[JeeJouxDotCom]

Hey guys,

New Member to the forum but long time visitor. This forum has solved every issue I have come across since I bought my 300c so want to say Thanks:You_Rock_:to everyone for that first of all. Figured now would be a good time to join the Forum since it has been pretty much my user manual lol.

Here is the new problem I have been having. Like I said every other time I have had an issue I found the solution here but had a hard time with this one. I recently changed the t-stat on my 2005 300C and everything has been perfect. Today I noticed the temp going up while I was sitting in bumper to bumper traffic:damnit:. Traffic cleared up and was cruising at 50 and it went back down until I reached my subdivision it started climbing back up. Made it home pulled in the garage and opened the hood and pulled the handy reel hand light. That is when I noticed that it looked like someone murdered an alien under the hood:AR15firin, coolant spray everywhere which made it hard to locate any sort of leak. Reservoir was visibly empty and I forgot to mention when I shut the car off I noticed hissing and steam coming from radiator through grill. I let it cool for a bit and proceeded to fill the coolant. I left the house about an hour later and for about 15 minutes all was well, then on the freeway the temp needle slowly climbed then went back down. I pulled off the next exit and hit the gas station, opened the hood and again coolant reservoir visibly empty so I let it cool and filled coolant. Started her up and temp was back to normal. Made it back home with no problems overheating just once again popped the hood and no coolant. I am really really hoping it isn't the dreaded answer a head gasket:scared:. After researching the past 3-4 hours on the forum I have narrowed it down. Cracked hose/hoses, clamp, water pump, radiator or the absolute worst head gasket. I'm hoping I could get some opinions from the forum.

BTW....no steam or smoke coming from exhaust, checked oil no discoloration so I am hoping head gasket is ruled out.

Thanks in advance guys! Glad to be a New Member!:newbie:

 

[Sodak]

When you changed the t-stat did you burp the engine? Basicaly air is in the system and with the overflow caped it cannot release the air so it builds up pressure and I think this is what happened ,once you refill with cap off let the car warm up and the t-stat open and it will purge itself takes about 15 min.

 

[onesickhotrod]

2x on the air, also the cap may not hold pressure and needs to be replaced. I would inspect all hoses as well to start.

Sent from my junk Droid 2 Global

 

[MADDOG]

Get a cooling system pressure test. Most auto parts stores do this for free. Don't forget to check the cap as well. If you have a pressure leak you will find it easily enough.

 

[JeeJouxDotCom]

Thanks for the input guys. Burped it, bought a new cap, got the locking one not sure if that really makes any difference but bought it anyways. Problem solved. Really appreciate the help, it was stressing me out the other night when this all took place. Took me about an hour to get home from where I was which usually takes about 15-20 minutes, my eyes just back and forth road to gauge road to gauge.

 

[MADDOG]

Glad to see you are back on the road, running cool!

 

[GordonFreeman]

I have some sort of coolant gone missing problem too. Originally (2005, 5.7l, 85,000 miles) there was dripping that seemed like it would occur at spring and fall temps. There was coolant dripping/pooling from the front, seemingly not from the engine or high up. I would just top it up every so often.

Then last fall (105,000 miles), I all of a sudden noticed no heat! When I got home I started really looking around. The lower radiator hose had come off enough to let a fair amount of coolant out. I did my best to get it back on and it seemed fine. It's still "using" a bit of coolant. I noticed this winter that the oil cap had become frozen with ice (oh here it comes) and had little ice droplets inside it. I forget if that was before or after I changed the oil last fall.

I have not really ever bled air from the system (at the thermostat?) so maybe that is an issue. I just started thinking why would the lower radiator hose come off. Too much pressure in the system?

I changed the oil a few weeks ago. After a week of driving, I still noticed a few droplets of water inside the cap. I still have the used oil from a few weeks ago, thinking of sending it in to be analyzed.

Worried.

 

[Northern Rider]

Those cheap oem clamps that are on most cars today lose their tension with age.

Losing fluid could cause an engine failure!$$$$$

Change out those rad hose clamps with the screw down types, asap . . .

 

[GordonFreeman]

Seems like coolant level has been steady and no noticeable drips. I think the lower hose clamp was the culprit.

 

[GordonFreeman]

Here's a fun little story:

I pull into my driveway the other day (about 35F out). Start unloading the car and I start hearing what sounds like running water. First thought, broken/frozen pipe in the house (had been -20F a week ago). Nope, lower radiator hose has come off enough to start dumping coolant!

So my theory is there was "air" in the system, while running enough coolant was running around to keep everything good, and interior heater working. When I turned it off, coolant flow stopped and somewhere in the engine some coolant was sitting on a hot area, boiled and created enough pressure to pop the loose hose.

It seems unlikely to me that the hose just popped off 2 minutes after I parked, there must have been a reason.

Will be changing out the hoses and clamps soon. Maybe get one of those fancy clear glass uppers.