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11-09-2012, 09:59 AM
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Buy a Ford
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 185
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98, 4.0 4x4 coolant leak? or I'm losing my mind..
I've checked numerous threads and I'm just stumped.. I have roughly 177k on the odo and the truck was very well maintained by the previous owner (oil is still clean even after 5k miles) and I maintain it about equal.. I drive it 95% of the time in the summer/spring/fall, 100% in the winter. A couple of weeks ago, I drove my other car for a few days since it was nice and when I parked it and went to get in my truck I noticed a very small puddle/drip area under the truck.. interesting, checked the coolant in the rad and it was fine, checked the over flow tank and it was low but not empty. got under the truck and couldn't tell if there was a leak coming from anywhere, there are no visible drips or anything.. drove the truck another couple of days and no leaks.. filled the tank back up about halfway or the seam line for ease of detecting lost coolant and nothing.. no drips, no little pools nothing.. Parked the truck for ONE DAY, drove my other car and boom sure enough there was a spot.. I checked the hoses, the water pump, the t-stat housing and they are all dry. Checked the tank again, no coolant loss at all.. I bought a water pump just in case, but if it's not that, I'm not digging into the engine if I don't have to.. where else do these trucks leak from that maybe I missed? Mind you, there is never any spots unless the truck sits for around 24 hours.. I'm going to pressurize the system this weekend, but I doubt that will work since it doesn't leak when I've been driving for any length of time.. There is not coolant smell, unless your face is in the engine bay, and it's very faint at that.. It's driving me NUTS!! where else can i check for leaks!? Let me add, the t-stat, radiator and hoses are new, and I even snugged the clamps down a little more just in case.
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11-09-2012, 10:49 AM
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potential sarcasm poster
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,464
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You are sure its a coolant puddle and not a oil or transmission fluid puddle?
--1993 ford ranger ext cab 3.0 v6--
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1993 ford ranger 3.0 v6
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11-09-2012, 11:37 AM
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Found a Diesel
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 10,692
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stinkbaitj
You are sure its a coolant puddle and not a oil or transmission fluid puddle?
--1993 ford ranger ext cab 3.0 v6--
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Or water?
sent from my IPod using the FRF app
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11-09-2012, 04:35 PM
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Ford Tough
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 310
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Re: 98, 4.0 4x4 coolant leak? or I'm losing my mind..
Pressure check it and then tell us where you found it. Ranger with that many miles could have coolant leaking from anywhere.
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1998 Ranger Supercab 4.0L, Medium Metallic XLT, auto, painted valve covers (10 HP), 30x9.5/15.
2008 Mustang GT, stroked 5.0 3v, RGR cams, R2300 S/C, suspension, Kooks LTs w/HF cats GT500 TB, Flowmaster cat-back exhaust, GT500 fuel pump setup.
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11-09-2012, 04:41 PM
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Ban Survivor. (x2)
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 6,764
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Re: 98, 4.0 4x4 coolant leak? or I'm losing my mind..
You need to determine 100% what the fluid is. There can be leaks from everywhere. Trans cooler (aux or radiator ones), it can be leaking oil or coolant anywhere around the timing cover to the oil pan, water pump areas, etc.
The radiator end caps are plastic, could be a hairline crack somewhere......
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11-09-2012, 04:51 PM
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Blinded by the light
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,674
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Re: 98, 4.0 4x4 coolant leak? or I'm losing my mind..
Ya you haven't said why you think it's coolant. All you said was a wet spot. There's like 6 different fluids that could drip down there.
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11-09-2012, 10:35 PM
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Buy a Ford
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 185
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Re: 98, 4.0 4x4 coolant leak? or I'm losing my mind..
it's coolant, I've been tinkering with cars long enough to know that green is coolant. Like I said, it only does it when the truck sits for a day or two.. The radiator, Hoses, and t-stat are brand new, and it's dry around all of them.. but I'll pressure check it and see if it springs a leak someplace.
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11-10-2012, 12:31 AM
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Ford Tough
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 260
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Re: 98, 4.0 4x4 coolant leak? or I'm losing my mind..
Hi, you haven't said in what area the leak is from. the front of the motor, under rad, back of motor area? if it is the front of the rad area could the tap for draining be a slight bit loose and needs a bit of a tighten? one other option might be to place a piece of cardboard under the full length of the truck's motor to try and pinpoint the exact location under. then try and look up i guess. one other thing to try is to tie paper towels around the bottom of the hoses to see if this is where the water flows to find the lowest point. if towel is wet you have started to narrow it down. have you checked to see if the frost plugs have small leaks? and if you can tape paper towels around strategic areas to see if that helps.
cheers keep us updated
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11-10-2012, 05:30 AM
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Buy a Ford
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 185
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Re: 98, 4.0 4x4 coolant leak? or I'm losing my mind..
Quote:
Originally Posted by 78_pinto
Hi, you haven't said in what area the leak is from. the front of the motor, under rad, back of motor area? if it is the front of the rad area could the tap for draining be a slight bit loose and needs a bit of a tighten? one other option might be to place a piece of cardboard under the full length of the truck's motor to try and pinpoint the exact location under. then try and look up i guess. one other thing to try is to tie paper towels around the bottom of the hoses to see if this is where the water flows to find the lowest point. if towel is wet you have started to narrow it down. have you checked to see if the frost plugs have small leaks? and if you can tape paper towels around strategic areas to see if that helps.
cheers keep us updated
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It's coming from the front of the engine, first time I saw it, it was more towards the pass side, the second time it was more towards the center. I'll have to try that paper towel thing, didn't even think about that.. I don't have any cardboard laying around currently.. Thanks.
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11-10-2012, 05:42 PM
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Buy a Ford
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 185
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Re: 98, 4.0 4x4 coolant leak? or I'm losing my mind..
Pressurized it, nothing... held pressure for a good 20 minutes... I'm stumped.. if I get good weather this week, I'll park it and drive my other car for a couple of days and see what happens.
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11-13-2012, 06:00 PM
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Learning to use the forums
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 3
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Re: 98, 4.0 4x4 coolant leak? or I'm losing my mind..
Pretty much the same scenario with my 95...i was adding coolant every so often and could never figure out where it was going! Come to find out the heater control valve that controls flow to the heater core was dripping when the climate control was in max a/c or in the off position. Turns out to be a 18 dollar fix! might be a possibility with yours?
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95-4x4-4.0-5 speed
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11-14-2012, 11:51 AM
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Ford Ranger Owner
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 53
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Re: 98, 4.0 4x4 coolant leak? or I'm losing my mind..
my names kenny and i got a 98 ford ranger4x4 with the 4.0l lol but its got 237000 miles on it and i got it for $500 guy thought that the engine was blown but it had blown head gaskets drove it for 4000 miles then had craked heads replace them runs fine now ..transmission shifts hard and od off light blinks ALOT but i here its commen
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11-14-2012, 08:09 PM
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Ford Tough
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 334
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Re: 98, 4.0 4x4 coolant leak? or I'm losing my mind..
Quote:
Originally Posted by littlegreenkenny
my names kenny and i got a 98 ford ranger4x4 with the 4.0l lol but its got 237000 miles on it and i got it for $500 guy thought that the engine was blown but it had blown head gaskets drove it for 4000 miles then had craked heads replace them runs fine now ..transmission shifts hard and od off light blinks ALOT but i here its commen
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Whats any of that got to do with this thread ?.. seems like an off topic random statement.
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2003 Ranger XL 2WD AT with a 4.0 from a 2010 Mustang (61,000 mi) new 03 ranger injectors
Rebuilt the 8.8 with Richmond 4.10 gears, Timkin bearings and rebuilt the Trac-lok, 245/70/16 Michelin-X Radial LT2
18 mpg, all city driving. 03 Rangers don't have egr.
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11-14-2012, 10:18 PM
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Ford Tough
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 227
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Wondering littlegreenkenny got pot to share
Using DROID BIONIC. 1998 Ford Ranger 2.5
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11-15-2012, 08:25 AM
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Ford Ranger Owner
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 53
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Re: 98, 4.0 4x4 coolant leak? or I'm losing my mind..
haha no just new trying to figure my way around put that on the wrong post srry
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