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  #1  
Old 01-13-2000, 08:24 PM
Dakattack Dakattack is offline
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I'm a little concerned about my 98 dakota. About a month or two ago i topped off the antifreeze in it. I checked it two days ago when i changed the oil. I had to add almost a gallon of antifreeze. half in the radiator and the rest in the overflow. I am a pretty observant when it comes to my truck. and i know it's not overfilling and running on the ground. any other vehicle i ever had never needed the radiator filled. once a year maybe fill up the overflow. so what dou you guys think it is? it performs fine, like nothing wrong with it. could it be burning antifreeze and not affect performance? give me you opinions. oh, it's a 318 too by the way.

Thanks in advance

Jim
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  #2  
Old 01-13-2000, 09:02 PM
Toe Toe is offline
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Well I used to have a good old K-car that blew a head gasket. Though I was going through a gallon a day with it. If your's is going, it isn't leaking very much at all. Also the car I had began to run really rough, and you could put your hand to the back of the exaust and in a few seconds water would form. Hope some of this info helps.

Tony
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  #3  
Old 01-14-2000, 03:05 AM
Rich S Rich S is offline
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Have you looked at the rubber seals on your radiator cap. I had a Cougar for 8 years that would "consume" a lot of anti-freeze. A year before I sold it I changed the radiator cap and it cured my problem.

I think if you had a cracked head or bad head gasket you'ld see a lot of steam coming from your exhaust pipe.

Rich
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  #4  
Old 01-14-2000, 03:22 AM
SJS440 SJS440 is offline
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Dakattack,
I have had a similar experience with my 97 5.9 Ram. The last time I changed the oil I check the coolant level, and added some. About two days later I was getting gas and decided to check the oil, just like a good boy. I noticed the coolant was down alot. I have been monitoring the oil and the tailpipe emissions and have not seen any smoke or any creamy residue in the valve covers. I know I am not an ASE certified mechanic, but I do not believe it to be the head gasket in my case. I still have no idea where the water went to! All I do is keep an eye on it and just keep wondering.
I have heard from other people that the 5.2's and 5.9's have been prone to premature head gasket failure. This site has been pretty helpful for other questions of mine so hopefully someone out there can help us.
SJS440

[This message has been edited by SJS440 (edited January 13, 2000).]
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  #5  
Old 01-14-2000, 05:01 AM
J-BODY J-BODY is offline
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The only head gasket related probs I have seen with the magnum was a couple of heads that had a casting prob. It could be head gaskets, but given the track record of the magnum or la small block it would be quite a ways down the list of things to check. Test the rad cap and make sure it holds psi. Pressure test the cooling sys. Have a chemical "block test" done to see if there is a presence of exhaust gasses in your cooling system. Monitor the oil fill cap or upper part of the dipstick for unusual moisture build up. Has the engine had regular cooling system flushes or drain and fills? Whats the mileage? Another test is you could put dye in the cooling system and run it for a few days and then have the engine black light inspected. Most dealers or shops are familiar with this process. Good Luck!! Mopar Mofun!!
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  #6  
Old 01-14-2000, 02:41 PM
Dakattack Dakattack is offline
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it has 48,000 miles on it. i have not changed the fluid yet in it. it could be the rad. cap. but then, again, i would see if it was overfilling the the overflow tank and running out. oh well, i'll keep checking it periodically. and see what happens.

Thanks for the info!
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  #7  
Old 01-14-2000, 04:31 PM
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9dodge 9dodge is offline
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I've had a 318 that blew the head gasket between two cylinders. Thing ran great, drank some water, but thats it. The test to see if exhaust is in the radiator is the way too go. You can but the kit from NAPA and do it yourself.
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  #8  
Old 01-14-2000, 06:30 PM
Dakattack Dakattack is offline
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cool! how much is the kit?
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  #9  
Old 01-14-2000, 07:35 PM
SJS440 SJS440 is offline
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Thanks guys, but I have just one more question. If exhaust gases are present in the cooling system would that not in turn mean that coolant would be entering the exhaust? If there was coolant in the exhaust, I would expect to see white smoke from the tailpipe. I guess the safest thing though would be to test the coolant.
Thanks again,
SJS440
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  #10  
Old 01-14-2000, 07:59 PM
Elwenil Elwenil is offline
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It's not always visible. Easiest way to check it is to hold something in front of your tailpipe to see how much water vapor collects on it. There will always be some moisture in the exhaust, but it should be minimal. By the time you see a lot of visible vapor, you would have other serious problems.
I'd try the tests below as well as a compression test. Anytime you are dealing with what may be a head gasket problem, a compression test can go a long way towards diagnosing the problem.

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  #11  
Old 01-15-2000, 04:57 PM
nevermind65 nevermind65 is offline
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This is how I check for leaks, and it has proven failsafe thus far. Every car I have checked had a blown gasket.
Be sure that the radiator cap is in good working order. Remove the radiator overflow hose from the radiator neck and replace with another hose. Find a clear bottle of some type and fill about half way with water. Put the hose in the bottle making sure the end of the hose is submersed in the water. Start the vehicle and let it run for a while. You will see air bubbles coming from the hose. This is normal while the vehicle is getting up to operating temp. After the thermostat has opened and closed a few times and the vehicle is up to operating temp., the air bubbles should stop. If the head gasket is bad, air bubbles will continue, no matter how long you leave the vehicle run. Due to cylinder pressure being much greater than cooling system pressure, exhaust gasses get pushed out through the cooling system. Also, check the plugs to see if any are very clean. If any are, that cylinder could be attempting to burn coolant/water. In extreme cases, the oil will be milky, although if this is the case, you have a seriosly big problem. Good Luck. Hope this helps!

[This message has been edited by nevermind65 (edited January 15, 2000).]
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