2003 Chrysler 300 anti freeze loss

BILLYMAGOO

MEMBER
2003 CHRYSLER 300
6 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
50,000 MILES

For the past year I am adding anti-freeze often to my coolant recovery tank, a splash here and there. If I let it go a while it takes a cup. No coolant in oil or trans don't smell anything and have been under it and no leaks anywhere. No odor from exhaust. Have a new recovery tank and radiator, year old

update 1-12-09
If it was from the water pump wouldn't I see coolant somewhere. When I let the coolant drop I lost a cup or more and my heat at idle in gear was no as hot as usual, put it in neutral brought up the rpm's and it blew hot. When I got home I let it cool down and brought up the coolant level, the heat was fine. Could it possibly be the recovery tank cap?

2 Replies

JAMES W.

MECHANIC
2,394 POSTS

A cup every now and then wouldn't be cause for alarm. My first thought is an evaporating leak from the water pump, not saying that is the cause. What would happen if you didn't top off the coolant and just kept an eye on it for a while. Some vehicles seek their own level and that's where they stay. Please advise.

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Saturday, January 10th, 2009 AT 4:00 PM

JAMES W.

MECHANIC
2,394 POSTS

If you were losing coolant out the cap on the reservoir it should be evident. It sounds like your heater core may be air locked, but this doesn't explain the coolant loss. Are you getting any kind of a film on the inside of the windshield? I would have the cooling system pressure tested to try an find the leak. Also, there is a test to detect exhaust gasses in the coolant. You may want to consider this. The coolant has to be going somewhere, we just have to determine where. A compression leak into the cooling system could airlock the heater core.

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Monday, January 12th, 2009 AT 8:02 PM