Antifreeze spilling out of overflow bottle

[95Viper]

I was moving my Viper this past weekend. Cold in Michigan. I started it up and let it idle for about 15 minutes. I heard a bubbling from what appeared to be the overflow tank and antifreeze started spilling from facia. I stopped car and after getting over a near heart attack started researching problem. No leaks from hoses or radiator or engine, just facia.

Checked overflow marker in wheel well and can not see line. I can't tell if it is full or empty even with flashlight. Dodge didn't make this easy to see. Any tips?

Removed radiator cap and coolant level was 2 or 3 inches below top of opening. Started car again and could not repeat problem. Tried for 30 minutes. Cycled fine, temp normal.

Could thermostat has temporarily gotten stuck closed causing overflow bottle to puke? Radiator cap problem?

 

[Bad_Byte]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by 95Viper:
Checked overflow marker in wheel well and can not see line. I can't tell if it is full or empty even with flashlight. Dodge didn't make this easy to see. Any tips?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I had the same problem as you. I couldn't see the level of antifreeze in the overflow bottle. I pulled the facia off (the only way to get to this bottle) and took the bottle off and cleaned it with, what else, a bottle brush and some soap. Rinsed, reinstalled and now I can see the level perfectly.

I'm guessing that in the enthusiasim to keep the cooling system full the bottle became over full and consequently burped a little out.

Just my 2 cents.

PS: I feel so bad for you guys in snow land.

 

[Steve-Indy]

Have seen many Gen I Vipers that have enough "crud" on sides of overflow bottle that it it HARD to tell fluid level. I NOW carry a 5 doide BLUE (as in UV)light by INOVA...shine that puppy through the inspection port, and you can see GLOWING GREEN fluid (assuming you HAVE standard antifreeze) below and BLUE LIGHT above the fluid line, as viewed through the clean inspection slit. There were TWO Vipers I could NOT SEE A THING even with this light...BOTH went in for service and found bottle totally opaque with "crud"...and NO RECORD of coolant change...EVER !!!

Second situation that have had with one of our Gen I's was overflowing fascia bottle AFTER I changed over to new hoses and coolant...IN SPITE of careful de-air-procedures...happened a couple of times in a row. Sean Roe suggested that I check the pressure cap on the pressure bottle...RIGHT ON...as it was popping off at 20 lbs of pressure...and thereby emptying the pressure bottle into the overflow bottle and then out onto the ground. NEW cap (a couple of bucks) fixed that baby. You MIGHT want to check your pressure cap as well.

 

[Dave Adkins]

Its common for one of the frant fascia fasteners to poke a hole though the bottom of the overflow reservoir. If you've scraped the lower right edge of the front fascia going over a speedbump/curb/etc. you may have damage like this that will result in loss of whatever coolant gets in there.

FYI.

 

[JonB]

URGENT.

The air trapped in your motor expands greatly as it heats up.

The air pushes the coolent to the overflow bottle and it bukes out/bubbles.

If bottle was broken it would have leaked out, no gurgling bubbles.

BURP THE Air. Then refill, Read the notes somewhere above in illustrated how-tos at top of page.........

 

[Steve-Indy]

So, 95Viper, what did you find?

 

[95Viper]

Steve, I'm searching posts to try different things and sorry that I missed your reply...still having problem. I've burped the crap out of the car with no luck. I'm taking my two caps into dealer to test them because they might be at 20 lbs. This is killing me!

If that's not it I wonder if the fact that I'm in Michigan and I'm not driving the car but just starting it, warming it up and shutting ti down is a problem.

Thanks, Craig

 

[Steve-Indy]

I must credit Sean Roe for bailing me out of the "cap problem" per phone....interestingly, nothing would go wrong til the second startup on a warm system...then green PUKE from the fascia. Normal pop-off should be 16#.

 

[95Viper]

Steve, Let's say I have a 20 Lbs. cap and I should have a 16Lbs. cap.

Heating
At 16 lbs. mine would not release and allow more pressure to build up. A normal one would release and push fluid into facia bottle. Mine would eventually release at 20 lbs. and do the same. Wouldn't they get the same result during the heating cycle?

Cooling
Mine would close at 20lbs and the spring valve would open and allow coolant to be pulled from facia bottle. A normal one would stay open longer, until cooling gets down to 16lbs. and then it's spring valve would open.

How would the two different pressure caps cause differences in the facia bottle level?

 

[Steve-Indy]

Hi, Craig. SORRY that I didn't see the above post(I think that we're working 2 threads on this subject)...and, must admit, that I have had the same general thoughts that you expressed.

Here is what I have "made up" in my own mind to explain MY situation. As this occurred ONLY after a complete 5 hose change and coolant refill, there was obviously air in the system. There could have possibly been an exaggeration of the whole venting process.

With a cap popping off at 20lbs., the system would be 125% over the usual pressure...and MAY pop off with a far more
vigorous release (?higher volume???) than a 16lb. pop off.
Then, as pressure dropped, the spring closed the cap but the system was still at a relatively high pressure and that pressure would keep the floating disc closed...so NO return from fascia bottle early...or even later (until total cooldown, at which there would be less returned. Admittedly this could happen with a 16lb. cap...but to a lesser degree in my imaginary model....especially with a WARM engine restart.

The cap change "cured" my problem, but could have ALSO been assisted by the fact that most of the residual air was purged by the time that new cap came into use. I would further add that I "burped" the system MULTIPLE times during the process.

Let me know REAL explanation if you have one !!!

 

[95Viper]

That sounds logical to me. I changed over to the 2001 Viper cap. 17 lbs with a spring center. I switched exhaust to no cats Sunday and am waiting for gaskets so I hope for good weather Wednesday to test everything.

 

[95Viper]

Well, I'm not sure what really fixed my problem but it's fixed. I drove the car over the weekend and no leaking. What did I do?

- Added 3 clamps to hose from surrogate tank to overflow facia bottle. Did not take off facia to get to connection to bottle.

- Changed radiator cap to 2001 cap. Spring type.

- Obviously burped like crazy. I'm going to do this one more time after a weeks of driving. I'll report if something weird happens.