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HELP! Antifreeze Alert

Blackash132

NAXJA Forum User
Location
St. Louis, MO
Just bought a 97' XJ and it's nice to own one again. I drove to the gym and back (1/2 a mile away and then home an hour or so later) this morning I went outside to drive to work and under the Jeep was a huge puddle of Antifreeze. Since it's not my daily driver till this weekend(we're selling the wifes Eclipse Friday) I didn't drive it to work. Anyway I ran it tonight to try and duplicate the problem.
The antifreeze is coming from the bottom left corner at the radiator. (looking at the jeep head on). I can't find a hole or crack because I can't get my hand in there. but that's where it's coming from. all the hoses are fine, the cap is dry, overflow bottle is at the "fill" line. but it's leakin like mother from that spot then drooling down the unibody and on the ground.
Do I need a new radiator???? if so what's that going to set me back. I got a Jeep again to save money and not have a car payment any longer...
 
im not sure on the newer ones but the dran plug is on the passengers side on my 88. the only way that I could get to it is either to lay down and pull the rubber flap that runs from the bumper to the sway bar or to pull the grille. you may want to take a flask light and shine it through the grille on that side to see if you might spot the leak. the grille should come out fairly easliy if the drain plug is leaking. you can also buy replacment plugs from the parts house for cheap. hope this helps.
 
POS plastic end caps on the radiator. It could be other things of course, but on my 98 XJ I replaced radiator, freeze plugs, lower hose, upper hose and water pump 3 times.

Oh! Get you a black light and shine it under there, it will make the antifreeze fluoresce and you should be able to see better where it is coming from.
 
im having the same problem with my 89 that i just bought for me its the upper radiator hose and the ac condenser lines...but my radiator seems to be really coroded so im gonna see if thats the problem after i replace the hoses and what not...
 
That happened to me, it was the drain plug. I had been driving for awhile and it evidently built up pressure, the plug blew out after I had shut the Jeep off and had gone inside. I noticed it when I came back out.
Now the problem wasn't the plug itself it was my cooling system had gotten stopped up to the point of building up to much pressure. I replaced the radiator, hoses and thermostat. And had a real pain of a time getting the system to burp enough to keep it from running hot. Finally got all the air out, and haven't had a problem since. That was about 1.5 years ago. If you take out the grill off it's easier to get to the plug.
 
gigage said:
That happened to me, it was the drain plug. I had been driving for awhile and it evidently built up pressure, the plug blew out after I had shut the Jeep off and had gone inside. I noticed it when I came back out.
Now the problem wasn't the plug itself it was my cooling system had gotten stopped up to the point of building up to much pressure. I replaced the radiator, hoses and thermostat. And had a real pain of a time getting the system to burp enough to keep it from running hot. Finally got all the air out, and haven't had a problem since. That was about 1.5 years ago. If you take out the grill off it's easier to get to the plug.

The pressure cap should have released first before the plug blew, they do go bad but usually they won't hold any pressure when they do.
 
either way id pull out the radiator and check it out before buying a new one

ive pulled mine out a few times its fairly quick
 
Last edited:
+1 radiator.

This EXACT thing happend to me 2 weeks ago, since then I ordered the CSF radiator from DPG Offroad. I took it to the mechanic he kept my jeep for 1week and told me the new radiator was broken from shipping. So anyway, DPG sent me a new one (thanks) but I'm guna put it in tomorrow myself to save some fees.

Anyway, its most likely the POS plastic radiator.
 
Just spent the day replacing the water pump, radiator, thermostat, and all the hoses after finding a leak yesterday. Both lower corners of the radiator were badly corroded to the point there were holes large enough to put my fingers through. The fins were gone and it finally sprung a leak in one of the tubes.

At least I know the system as a whole is in good working order....no more guessing.

Chris
 
Ok so after just flushing the radiator (used a combo of Prestone cleaner then the whole flush with the prestone flush n fill kit) filled it up ran it. didn't see any leaks. maybe the draincock wasn't tight enough. we'll find out when I actually drive it for a while. fingers crossed. (at least it's clean i had about an inch of dirt/grime/sludge in the overflow).
 
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