Hello Scotty,
I own a 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 with only 65,400 miles on it. I don't drive it much (only for work on my property) and the prior owner didn't drive it much either (only to move his boat). The cooling system has a leak somewhere but I can't spot it on the radiator or hoses. I can see drops of coolant fluid slowly dripping from the engine supports at the bottom of the engine.
I live on an island without strong mechanics and would prefer not having to take it via ferry to a mechanic on the mainland if there is a potential fix that I could take care of. In looking on the internet I see that there are additives (i.e. K Seal Leak Repair) that might repair small leaks in the cooling system.
Do you think this kind of product could be worth a try or should I bite the bullet and take the truck to a mechanic? Thanks for your help!
Brad
@jazzman214
hello jazz, don't ever use coolant additive have a mechanic check and repair the leak they will test it with pressure tool and can detect the minors of leaks usually just pray the gasket in the thermostat and the gasket at the water pump a small leak can become big overtime, have a mechanic check it while it still cheap to fix.
I personally wouldn't use a liquid leak preventative because I've had friends use them and they gum up the parts. I would look at the water pump on front of engine (behind pulleys) and see if you spot any leakage. For the age of vehicle, the water pump seal probably deteriorated or pump went bad and needs replacing from hardly any use over 25 years.
To start, look at the water pump on the front of the engine to see if coolant is leaking from the weep hole on the front of the pump. If it is leaking, you need a new water pump. It's probably the original pump and at 26 years old it certainly could be failing.
If the water pump is not leaking it's time to pressure test the cooling system. You can buy a pressure tester on Amazon for as little as $47 or any mechanic on the island can easily test it for you. It's simple to test. It doesn't require a master mainland technician.
Good luck.
No dont use additive in cooling system it will destroy your vehicle in no time, have a mechanic to check it eventually fix it they will use pressure tool to detect the most minor of a leak hope it is the gasket at the water pump if you have external water pump or the gasket at the thermostat a leak can become big overtime if not caught early, have a mechanic take care of it while it is cheap to fix.
