Hoping somebody can help me out. I have an 06 ram 5.7 hemi 4x4. I walked out to my truck this morning to find a puddle under it. After looking around, to the best of my understanding the hose connected to what I believe to be the heater core nipple sticking out of the firewall is missing. The whole hose is gone, and the clamps that were holding it around the moter look good, so I'm not sure about that whole thing. Anyway, I turned the heater on and sure enough water started pouring out of the nipple where i believe a hose used to be. My question is, wheres the other end? I looked everywhere and couldn't find where the other end of the hose should go. Anybody with any ideas? I didn't see any lose hoses and I looked all around the radiator where I assumed it would go. Truck runs fine without the heater on, barly even drips the coolent. I filled it up before I took off this morning and it held the coolent level on my 5 min trip. Anyway, thanks in advance, and I'm at work but can post pictures when I get home if its helpful.

-Bryan

 

ya need pics...sounds like a sabatoge

 

They both run up the side of the engine together. Not sure what you are asking here. There are to the left of the EGR pipe that is insulated;

 

My guess is that it popped/broke off and you just began to notice because you haven't used your heat? Have you noticed your temp guage rise at all? Maybe you pulled on one of the lines and didn't realize it?

 

Maybe I'm just dumb. Thanks for the pic lx. If you look at that little nipple on the left hand side sticking through the firewall above what I now assume to be the supply and return from the heater core, thats what was leaking. Is that just a condensate drain? I've never noticed it leaking before. It didn't feel like water, but didn't feel like oil either. Also, if you follow the other two hoses back, there seems to be a third spot for a third hose on the hose clam supports. Thats why I assumed I lost a hose. Lots of assuming on my part, always gets you into trouble haha.

So things I do know:

I never noticed a visible puddle under the front of the truck before.
With the truck off about a half hour after I got home, it was still dripping about a drop every 10-15 seconds.
With the truck on, once the heater was turned on the drip turned to a steady stream, and slowed to a drip again with the heater off.
Temp gauge seems to be normal.
Coolant levels seem to be holding.

So I didn't lose a hose, but could this be the start of a larger problem?

Thanks again.

-Bryan

 

Sounds like condensation to me, accept for the steady stream part, but hard to tell since I can see it. I'd just taste it, it won't kill you and it'll narrow things down a bit and let you know what system to start checking. What's the weather like where you are?

 

I agree with Hoss356.
Give the liquid a taste.
If it's intollerably sweet.......it's coolant.
Al.

 

It's sweet, and I figured as much it's coolant.

 

Hmmmmm..............go lookin' for a hanging hose???
As someone said, it mighta' popped off?
Al.

 

There are none, and i believe it to now be a condensate drain. Just trying to figure out what a steady stream of coolant from a drain might mean.