# slow coolant leak



## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

2006 Dodge Caravan has a slow coolant leak. Will the chemicals in stop leak have a negative reaction to the block or heads? I need to do a temporary fix. It's 15 degrees here. Can't work on it until it warms up. Can't afford to have someone else work on it right now. I had a new radiator put in it in July. I have used stop leak with good results on older vehicles several times. In fact, my old work van was repaired with it 4 years ago. 
Just not sure if it will react to all that aluminum in the newer vehicles.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Are you noticing drips in the driveway, white smoke out the exhaust?
A simple cheap pressure test would tell you if it's an outside leak or a head gasket.
Guess my point is find the leak and not just try patching it.
If it's the head gasket things can go poopy real quick.


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## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

Its a drip near the front. My wife needs to drive it every day and at 15 degrees, it's too cold for me to fix it.


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## ben's plumbing (Oct 6, 2011)

see if you can trace the leak maybe just need to tighten something...or if its that small ..just add alittle coolant each day to keep up with leak.... fyi I don't like those products any of them..sorry ben sr


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## PoleCat (Sep 2, 2009)

I agree with Ben. Just keep her topped off as needed until the weather breaks. Too many tiny coolant passages in the block and head to risk blockage.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

1. keep her topped.
2. locate what is leaking; use flat ribbon hose clamps instead of spring ones; stack 2 flush against each other. Side to side. Creates nice wide clamp.
3. If it's you radiator leaking, well... Stop leak or equivalent it is, but you need to keep in mind that it will kill same radiator eventually and WILL plug all tiny orifices anywhere it goes. It is not a nano bot, it does not differentiate. For what it is, try black pepper thing. Some swear by it. 
Most likely it's an old hose that ballooned.


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## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

Just wondered if stop leak will eat the plastic and aluminum that they use now. I guess that no one knows.

As for using stop leak on older vehicles, it works fine. I have used it for years. Never had a problem. Put some in my old work van 4 years ago and it is still holding.


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## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

truly, they wouldn't be selling it if it were damaging to aluminum, or had it clearly marked not to use on them.
When was the last time you saw a NON aluminum engine head or block? Point being - you likely used it on Al already.


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## danpik (Sep 11, 2011)

rusty baker said:


> Just wondered if stop leak will eat the plastic and aluminum that they use now. I guess that no one knows.
> 
> As for using stop leak on older vehicles, it works fine. I have used it for years. Never had a problem. Put some in my old work van 4 years ago and it is still holding.


Stop leak as I remember it is nothing more than what looks like aluminum flakes, Kind of like glitter. They just flow around the system and eventually plug up the hole in the radiator. There were some other out there as well that had some kind of compound in them that did the same thing. I have heard even cracking a raw egg into the rad will eventually do the same thing. Here is the catch though...most of these stop leak products are for hole in the rad. Leaky hoses and blown head gaskets don't seal too well as they are, for want of a better term, active leaks. In other words, as hoses have water moving thru them they flex and move. head gasket leaks have both pressure and vacuum working on them depending on the stroke the engine is on. If it is a water pump seal it won't work either. really need to see what is leaking. As someone mentioned, a pressure test of the system may help locate the leak.


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## noquacks (Jun 5, 2010)

rusty baker said:


> Just wondered if stop leak will eat the plastic and aluminum that they use now. I guess that no one knows.
> 
> As for using stop leak on older vehicles, it works fine. I have used it for years. Never had a problem. Put some in my old work van 4 years ago and it is still holding.


1) Very doubtful that is harms plastic. very few things harm plastic. Plastic is almost indestructible (polyethylene, polypropylene,etc) except for excessive heat/uv rays. 
2) I wouldnot bank on stop leak lasting more than 6 months. Yes, you could get lucky.
3) Also, it interferes with the cooling capacity/heat transfer of metal. Not a good idea. 
4)Use at your own risk. last resort/desperation.


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## Hardway (Dec 28, 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=76GpMD4LIwY


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## t1snwbrdr12 (Nov 27, 2013)

I've worked on Chryslers for 10 years, they don't usually leak many places (the caravans). Occasionally your heater lines to the rear heat (if equipped) will rust out (and that's if they aren't the updated aluminum style, not sure when they started installing aluminum ones). Water pumps all the time, it's passenger side right on top of your axle. It'll be a pain to do, but after doing hundreds, it's easy. I could try to shed some light if that's what it ends up being. Lower intake gaskets and rarely head gaskets will leak too...take a look near the valve covers, under the thermostat housing, for moisture or crust indicative of the leak.


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## noquacks (Jun 5, 2010)

Hardway said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=76GpMD4LIwY


good video. Stop leak/crud, if you think thats bad, you should seee what stop leak does in ac systems. Thats playing with fire.


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## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

Took it to a local shop. We raised it up while running. The mechanic and I could neither one find any leaks of any kind. Ran a pressure test, it holds. Oil is clean and clear. It doesn't run hot. The mechanic was stumped. His only suggestion was that he could tear it down and see if he could find something. The guy works on Caravans all the time. Guess we will wait and see what happens.


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## Hardway (Dec 28, 2011)

noquacks said:


> good video. Stop leak/crud, if you think thats bad, you should seee what stop leak does in ac systems. Thats playing with fire.


ac system as in Aircondition?
Do tell?


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

My wife's car was doing that, I did use the stop leak but it never did stop the leak. It turned out to be the water pump, that was so much fun.:no:


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Stay away from the leak stoppers.

Check the water pump weep hole as well.


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## caveeagle (Jul 22, 2013)

Water pump leaks can be tricky. Hard to see and may fade in, and out. You may also have a leak thats aggrivated by driving motion, so it did not show up when the car was on the lift. I have also had minor hairline cracks in radiators that were hard to spot.

I would avoid the stop-leak / bars-leak. More trouble than they are worth, IMHO. There is a product that GM used to ad to Saturn Alum block engines. Don't 100% remember the name, (goldenrod??). I am pretty sure they still sell it at NAPA. Its small round gold tablets. Anyway, GM had problems with Porocity in some of their aluminum blocks, and this was how they dealt with it, so it can't be all that bad.


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