HELP!!! I'm losing coolant.
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HELP!!! I'm losing coolant.
I have a 4.6L and it started burning coolant within the last week. I can't exactly detect where it's leaking from but its pooling up on top of the engine right behind the water pump and the heat is burning it and causing it to steam up. The temp guage never gets up past half way so its not running hot. I've tried adding Bar's Stop Leak and that didn't help and it seems to lose coolant faster and faster.
Is this a water pump issue? A WP gasket issue?
Is this a water pump issue? A WP gasket issue?
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Joined: Feb 2008
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From: Colorado
It's probably safe to say that it isn't the water pump if it's pooling on top of the motor. I'd be looking at themostat housing or intake gaskets. How is the exhaust when running? Is it white? That is usually a good sign of a head gasket. Could check plugs for evidence also , but that's kind of a PITA. Personally I'd stay away from "Stop Leak Fixes" , they are always a temp fix. That and they like to clog radiators. JMO
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I haven't noticed any white smoke....but my exhaust is tucked up just behind the rear axle, not out the side, so it wouldn't be that noticable unless I was checking for it. I've had a blown head gasket on another truck prior to this and it ran like dirt and my truck still runs good. I'll check the thermostat housing and other gaskets in the area. I need to get a mirror behind the water pump to see if there are any signs of leakage.
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From: Mattawa Washington.
check the heater hose connections these new styles that plug into the intakes have o rings that dry out and crack over time. don't know for sure if yours is this stlye, but hey it's just looking.
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Stop guessing, get it pressure tested, or pressure test it yourself.
Blow it all dry (air compressor, not a blow dryer) and hook up the pressure test kit, or start the car, wait for it to leak out at first sign, kill the engine, and check again.
Blow it all dry (air compressor, not a blow dryer) and hook up the pressure test kit, or start the car, wait for it to leak out at first sign, kill the engine, and check again.
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Joined: Jul 2005
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i dont know if its like the 5.4, but my intake manifold has a water tube bolted to the bottom of it running left and right, behind the alternator. the gasket started leaking on the passenger side, just a few inches from the front injector and sparkplug. it would run straight down and puddle in the valley. was difficult to find, used a mirror and light after blowing out with air compressor.
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Thanks for all your guys' help!
Apparently, I didn't "knock on wood" because as soon as I wrote that the truck was still running good it started running awful.
I located the leak. It is on the metal tube that connects the thermostat housing to the engine. It is probably the size of a pencil lead and squirts fluid towards to cab right below the throttle body area. The truck now sputters like it's running on less than all 8 cylinders. No trouble codes have been thrown yet so it's hard to detect why the sudden sputter. Have any ideas?
Apparently, I didn't "knock on wood" because as soon as I wrote that the truck was still running good it started running awful.
I located the leak. It is on the metal tube that connects the thermostat housing to the engine. It is probably the size of a pencil lead and squirts fluid towards to cab right below the throttle body area. The truck now sputters like it's running on less than all 8 cylinders. No trouble codes have been thrown yet so it's hard to detect why the sudden sputter. Have any ideas?
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Trouble code P0305,P0307,P0308 & P0316
Fluid may have gotten in 3 holes because I have trouble codes: P0305, P0307, P0308 and P0316. From what I have been able to decifer, there is a misfire in cylinder 5, 7, 8 and misfire within the first 1000 rev's. Can you or anyone else reading this confirm that?
