those kinds of products might be useful if you have leak in the middle of nowhere and you just need to get home.
If the radiator is cracked, you are probably best off replacing it with a new one from a reputable manufacturer.
If the radiator is cracked, you are probably best off replacing it with a new one from a reputable manufacturer.
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 11,931
Likes: 180
the story that sealers dont work and they plug radiators is a myth. a good sealer is made to plug a hole fro a pressurized water cavity to an external air source. they will not plug a radiator, harm a thermostat, or cause overheating. they are made to plug holes or cracks maybe .020 inch in diameter or wide. not a radiator tube. i have used these sealers in 60 year old farm tractors that had "minor leaks" and been succeessfull about 100% of the time. I had a cross over tube on a F150 5.4 motor that had a leaking gasket under the intake manifold. i used a standard sealer and it held for 30 days. i then bought a higher priced "cracked head, block, manifold" sealer, drained the antifreeze, flushed with water, installed and run as needed, then flushed and installed new antifreeze. that was 8 months ago, no problems. THe stuff works if you know what your doing and use the right stuff for the right problem.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 162
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From: Regina, Saskatchewan
There have been a lot of problems with the 05/06 rads leaking where the core is coupled to the plastic piece. I will try to find the parts number that was known to be the worst. There was a back order from Ford and it was about a 3 or 4 week waiting period for one but they may be catching up now. I will post more info when I find it.
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Former ******
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,901
Likes: 2
From: Salt Lake City, Utah
the story that sealers dont work and they plug radiators is a myth. a good sealer is made to plug a hole fro a pressurized water cavity to an external air source. they will not plug a radiator, harm a thermostat, or cause overheating. they are made to plug holes or cracks maybe .020 inch in diameter or wide. not a radiator tube. i have used these sealers in 60 year old farm tractors that had "minor leaks" and been succeessfull about 100% of the time. I had a cross over tube on a F150 5.4 motor that had a leaking gasket under the intake manifold. i used a standard sealer and it held for 30 days. i then bought a higher priced "cracked head, block, manifold" sealer, drained the antifreeze, flushed with water, installed and run as needed, then flushed and installed new antifreeze. that was 8 months ago, no problems. THe stuff works if you know what your doing and use the right stuff for the right problem.
I take the stand that if it is broken, fix it. Snake oil is not gonna fix your problem. Instead you will have the same problem, but with snake oil in it.
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2007
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do not use a stop leak. fix it right. would you use duct tape to fix your car? if you use the stop leak, the problem will be back. do you know where it will go out agian? back country road w/ no cell service maybe. just fix it right and then you don't have to worry about it.
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