Hi - I'm trying to determine the cause of a coolant leak.....there are about 3 areas under my 99' Dakota where I see coolant on the ground...one is near the oil drain plug....the entire right-hand side (passenger side of truck) of the oil pan is wet w/ coolant, a large area of the engine block (to the right of the oil filter) is wet w/ coolant.....I just see green everywhere! I'm having a difficult time finding the source - it just appears to be all over - any ideas/recommendations?!?!? Thanks!

 

check the lower hose on the passenger side and make sure its not leaking. check the weep hole on the water pump, it should be dry, if not, you found your leak. I'd suspect a hose 1st since the way you make it sound, is most likely more coolant than what the weep hole will put out.

 

Thanks! I'm not that knowledgeable about this stuff (terminology, etc), so I'll try to keep this as short as possible and explain what I've done the best I can: I checked a hose running (on the passenger side) from the lower part of the radiator and up close to where I assume the water pump is....the upper part of the hose was wet.....the liquid was brown, but it's hard to tell if it's really green, but just mixed w/ dirt, etc.....I did see green just below where the hose is, close to where the dip stick tube enters the engine block I believe? Anyway, it appears that maybe the upper part of that hose is leaking, OR the water pump is going as you stated.....does this sound like I'm on the right track? Can I access the water pump from above the engine to check out the weep hole, or do I have to take off the fan, etc???

 

the weep hole is below the water pump shaft, if you can get your hand in there you may be able to check for leakage. if you see brown stuff that is not good. if you do any work on your cooling system make sure you flush the system with tap water until it comes out clear. each time you do it you'll have to heat up the motor to opperating temp to make sure the t-stat opens. flush drain re-fill, repeat until you have clean water coming out. If you have any brown stuff coming out, go get a bottle of prestone flush and follow their directions. once you've flushed that out and have clean water coming out, then get distilled water and the 5 year coolant and refill 50/50 or to whatever you need for where you live.

 

Awesome.....I'll try that! I just got back from Autozone.....bought a new water pump, sealant, etc. I'll probably start on this project tomorrow morning when I have more time.......I'll post my results on here when I'm done.
p.s. - I see you're in Elk Grove......I live in Sacramento - I would need 50/50 for this area correct?

 

yup 50/50 is what I use. but are you sure the pump needs replacing?

 

....I think so.....using a flashlight helped me to see that there is coolant caked onto the front of the water pump.....also, a couple of the areas on the ground are immediately below where the water pump is located.....

 

yup, that sounds like the pump is going bad...

 

....well, I've given up.....I can't figure out how to detach the fan w/o keeping the water pump from rotating.....there's a covering over the water pump which is preventing me from locking it in place w/ a crowbar or other tool....besides, I detached the shroudit, but it won't pull out b/c the fan is in the way - frustrating!

Anyway - thanks for your assistance.....I've taken it to the dealer to have it repaired.

 

sorry it didnt work out for you. happy to help though.