Weird Coolant Leak
#21
07-17-2011, 01:19 AM
#22
07-28-2011, 12:01 PM
Same issue here, Ron my car and your car must have the same mother, seems the same issues are perfectly timed, too bad you don't live in south florida. I found that coolant tank yesterday after trying to trace the puddle of coolant back from the inside of my bumper. There is a lower portion of the bumper (underside) that unscrews to give you access. When I seen the tank I unscrewed this portion to gain access. Sure enough it was dripping right off the end of that tank (I didn't know it existed either). Thats as far as I got without jacking it up and taking anything else apart yet. FYI, my car is doing this without a thermostat in it! As a matter of fact Advanced auto just called to tell me its here ($22). My thoughts are that maybe I need a new radiator cap. Just have to find where to get a new one and give that a shot before ripping the whole car apart.
#23
07-28-2011, 12:46 PM
It sure sounds like a radiator cap. The spring in the cap is starting to fail and hold pressure. Therefore the coolant takes the path of least resistance and that happens to be to the expansion tank in front of the left wheelwell. The expansion tank overflows and now you have your puddle. A new cap should fix your problem.
#24
07-28-2011, 01:23 PM
Hmmm... weird I thought I posted an update to this...
My issue seems to have been the lines going into the top of the expansion tank (the one with the cap) were not connected correctly. Basically to 2 hard plastic lines that go to the top of the radiator and the one that goes to the "recovery" tank were NOT "crossed". i.e. they were not connected correctly....
When you look at it the lines should be crossed over each other.
I guess in my adventures of working on it I disconnected both of the lines and then I just reconnected them in the most logical manner.... that was a mistake :-)
My issue seems to have been the lines going into the top of the expansion tank (the one with the cap) were not connected correctly. Basically to 2 hard plastic lines that go to the top of the radiator and the one that goes to the "recovery" tank were NOT "crossed". i.e. they were not connected correctly....
When you look at it the lines should be crossed over each other.
I guess in my adventures of working on it I disconnected both of the lines and then I just reconnected them in the most logical manner.... that was a mistake :-)
Last edited by ronmexico; 07-28-2011 at 01:45 PM.
#25
07-29-2011, 10:35 AM
Junior Member
The 'atmospheric catchment tank' (as it is called) has a round hole in the side of it a few inches from the bottom to keep the level from becoming too high. If the coolant cap is faulty or the engine is actually running hot then the tank will overfill and dump coolant on the ground. The black plastic 'overflow' hose from the coolant reservoir must be inserted into the catchment tank deep enough for the fluid to be drawn back in when the engine cools enough and a slight vacuum is formed. If the black tube is pulled from the tank you will 'suck air' and the system will be low!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Make sure the hose is pushed in far enough and the cap is operating properly.
You might replace the cap anyway as cheap insurance.
When ever I top up an XJ8 cooling system I always fill it to the top, place my palm over the top of the reservoir and squeeze one of the radiator hoses to displace some coolant into the catchment tank in case it is low. If some spills on the floor then I know it is FULL.
bob gauff
Make sure the hose is pushed in far enough and the cap is operating properly.
You might replace the cap anyway as cheap insurance.
When ever I top up an XJ8 cooling system I always fill it to the top, place my palm over the top of the reservoir and squeeze one of the radiator hoses to displace some coolant into the catchment tank in case it is low. If some spills on the floor then I know it is FULL.
bob gauff
#26
07-29-2011, 10:39 AM
Junior Member
jag 01 xk8
I so need help I had my 01xk8 in the shop they replaced thermostat and housing now when i stop my car i hear gurgling or boiling and antifreeze all on my driveway however coolant reservoir is full???? I'm unsure where these hoses go that are on my coolant reservoir the front one is going directly to radiator, the second however is going nowhere just hanging loosely with no clamps and i mean just hanging down by motor i cannot locate the recovery tank. As standing in front of my car I saw the mechanic with a hose putting something in what he called a recovery tank which was behind i thought the passenger wheel well I'm so confused
#27
07-29-2011, 12:10 PM
T-Stat
I had the same prob, with my Jag. It would build up temp and would shut it out underneigth the front driver side. and the Temp. was always at the middle between hot and cold. I figured out that I had no T-stat. Sure enough I didn't. Solved the prob by changing T-stat housing and T-Stat for $72.00
#28
07-29-2011, 12:12 PM
My 2003 XJ8 has the same problem. Bubbling coolant, leaking out of expansion tank. Could this be a water pump or something minor? And if it was a radiator cap how would I be able to tell? I will also check to make sure the hose is in the tank deep enough. Is your guys worse when the ac is on? mine is.
Thank you
Thank you
#29
07-29-2011, 02:13 PM
#30
07-29-2011, 02:53 PM
Veteran Member
My 2003 XJ8 has the same problem. Bubbling coolant, leaking out of expansion tank. Could this be a water pump or something minor? And if it was a radiator cap how would I be able to tell? I will also check to make sure the hose is in the tank deep enough. Is your guys worse when the ac is on? mine is.
Thank you
Thank you
#31
07-29-2011, 05:12 PM
yes i believe so. the ac and heater works too. I just looked at the reservoir on top <the black one with the hoses> and they aren't criss-crossed. I am hoping that will fix it. One hose looks like it needs to be replaced too because it looks like it broke in the middle and the last guy just rammed each end into a slightly bigger, rubber hose and clamped it off... Should the RH side of the reservoir connect to the overflow tank, and the LH side connect to the top of the radiator? Because mine is hooked up the exact opposite 
. How do you unhook the hoses? It looks like it may just spin off but im sure theres a trick to it. Thanks
. How do you unhook the hoses? It looks like it may just spin off but im sure theres a trick to it. Thanks
#33
07-29-2011, 06:18 PM
I had the same prob, with my Jag. It would build up temp and would shut it out underneigth the front driver side. and the Temp. was always at the middle between hot and cold. I figured out that I had no T-stat. Sure enough I didn't. Solved the prob by changing T-stat housing and T-Stat for $72.00
I don't see how not having a thermostat would cause this issue, can you explain a little more? I've driven cars w/o thermostats and as far as I know that simply means the car takes longer to warm up and that the coolant is constantly circulating (so why would it be boiling?). You may be right, I'm just trying to understand how it could be so.
#35
07-30-2011, 11:30 AM
Well my theory is if it does not have a T-STAT the temp will always get hotter as you drive the car. Cause the T-STAT blocks the water in the radiator and cools until the water in the engine reaches its proper temp. Which depends on the T-Stat degrees you have . Mine is 170 now. Anyways. The water from the radiator them seeps into the block with cool water and the hot one goes to the radiator and cools down.. If you have no T-Stat the temp will never drop and if you are stuck in traffick it just gets hotter and hotter.
PS: But I still had the recovery tank overflowing. So I am going to get a new resevoir cap. I seems to have a spring loaded thermostat as well on the rad. Cap.
PS: But I still had the recovery tank overflowing. So I am going to get a new resevoir cap. I seems to have a spring loaded thermostat as well on the rad. Cap.
#36
07-30-2011, 04:04 PM
Well my theory is if it does not have a T-STAT the temp will always get hotter as you drive the car. Cause the T-STAT blocks the water in the radiator and cools until the water in the engine reaches its proper temp. Which depends on the T-Stat degrees you have . Mine is 170 now. Anyways. The water from the radiator them seeps into the block with cool water and the hot one goes to the radiator and cools down.. If you have no T-Stat the temp will never drop and if you are stuck in traffick it just gets hotter and hotter.
PS: But I still had the recovery tank overflowing. So I am going to get a new resevoir cap. I seems to have a spring loaded thermostat as well on the rad. Cap.
PS: But I still had the recovery tank overflowing. So I am going to get a new resevoir cap. I seems to have a spring loaded thermostat as well on the rad. Cap.
#37
07-31-2011, 09:12 AM
I just ordered a new cap for less than $10 including shipping (I also live in south florida), from Rockauto.com.
#38
09-08-2011, 11:13 AM
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I have my car in the shop for this same issue. It periodicaly dumps coolant from the front left - forward of the front wheel after driving and them parking.
While I have not seen it happen, I can believe coolant in the recovery tank could be boiling. I am no scientist but if I remember, the coolant in the system is under pressure which raises it's boiling point. If that same coolant were to move into the secondary tank (un-pressurized) at the same temp as it was when under pressure ... it may start to boil.
Just my two cents.
Joe
98 VDP
While I have not seen it happen, I can believe coolant in the recovery tank could be boiling. I am no scientist but if I remember, the coolant in the system is under pressure which raises it's boiling point. If that same coolant were to move into the secondary tank (un-pressurized) at the same temp as it was when under pressure ... it may start to boil.
Just my two cents.
Joe
98 VDP
#40
09-08-2011, 09:51 PM
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I had then same problem and it turned out to be crisscrossed lines off the header tank that the mechanic actually put back incorrectly. The scary part is how much coolant needs to be added once you put them back in the correct position. From what I could tell the engine is dumping coolant into the expansion tank and it leaks out once it gets to a certain level. The coolant light comes on and in my case it eventually went into limp mode.