Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and bcurrey
New Member
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2009
- Messages
- 5
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
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- Vehicle Year
- 1997
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Transmission
- Manual
Hey guys, I'm hoping you can help.
I have a 97 Ranger Splash 4 cylinder. About 2-3 years ago, it started leaking coolant in small amounts. I added the "stop a leak" stuff to it. It continued, so I took it in and the radiator had a leak. They replaced it and everything has been great since.
A couple months back I was filling the refilling the washer fluid and noticed that the coolant reservoir was empty. I filled it back to the line. Over the past couple of months I've kept my eye on it and it's slowly gone back down. The "stop a seal" stuff that I put in the reservoir turns the antifreeze to a dirty looking copper color. Today I took off the cap to the radiator and it was the perfect neon green color. Looked as if I had poured it yesterday. Any ideas what is causing the leak or how I can go about finding it? I went to Autozone and Advance to buy the dye to run through it and they looked at me like I was an idiot. One guy told me to just use FOOD COLORING!?!?!?!
The truck always stays at the same temp. It's never run hot. I never smell anti-freeze. I've never found spots on the ground.
Back about a month ago, I did have problems with it idling down considerably when it was about 20 degrees outside. Turning the heat on high made the problem worse. I bought a new battery and had the starter, alternator and everything checked and it all came back fine. That issue has since gone away with the warmer temps.
Any chance this is related to the coolant issue? Suggestions as to where I should start? I was going to have the radiator flushed in a couple weeks, but have thought about waiting till I figure this out. I'm wondering if the resevoir isn't leaking somewhere since the "dirty" colored anti-freeze doesn't appear to be in the radiator.
Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. Anything's gotta be better than the food coloring test.
Thanks!
I have a 97 Ranger Splash 4 cylinder. About 2-3 years ago, it started leaking coolant in small amounts. I added the "stop a leak" stuff to it. It continued, so I took it in and the radiator had a leak. They replaced it and everything has been great since.
A couple months back I was filling the refilling the washer fluid and noticed that the coolant reservoir was empty. I filled it back to the line. Over the past couple of months I've kept my eye on it and it's slowly gone back down. The "stop a seal" stuff that I put in the reservoir turns the antifreeze to a dirty looking copper color. Today I took off the cap to the radiator and it was the perfect neon green color. Looked as if I had poured it yesterday. Any ideas what is causing the leak or how I can go about finding it? I went to Autozone and Advance to buy the dye to run through it and they looked at me like I was an idiot. One guy told me to just use FOOD COLORING!?!?!?!
The truck always stays at the same temp. It's never run hot. I never smell anti-freeze. I've never found spots on the ground.
Back about a month ago, I did have problems with it idling down considerably when it was about 20 degrees outside. Turning the heat on high made the problem worse. I bought a new battery and had the starter, alternator and everything checked and it all came back fine. That issue has since gone away with the warmer temps.
Any chance this is related to the coolant issue? Suggestions as to where I should start? I was going to have the radiator flushed in a couple weeks, but have thought about waiting till I figure this out. I'm wondering if the resevoir isn't leaking somewhere since the "dirty" colored anti-freeze doesn't appear to be in the radiator.
Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. Anything's gotta be better than the food coloring test.
Thanks!
