XJ Coolant loss

My '01 XJ has gone through 2 gallons of coolant this past 6-7 months. Has anyone experienced this? I have found no leakage under or on the vehicle. I have not smelled any coolant in the vent system. This Cherokee only has 24K and hasn't seen the inside of the dealership since new. I had run the A/C quite a lot this summer and could reason the loss to it,1 gal added in Sept., but a 2nd gal loss just doesn't sit with me and I plan on taking it the dealer tomorrow morning. I requested a leakdown test on the cylinders and pressure test on the coolant system.

I also checked the Alldata site and the NTSC sites for tsb's and recalls... nothing.

Brian

Reply to
bulletsnbrains
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Reply to
L.W.(ßill)

Hey L.W.,

I did Friday, only because I was filling it from being extremely low again. If you're thinking overflowing out of the reservoir bottle?, I kind of doubt it, since the rad was empty quite a bit and it sucked the excess into the rad on cooldown. Usually I pull the cap off the radiator an top off as much as I can, then add to the(empty) bottle between the hot/cold mark. Just went out now and checked the rad and bottle again. The bottle is 1/2 way between the hot and cold, the rad is plumb full(Cold). In 2-3 months. I would need to add another gallon again.

Brian

Reply to
bulletsnbrains

May relate I dunno ... my subaru was doing just that. I could see no leakage, no steaming, no nothing ... but the coolant level was going down. The problem turned out to be a pinhole size hole in the upper rad hose ... not only in the upper hose, but staring me right in the face ... and as I said, no steaming, not noticeable at all.

Reply to
bowgus

Do you have a block heater? Last winter I found that my block heater had failed (it was leaking where the electrical plug attached) and would leak mostly when it was being driven. I didn't notice anything on the ground either.

I'd suspect that the pressure test on the cooling system will be extremely helpfull... :)

-John

Reply to
John Sevey

Hoses are dry on the surface, no oily film that I would think be left with coolant seepage. The vehicle was newly purchased in Aug '01, vehicle manufactured in Mar '01. Seems too new to have bad hoses already?!?

Brian

Reply to
bulletsnbrains

Sorry, no block heater.

Brian

Reply to
bulletsnbrains

Also do the pressure test hot with the vehicle running (install the pressure tester before you get the vehicle warmed up, for safety purposes). I had a phantom coolant leak a few years ago that was driving me nuts. It ended up being a pin hole in a heater hose, but it would only leak after the truck reached operating temperature and the system had to be under pressure.

Chris

Reply to
c
C

Thanks for the tip, will be taking it in shortly.

Brian

Reply to
bulletsnbrains

Well, I could not see any indication of leakage either ... and that is what was so surprising.

Reply to
bowgus

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