Our 2008 Grand Caravan started to smell of evaporating coolant after a long drive of over an hour. Shorter drives didn't seem to matter, but when we stopped at backed-up intersections so the car had to idle, we would get steaming, but I couldn't get out to check it so drove on to destination and checked everything - smell but no leak. Coolant would get low after a few of these, but it wouldn't do this every time we made this trip. I finally put some stop-leak into the radiator. That seemed to work for awhile, but in short order it was doing this again. Now, however, there was a brown stain forming on the metal shield over the crossover exhaust pipe. I felt underneath of the water inlet housing where it connects to the engine and found a small drop of coolant. I pulled off the radiator hose and the water inlet housing to find the thermostat. The water inlet housing is made of thermoplastic with metal inserts for the bolts. The thermostat has a rubber gasket - the gasket was "blown" out (shredded - completely separated). The new thermostat came with the rubber gasket, but the gasket has a square appendage on it that has no place to go in the inlet housing, in fact, it makes the gasket not fit too well. I aligned it with the mark on the housing that puts the thermostat's vent at the top. After reassembling and refilling, I test drove successfully and since then the leak has been stopped. This type of thermostat gasket does not look much like a winner.

 

I'm suffering something very similar but no overheating yet as it just started. This is the best explanation I've found so far and I've seen a tiny drip at the bottom of the 'Y'.

http://www.justanswer.com/dodge/41zu...oming-off.html

 

the 'plastic' Y just above the exhaust manifold leaks when it gets hot and the manifold hides the evidence! cant wait for everyone to complain so dodge will give me my money back for an expensive but easy fix!

 

I'm suffering something very similar but no overheating yet as it just started. This is the best explanation I've found so far and I've seen a tiny drip at the bottom of the 'Y'.

http://www.justanswer.com/dodge/41zu...oming-off.html

 

Welcome to DF
Do you know if the van is still covered under warranty? If it is, I would have the dealer fix it.

 

No it is not under warranty I purchased it used.

I can not get the house off it is like they are glued.

I found a universal T connector I just can not get the rubber tubing off.

 

have the same problem, however, the leak is much more severe. I can't get a hose clamp around the connection to reinforce, they are touching. The leak is coming from the lower connection that goes into the firewall, driver side. How do I disengage the hose from the valve? I've read that it is a quick connect fitting, though tugging on it doesn't remove it.... How do I get this hose off?

Thanks for your help!

 

I have the same problem. I've read all the same stuff about quick disconnect. The biotin line is you need to cut them off and buy all new hoses. I've been searching for weeks for the Y connector and new hoses. The only thing I've found was the inlet and outlet hoses that run 85.00.

 

from what I've seen, the two hoses are held together at the end of the connection to the diverter valve.... how do i remove the connection? been messing with this for a while now and don't what to spent $120 for new dealer part... any help would be appreciated...

 

You can only buy the hoses and tube together. There is no way around it. I have already tried.