Coolant question

[JeepKj96]

My 02 KJ has been overheating the past two day (so it now sits in the driveway) and i am about 99% sure its because it seems to have almost no coolant. I understand i need Mopar HOAT but i have read that Zerex G-05 would work to. Thoughts? I'm not sure how much fluid it has at the moment i can say there is none in the overflow tank. Would i have to do a complete flush of the system if I get new coolant?

Thanks a lot for all the help.

If i went to the dealership they would charge me $90 for a full system flush and coolant fill, would this be the best option?

 

[uss2defiant]

zerex g05 will work as well.

if current coolant is hoat, no need for a flush.

 

[CzarKJ]

Best question is where did the coolant go.... Check all your hoses and connections. Upper right hand (drivers side) of the radiator is a known weak point.

 

[ltd02]

Like said above, definitely find the reason for the loss! You don't want to ever overheat these things. All sorts of bad things can happen.

So, look it over real good and I'd say 90 bucks for the flush sounds pretty good to me.

 

[LibertyTC]

If you think it is really low on coolant, remove the air bleed screw when cold...
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Use a small funnel, and fill from there, you will then know how much coolant it takes to fill the rad.
Once full at bleed screw tighten it and then fill reservoir to cold line.
Use a good bright flashlight once it's hot/pressurized and find the source of the jeep's leak.

 

[JeepKj96]

The radiator is only a year old so I hope its not leaking. I will have to grab some Zerex and fill it up then look for a leak. However i have not noticed any leaking on my driveway at all. Thanks for all the help and suggestions

 

[ltd02]

The radiator is only a year old so I hope its not leaking. I will have to grab some Zerex and fill it up then look for a leak. However i have not noticed any leaking on my driveway at all. Thanks for all the help and suggestions

If it wasn't a Mopar replacement then it could be leaking. I replaced my original with an aftermarket and it lasted a few months. Aftermarket rads just don't seem to last in these vehicle. I've had them work fine in many others but, for some reason, not in the KJ. :shrug:

 

[JeepKj96]

do i need to do a 50/50 mix or should i just fill it up

 

[HoosierJeeper]

50/50 is good, max 70/30.

 

[teeje]

1; refill your coolant and bleed the system
2; make sure you're not losing coolant ex: a leaking water pump, hose or radiator
3 if no leaks, get one of those head gasket test kits to see if that is the culprit
4 if all else fails, take the serpentine belt off, check the water pump pulley, if the bearing has any play replace it, if not unbolt the water pump and check to see if the impeller is "free" from the shaft
The impeller is only plastic and over time it can come free the the shaft that the water pump pulley spins

Keep us updated
Also, as far as coolant goes, if there's green coolant in it now, stay with the green 50/50 mix. If you don't want to do that, flush the whole system and put the HOAT in


2002 Jeep Liberty 3.7L with brand new engine
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[uss2defiant]

I would instead suggest filling it with coolant then pressure test the system or just pressure test the system first.
This way you can can tell if there's a leak with the system if it can't hold pressure.

You can pick a pressure test tool from your local auto part store's loan program.
The FSM calls for pressure testing the system at 16 psi.

if the pressure doesn't drop then the next test would be the head gasket test. Also available at your local auto part store for rent but I think you'll need to purchase the test liquid.

 

[JeepKj96]

Update:
Today I finally had time to crawl under and see what the problem is. First I added some coolant, and let me tell you it was really low, itlooks like a bad line. It's not a fast leak. Looks like it will be going in for some maintenance. It could be worse I suppose.

 

[uss2defiant]

I can't tell but that looks like ATF on the ****** cooler lines.
Can you verify what fluid is on those lines?

 

[JeepKj96]

I can't tell but that looks like ATF on the ****** cooler lines.
Can you verify what fluid is on those lines?

as of right now i am taking a guess and saying that it is not ATF and is coolant but i am going to pressure test the coolant system and make sure. I checked the AFT level and it is perfect so i am hoping that this is a coolant leak. No i just have to find a pressure test kit. Cant really afford to purchase one right now. The Jeep is not going to move until i make sure i know what this leak is.

 

[uss2defiant]

you can get a pressure tester for free with loan programs at most auto part store.
Eg. autozone, o reily,

Just rub the fluid between your fingers.
Is it oily or is it sticky? how does it smell?
You should be able to tell ATF and coolant apart easily.

 

[TwoBobsKJ]

You have a leak in a transmission cooler line - that's ATF in the picture.

Doesn't help you with the loss of coolant but you should get that cooler line repaired pronto. The oil level drops too much further in your ****** and it will go boom...

Bob

 

[JeepKj96]

You have a leak in a transmission cooler line - that's ATF in the picture.

Doesn't help you with the loss of coolant but you should get that cooler line repaired pronto. The oil level drops too much further in your ****** and it will go boom...

Bob

Hey Bob,
I have been checking my ****** fluid the past week because i was told by someonext that it was leaking but my fluid has not dropped one bit and I have plenty of fluid. It's weird I'm going to be replacing all the lines soon here anyways. Thanks for the input it is very appreciated.