Hi Everyone
I have a 2001 dodge stratus the water in the radiatior keeps going somewhere but i can't find where it is going, so when it gets low of water it runs hot. i have parked ot on card board to see if i could find a leak, but did'nt see water on it. Can someone PLEASE HELP ME.
Thanks, Polly

 

Does it only leak at curtain times or is it a consistent leak (same amount of time for radiator to run out of fluid). Also when you say "water" do mean regular water or radiator fluid?

 

I had that problem with an 01 Stratus SE I had last year. Messed with it, flushed the radiator, replaced thermostat and gasket, still same problem. Found out that the radiator cap was an aftermarket. It seemed to fit real well but it was leaking into the canister and then overflowing out of the canister when I was driving. I found you have to use the Mitsubishi radiator cap if you want a solid seal. Think about it.

 

Could also be a head gasket. That is what happened to mine. Or a water pump - check that out. That seems to go out a lot on dodge. My parents just had theirs replaced on their 2001 caravan this past week. Man, gotta love those dodges!

 

Is there antifreeze in the oil? Does the oil in the crankcase look 'milky'? If so, thats a sign of a bad head gasket. Antifreeze gets into the engine block and doesnt fully circulate through the system. If not, you most likely have a faulty thermostat, which is simple(usually) to replace.

 

I had the exact same problem with my 02 Stratus. Turns out it was the thermostat HOUSING that was the problem. It took a while for the leakto get really bad. In fact, I think when it would get low, I just kept adding more coolant for almost a year, but eventually it blew. You can only get the housing from the dealer and it was around $115.00. As far as changing it, it took my fiance all of 15 minutes. It's right on top so it wasn't a major project. Hope this helps.