over heating problem
my 98 dodge dakota rt is over heating after driving it for like 35 to 40 mins ive noticed that it starts to leak the coolant out of the resorvoir tank and what im seing is that the coolant doesnt return back to the radiator so radiator starts to run low on water and engine starts to overheat does any one no whh or had this kind of problem b4?
0
Answers
So you might check for a stuck or partially stuck thermostat, or a clogged radiator (especially on a 20 year old truck!). You can also buy a little kit to test for combustion gases in the coolant, which would indicate a head gasket leak. Most head gasket issues are rapid overheats, but as I said, overheating can be a complex issue and there are cases of a slow-overheat with a bad head gasket, and not all blown head gaskets will allow water into the oil--so just checking the dipstick for a milky substance (do this anyway) doesn't mean you don't have a bad head gasket.
Aside from the dipstick check and combustion gas test in the coolant, you can pressurize the cooling system with a pump and then pull out the spark plugs, with the system still under pressure. If you see coolant on the tips of any of the plugs, then that's a sign of a bad gasket as well.
You can also have soft radiator hoses that collapse at higher speeds, cutting off coolant circulation. That's another thing to check.
Is the radiator new as well?