About 2 months ago my vehicle was at 98,000 miles and was overheating; we replaced the thermostat, radiator cap, water pump and the original hoses looked fine. A few days later the vehicle was overheating again and it was later realized there was an internal leak of antifreeze (never a puddle on the ground) leaking into the head gaskets and the mixture caused them and the catalytic converters to be replaced. Fortunately 70% of that work was covered by the original warranty.

Fast forward to 2 days ago 2/15, my vehicle was at 104,000 miles and the vehicle says to get an oil change; so, I get an oil change and I am told the coolant reservoir is empty (I thought it odd because the vehicle wasn't running hot); but, I told them I would keep an eye on it. Today, 2/17 I check under the vehicle and fluid is dripping under my vehicle. I am thinking it's the steady run of water since I used the air conditioner (which is rare even though I live in Florida). So, I run another errand, parking away from other vehicles so that I can peak under the vehicle as needed, and its leaking antifreeze/coolant. I open the hood as slowly as possible and the coolant/antifreeze is pouring from under the radiator cap. So, I wait for it to cool down and tightened the cap (it was loose); but, also, check with my local Pep Boys, to confirm they have my cap so that I can replace it (peace of mind). I sit in the parking lot with the hood up to help the vehicle cool off, add coolant to just above the lowest range in the reservoir/radiator and then replace the cap and start the vehicle with the A/C blowing. The temperature stays in its normal range, there are no puddles on the ground, and the coolant is visibily due to excessive consumption. It runs for about 10 minutes with no issues. So, I make my way to errand number five for the day. Then the vehicle starts to run hot. I assume I may not have waited long enough but then check the radiator / reservoir and all of the coolant is gone. I am drawing a blank so I start to google and youtube possible issues. Possible issue: 1) fan is not kicking on 2) internal leak I can't see (but there isn't any white smoke from the exhaust when I take off) 3) the expansion valve within the overflow reservoir is stuck open allowing the constant flow of pressurized coolant to enter the reservoir where it turns to steam (not sure if this was repaired during repair #1 or repair #2 which took place the month of December; so, just 2 months ago, and 4) open up your coolant tank cap, rev your engine to 2500 rpm,
turn your heat all the way up and rev for a few. You’ll notice your coolant tank levels will go down... add more till the full when cold line.. squeeze your upper radiator hose a bit to squeeze more air out, 5) get the mechanic to confirm if they replaced the lower intake gasket heater hose or if it is leaking (an idea from another thread). The only reason I was unable to revisit the mechanic is because they were closed (after 5pm on Saturday when issue was realized) and tomorrow is Sunday; plus, Monday is President's Day so I am not sure they are open. I have read a lot of the forums and even found a response from a Dodge Cares representative from July 2011.A link to that thread is: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-j...erheating.html


Suggestions from the 2009 JC Service Manual:

Determine if any recent service has been performed on vehicle that may affect the cooling system. This may be:

• Engine adjustments (incorrect timing).......not applicable to me
• Slipping engine accessory drive belt(s)......not applicable to me
• Brakes (possibly dragging).......................not applicable to me
• Changed parts. Incorrect water pump or pump rotating in wrong direction due to belt not correctly routed.......will ask mechanic to review; if it's worked for 2.5 months; wouldn't I have had issues before now?
• Reconditioned radiator or cooling system refilling (possibly under filled or air trapped in system)....................will ask mechanic to review; but, if it's worked for 2.5 months....why the problem now?

Condition: TEMPERATURE GAUGE READS HIGH OR ENGINE COOLANT WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATES. COOLANT MAY OR MAY NOT BE LOST FROM SYSTEM.

Possible Cause(s):

Is temperature gauge (if equipped) reading correctly?................yes; on the way home it started to slowly rise and then it would fall; so it was "adjusting" to the temperature between highway and local driving
Is temperature warning lamp (if equipped) illuminating unnecessarily?.........no, the temp was steadily approaching the red section before the temp warning light illuminated
Low coolant level............................................. ......................................."maybe", I had added coolant before driving again; but, when I got home (21 minute/ 10 mile drive) all of the coolant was gone
Pressure cap not installed tightly. If cap is loose, boiling point of coolant will be lowered.............no, I twisted the cap until it wouldn't budge; just like my gas cap
Poor seals at pressure cap............................................... ................................................no , purchased a brand new radiator cap and when comparing the seal of the old to the new cap...the seal looked fine
Wrong pressure cap installed......................................... ................................................th e same cap the mechanic installed during repair #1 was the same cap I purchased from Pep Boys
2.4L Vehicles: Coolant level low in radiator, but not in coolant recovery container. This indicates the radiator is not drawing coolant from the coolant recovery container as the engine cools. As the engine cools, a vacuum is formed inside the cooling system. If the radiator cap seals are defective, or the cooling system has a leak, a vacuum cannot be formed..........................will review this scenario with mechanic to determine next steps
Freeze point of coolant not correct. Mixture ratio may be too rich.............................................. .................................................. ................no, purchase 50/50 mix from my local auto parts store; no additives added
Radiator or A/C condenser fins are dirty or clogged........................................... .................................................. ......................during repair #1 radiator was replaced;however, will review possible scenario with mechanic
Radiator core is plugged or corroded.......................................... .................................................. ............................during repair #1 radiator was replaced;however, will review possible scenario with mechanic
Fuel or ignition system problems.......................................... .................................................. ....................previous issue of bad fuel handled by mechanic last month; no issues since and had not recently purchased gas (but I'm getting low)
Dragging Brakes............................................ ...........................................no; we're all good there. it recently rained and my stopping power is not impacted
Bug screen or other aftermarket accessory is being used causing reduced air flow.................no aftermarket accessories installed; all factory parts (i really want to; but it would void my auto insurance coverage)
Thermostat partially or completely closed............................................ ........................it was replaced during repair #1; but, will review scenario with mecanic
Electric radiator fan not operating properly.......................................... ..............this was a possible concern for repair #1; but, it was not repaired. will review with mechanic; but, this doesn't explain where the coolant is going
Cylinder head gasket leaking........................................... ......................we replaced the engine; heaven help the mechanic if there is an issue 2 months after completion of the repair #2
Heater core leaking........................................... .....................I have no idea what this is; but, I will ask my mechanic about this possible scenario


My overall question is has anyone tried something other than the above and it fixed their vehicle?

Today 2/17 is Saturday; so, the engine will cool tonight and I will add coolant in the morning. I will crank it up and check for smoke and then place a timer and record on video to see the time it takes, idle, for the coolant to dissipate and any other clues as to what is happening under the hood.

If I have any updates, I will be sure to post them here for anyone seeking help with this model, newer, or older of this vehicle. Love the ride; hate I can't drive it safely.

 

**UPDATE**
(I was surprised to see so many views to my post; I hope this most recent update helps others with any related issues they are experiencing.)

The vehicle sat overnight (8+ hours) after we arrived home last night. There were no residue on the cloth placed under the vehicle or on the radiator cap. It is now 10 am EST in the morning; so, I added coolant filling it to the cold fill line and started the engine. I found an article from CarDirect with simple instructions on how to bleed a radiator. One of the easier steps is to push out any air that's trapped in the car's cooling system. So, after filling the reservoir to the top of the cold line (the reservoir was empty by the time I arrived home last night) and removed the radiator cap, I started the vehicle. After it had been running for 3 minutes I noticed that the coolant level was at 50% and still no leaks of fluid on the ground or bubbling of fluid through the top of the reservoir opening. This gave me the impression there were trapped air bubbles being pushed out and this exaggerated the amount of fluid that was actually in my vehicle and being used. So I waited until a full 5 minutes and slowly, very slowly, added more coolant. This technique would reduce the introduction of more air into the line while also preventing the progress of any additional air bubbles currently being pushed out.The temperature of the engine is slowly increasing so all good thus far. Based on the same CarsDirect article is would take 15-30 minutes for my vehicle to fully warm. Given the recent repairs to my vehicle I waited 15 minutes (and I never ran the heater as other articles suggested) the coolant level remained full and the vehicle reached its normal operating temperature. I will let it cool; it will probably take about 45 minutes, and start the process again. My goal is to determine if the coolant level changes; this confirms additional air bubbles need to be pushed out. If the coolant remains unchanged then we attempt a trip to the furthest gas station I can get to safely (driving about 30 minutes should be a decent test) and see if the vehicle starts to run hot. If it runs hot, we wait for it to cool, enjoy brunch, and try the test again. If it doesn't run hot, I get gas, make my way back to the house, and see how it goes. The success of this hour long test will ensure a stronger sense of confidence the issue is resolved.

If I had to do it all over again when the repair was completed and the vehicle did not overheat, the level of coolant was not checked again before I took it home. Another point to make it that once I took ownership of the vehilce I needed to continue keeping an eye on the coolant level after I picked it up. Given the confidence and thorough testing by the mechanic (he drove it more than 40 miles back and forth to his home) and the cost of the repair (Ei Caramba) I didn't think about it after a 1.5 months of decent driving.

I welcome your thought and suggestions. This above test was based on a fool-proof way to try and resolve the issue with my vehicle (air bubbles in the line was the first suggestion by my mechanic when this issue first reared its ugly head a few months ago) which just made sense to start with this solution. I will provide an update soon as it is now time to start a follow-up test and crank this puppy up!

 

**UPDATE**

The hour long test drive was successful for different reasons. The vehicle did not overheat; however, it did consume half of the coolant which was in the reservoir during the first part of the journey to the gas station. On the way from the gas station I turned on the heat, while stopping by a McDonald's on the way home, and the level of coolant didn't reduce further. So, I'll let it cool off, add more coolant and turn it on without the radiator cap, ultimately starting from where I started this morning. I failed to share in my previous updates that the radiator has already been flushed during a previous repair and the next flush is scheduled to take place in a few months. In the same CarsDirect article, use of the heater is recommended when flushing the radiator and then re-filling the coolant as needed. However, in this case, if coolant continues to be used excessively; coolant is either leaking internally (an external leak would mean puddles on the ground, etc.) or coolant upon conversion to steam is leaking through the radiator cap or hose. I have enough coolant to get us around on this President's Day weekend; however, my greater concern is if I am causing further damage to the vehicle during these efforts of troubleshooting.

Again, I welcome any advice anyone has to share. This post has turned more into a blog; at the same time, hoses look good after the hour test and the radiator cap isn't showing the coolant is not leaking, best as I can tell.

 

*FINAL UPDATE*

Issue resolved. I went on a drive of about 40 miles one way (80 round-trip) and not only did the vehicle not go hot the level of the coolant didn't change. So, it appears it was air bubbles. I'll keep an eye on the the levels during my normal weekly commute and keep a container of coolant on hand. I went through almost 2 bottles of coolant (the large containers) to trouble shoot this issue without causing any additional issues to my vehicle. There was a spot of coolant on the ground; but, I was sloppy with pouring the coolant earlier today. Very happy and ready to enjoy President's Day (with sleep....lots and lots of sleep).

LMBO; stay safe out there everyone.