I have a 2002 Intrepid SE - it's leaking coolant from around the thermostat housing that the lower radiator hose hooks to. I wrestled that thing for what seemed like forever, replaced the gasket and put some Red Gasket sealant all over the flange and bolted it back on. Hooked the hoses all back up and clamped them. Refilled the coolant, fired the engine up. Ran fine until the engine collant pressure came up, then the coolant started leaking near the thermostat housing again. The coolant may have frozen during the cold winter we had last winter and the car overheated once.... there is no white smoke signifying a head gasket problem. Where are the FREEZE PLUGS on a 2.7L V-6? That has to be the next thing.....I want to keep the car, it has high mileage, but runs like a top if I can keep the damn coolant in it.....any thoughts?

 

I don't know if yours is the same (or similar) to the V6 in the Caravan... but look for other hoses. I had an odd leak in my van. It had a tiny bypass hose in that area. That hose (on mine) had the smallest pinhole in it and it'd only leak after the engine had been shut off... when it'd shoot a stream of water out.

I discovered it by accident... popped the hood open when Mar returned home after a freeway trip... and no leaks. She shut it down, and I was closing the hood, when it nearly squirted me in the face. <g>

 

There is a pin hole next to the thermostat housing that will leak out coolant when your water pump goes out. Be sure and check that.

 

That pinhole must be where it's leaking from then.....My water pump is ok, but when the antifreeze froze last winter that would make the engine think it was bad.....must be some type of pressure relief hole to keep from blowing the head gaskets. Can ya plug the pinhole up?

 

No you can't plug up the hole.The reason it is there is to tell you the water pump is going out.