Hi! I've had my 2008 Avenger SXT 2.0 CRD (Diesel) for a few months now and I've seen that there is a hose that is capped off and hanging freely. There is a bolt screwed into it and the plastic t-junction where it should connect to has a screw in it. On a 300 mile trip I noticed that Coolant was being lost from the hose with the bolt screwed in and the coolant expansion tank was almost empty. It doesn't seem to lose coolant on short trips. I've being trying to research this without any look. I have a few questions, and any bit of information is welcome and appreciated!

What is the hose for?
Why would someone cap it off like that?
Is it ok to drive like this until I fix it (apart from the loss of coolant)?

Thanks!

 

I was unable to view your photos, but I doubt that these should be blocked off. I have never seen one of these with a diesel engine, so I'm not familiar with the layout on these.