97 intrepied coolant leak

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IckyBob - 29 Mar 2007 11:30 GMT

Good day all,

Just looking for some suggestions on where to start looking here. I have a
97 Intrepid with 140,000km. Recently I have started going through some
coolant. Not horrible amounts, maybe a litre every 2 weeks(ish) depending
on how much driving we do.

No puddles anywhere.
I've checked the other fluids, and it's not going there.
Heater is still putting out lots of heat.

Thanks in advance,

Mike

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kmatheson@sisna.com - 29 Mar 2007 16:53 GMT

> Good day all,
>
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>
> Mike

What engine does your Intrepid have?

When you say that you have checked the other fluids, I assume that the
engine oil looks okay, with no signs of coolant contamination.

-KM

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IckyBob - 29 Mar 2007 21:10 GMT

>> Good day all,
>>
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>
> -KM

It has teh 3.3L engine.

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Mike - 29 Mar 2007 17:52 GMT

> Good day all,
>
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Mike

Look at the bottom of the water pump and engine for traces of dried
coolant. You can have a small leak that won't leave a spot on the ground but
will still leave a bit of color from the coolant.

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Steve - 30 Mar 2007 15:18 GMT

> Good day all,
>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> Mike

That's a fairly good amount of coolant loss, IMO. I agree with the other
poster who suggested looking at the underside to try to find coolant
residue. Regardless of whether you have the 3.3 or 3.5, head gasket
problems are VERY unilikely (almost nonexistent with the 3.3 in fact),
so focus on the water pump area and all the hose connections. The other
possibilities are the heater core, and believe it or not a bad radiator
pressure cap. The bad cap allows vapor to steadily escape as the coolant
slowly boils away in the engine, and it doesn't usually leave a trace.

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