Coolant leak driving me nuts

[Chicano_Z71]

So lately i have been smell coolant inside the cab thought it was the heater core. Its dry as it can be. Can it still be the heater core?Then one day i crawled under the truck to find this.

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But now its dry, this pic was taking on the driver side behind front bumper. Possibly radiator but when i bought the truck back in November previous owner said he put new radiator. So now idk where it could. Where are the common leaks for the truck?

 

[Ironhead]

First off, good thing it's not the heater core, which is tough and messy to replace.

Next, check the easy stuff first: water pump weep hole, bypass hose, then top and bottom rad hoses. Then, move on to thermostat housing, sensors that check coolant temp, and heater hoses, including the weird adaptor at the front top hose.

All this time, keep fingers crossed that it has nothing to do with the intake gasket.

 

[SAATR]

Rent a cooling system pressure tester and pressurize the system. While pressurized, inspect every nook and cranny until you locate the source of the leak.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[twomanymontes]

Just because the previous owner said it was a new radiator doesn't mean anything. Cheap radiators are just that cheap! I've put some in that lasted 3 months. Plus, when was it new? New in the last few months? Or new in the last year? AND you have no idea who actually did the work. There may be a loose clamp too.

Best thing to do is like previously mentioned, get a pressure tester [rent or purchase] and pressurize the system and start looking around the area above that bolt. And do it both cold and after it's been run a while. Plastic/aluminum radiator seams have a tendency to leak when hot but not cold.

Hope this helps

 

[sntrym]

There is a drain plug on the driver's side bottom of the radiator that could be the source. There is also upper radiator hose connection. I would check those first.

 

[kennythewelder]

A pressure test will make the leak show.

Rent a cooling system pressure tester and pressurize the system. While pressurized, inspect every nook and cranny until you locate the source of the leak.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk