Hi: We have a 2010 Dodge Journey SXT that started overheating and leaking antifreeze from a freeze plug two days ago.

The previous day, I was at my younger son's bus stop, I left the car running with the AC on for about 10 minutes before the bus came. My older son got out and locked the car...with the keys in it and running the AC! I went ahead and walked my sons home to get them out of the heat (I'm in Florida...and it was at least 95 degrees out and my car was directly in the sun!). That was about 20 minutes before calling someone to get my door opened. It then took Pop A Lock about 30 minutes to get there, about 5 or so minutes to get the door open. I'd say it had to be at least an hour that my car sat running in this dreadful heat with the AC on.

Once I got home, I had no issues that I could tell. I took my son all the way to school the next morning (about 8 miles) and did not notice any issues. I then went to the store a little later and noticed a huge puddle under my car (I'm not mechanically inclined, so assumed it was just a lot of water from the AC unit, although I found it strange...). I then went out again and got about 7 miles before my AC started to blow coolish air, then hot, then I got the overheating warning and saw my gauge go all the way to red hot! I parked it and let it sit an hour before starting it back up and going about 3 miles when it started to overheat to the red area again. I called a tow truck, but they wouldn't accept my Visa unless it was in my hand (hubby had it, who was 2 hours away) so I had no choice but to let it cool down and drive her home, about 4 miles.

My hubby came home and checked it out and said it was leaking from a "freeze plug." When I stuck my cell phone in there to take a picture of it, it looks like it has a "slit" in the center of it; but all the pictures I have seen of a freeze plug do not show a slit. It almost looks like a flathead screw slit.

What would cause a freeze plug to leak? Could it have been due to sitting for an hour in the heat with the AC running? Do some freeze plugs have a slit...or did my split?? If so, what could have caused it? I have not noted any smells prior to this...no smoke coming out of the tail pipe or anything like that, no rough driving of the vehicle...nothing! I find it to be too much of a coincidence that it happened the very next day after it sitting in the heat, running with the AC on for an hour or so. And again, until this happened, it was running just fine - even took it on a trip over an hour away the week prior.

We cannot afford to have someone come out right now (we usually call our mobile guy, but it's always 300 and up when he comes) - we just got hit by 2600 bucks for something else recently, so we just can't afford a mechanic. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!

And sorry for so much info. I'm trying to be as clear as possible as to not waste anyone's times going back and forth with questions.

Thank you so much,
Charlotte

 

Scratch the freeze plug...definitely not coming from there...or at least not the one we thought. Ugh! It appears to dribble out out as we pour the antifreeze in, but just can't tell where from!

 

ANOTHER UPDATE: We just put in Bar's Leaks 2 part formula cooling system repair stuff and the leaking stopped! We let the car sit for about 30 minutes running and it never overheated (it is rainy out today, so not so hot as it usually is). However, I turned the heater on (as suggested in a youtube video), and all of a sudden the radiator reservoir sprung a leak!! It got super hot, and I could see two tiny holes, side by side, spraying all over the engine, even after I turned the car off. So now I can actually drive my car without it overheating, but scared to death to turn the AC on due to what the heater did.

Any ideas?? Anyone, pleeeease?? I cannot live in Florida with little ones and no AC. TIA