[88sport]

my truck doesn't like the cold too much, and therefore it has been cranking up harder than usual. about 4 days ago, i cranked it up to go somewhere to pick up something, went in to say hello, and when i came back out, there was a puddle of antifreeze on the ground. the hoses were good and tight, but holes had been blown in the radiator from what i think was the hard start after about a week of not cranking it up. does that sound right?

 

[bogieboy]

Sounds more like some one fuckin with your truck.......if it really is coming from the rad.... or serious corrosion......

 

[Leroy R/T]

What's your antifreeze/water mixture? Could be that the frozen water cracked a line.

EDIT: If mine sits for more than a few days, it doesn't like to be started.

 

[bogieboy]

That could be....too much water........

 

[88sport]

i had straight antifreeze in there i think, but we put some water in at the shop, but it wasn't that much because it didn't drain alot out of the reservoir. i know that at the time we didn't have nearly as cold temps as we've had in the past few days, it rarely hit freezing during the time it sat.

 

[70Cuda383]

straight antifreeze? I'm surprised your truck wasn't running hot, that stuff does not transfer heat all that well, and is really designed to be mixed 50/50 w/ water

anyway...sounds to me like you've got 2 problems. your radiator has corroded away and you now have a pinhole leak, causing the coolant on the ground...OR, because you're running straight antifreeze, you overheated it from heat soak when you parked it, boiled the antifreeze, and it spurted out, and overfilled your overflow tank, spilling onto the ground...then once it all cooled down, it sucked the overflow tank all back into the radiator.

the hard starting? sounds to me like your battery is on it's way out.

as lead/acid batteries get cold, they produce less amperage, less amps means less cranking power, which means slow cranking and harder starts.

that's why batteries have 2 amp ratings, CA and CCA (Cranking Amps, and Cold Cranking Amps)

when it gets colder out, you're making less amps with the battery, and you need everything the battery's got when youre turning the starter over to start the engine.

mix your coolant with 50/50 water/antifreeze mix, and replace your battery, and let us know how that goes

 

[twistedcherokee]

When you say straight antifreeze, did you put it in? Was it the 50/50 mix (already mixed in the gallon jugs)? Or the nondilluted which if you did not mix will freeze @ 32*?

Toby

 

[88sport]

straight antifreeze? I'm surprised your truck wasn't running hot, that stuff does not transfer heat all that well, and is really designed to be mixed 50/50 w/ water

anyway...sounds to me like you've got 2 problems. your radiator has corroded away and you now have a pinhole leak, causing the coolant on the ground...OR, because you're running straight antifreeze, you overheated it from heat soak when you parked it, boiled the antifreeze, and it spurted out, and overfilled your overflow tank, spilling onto the ground...then once it all cooled down, it sucked the overflow tank all back into the radiator.

the hard starting? sounds to me like your battery is on it's way out.

as lead/acid batteries get cold, they produce less amperage, less amps means less cranking power, which means slow cranking and harder starts.

that's why batteries have 2 amp ratings, CA and CCA (Cranking Amps, and Cold Cranking Amps)

when it gets colder out, you're making less amps with the battery, and you need everything the battery's got when youre turning the starter over to start the engine.

mix your coolant with 50/50 water/antifreeze mix, and replace your battery, and let us know how that goes

well, i'm going to get a new radiator anyways and i'll put 50-50 mix in it. as for the heat factor, i don't even know if it was running hot cause my temp gauge died a long time ago, i was just wingin it, but we're gonna get that fixed as well with this whole slew of stuff we're doin. battery-wise, i know that we replaced that damn battery last year when it was hittin 12 degrees 2 days in a row, but it's only been a year, so maybe i can get a refund or something.

When you say straight antifreeze, did you put it in? Was it the 50/50 mix (already mixed in the gallon jugs)? Or the nondilluted which if you did not mix will freeze @ 32*?

when i say straight antifreeze, i mean nothing but antifreeze, we've never put 50-50 mix in, so we'll see how it goes with that in there.

 

[ThisOldDak]

temp sensor is about $13 located right next to the thermostat. that's a big gamble to go without.

actually if it's a 3.9 I'm not sure, I know those engines shared alot in common with the 5.2l as far as placement/location of parts.