Car gushing coolant after a light scrape on a driveway... ideas?

[Magicboy2]

So yesterday I was turning my '94 around to pull out of a development. I slowly pulled nose-first into a driveway to do a three point turn. The driveway had a bit of a slope to the bottom of it, and the front scraped a little as I pulled into it. No big deal, I thought, light fascia scrapes happen all the time.

For an unrelated reason, I parked the car immediately after turning it around. A few minutes later, someone pointed out a huge green puddle forming under the car. An investigation of the ground revealed that the leak started immediately at the high spot on the driveway, and was not present as I pulled into said driveway. Furthermore, a quick inspection of the engine compartment did not reveal anything amiss there.

This was not a slow leak; the puddle was pretty huge within half an hour. As this was not at my house and the car is still there, I don't have access to check it out.

Is there a drain plug in the front of the car for coolant that I might have ripped off? Any hoses hanging around that low? I'm thinking I'll just have the car towed to the closest Dodge dealership around there, but if it was something simple....

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

 

[99 R/T 10]

There is a screw pointing towards the overflow bottle on the bottom of the front facia. When you scraped, it probably punctured the bottle and is now leaking.

 

[BOTTLEFED]

^yep^
order a new overflow bottle
about $30 from tator's, IIRC

 

[LifeIsGood]

Here is a picture of my GEN II coolant overflow bottle.

It is attached to the front right wheel well and is up off the bottom of the fascia. Do the GEN I's sit down on the bottom?

You must be registered for see images

 

[AZTVR]

Here is a picture of my GEN II coolant overlfow bottle.

It is attached to the front right wheel well and is up off the bottom of the fascia.

I guarantee that the bottle is close enough on a Gen II that it can be punctured, given the length and sharpness of the fascia screw ! I recommend any reader here to remove that screw and cut it shorter ! Easy insurance against having to go through the hassle of removing the bumper cover !

 

[RTTTTed]

I guarantee that the bottle is close enough on a Gen II that it can be punctured, given the length and sharpness of the fascia screw ! I recommend any reader here to remove that screw and cut it shorter ! Easy insurance against having to go through the hassle of removing the bumper cover !

Preventative maintenance is how I'd describe that job. I'm all for little jobs that make or might make a huge difference. I'll be doing the bolt shortening before re-attaching my fresh painted front fascia. Great picture Georgedog!

Ted

 

[RevHeat]

I guarantee that the bottle is close enough on a Gen II that it can be punctured, given the length and sharpness of the fascia screw ! I recommend any reader here to remove that screw and cut it shorter ! Easy insurance against having to go through the hassle of removing the bumper cover !

I just looked (96 GTS) and you would have to really be messing with a big sloop to hit that screw. Seems to me if you do hit that screw that you will have more problems to worry about then just the bottle.

Rev

 

[Magicboy2]

Thanks guys for the responses. As this all went down about two hours away from home and the car is still down there, I don't have access to tools or the like, so I'm having it towed to the local dealer with a Viper tech for them to patch it up.

 

[Jack B]

I fixed a Gen 1 that had the fascia screw forced into the bottle. I used a large sheet metal screw and some JB Weld.

 

[Rainer]

here you can see the "bad screw"

just make it a little bit shorter and flat on the top....

Rainer

______________________________________
2002 RT10 graphite grey
Mods: K+N Filter, Smooth Tubes, Belanger Headers, Hi-Flow Cats, Corsa 3", light Flywheel, Startech suspension, stainless brakelines, EBC discs+pads, brake cooling tubes

 

[93rt10]

Great thread...Is the stock piece a flat tipped bolt or pointed screw? (My Viper is an early 93). Rainer is your picture stock or after cutting said bolt/screw?

 

[RevHeat]

From the looks of Rainer's picture which I believe is an 02, that is a bit close. Makes me now reconsider.

Rev

 

[dave6666]

Damn just keep it out of the ditches LOL

 

[Magicboy2]

So apparently it was the thermostat housing?? Realize that's a common problem in Gen Is, but I have no idea how an impact on a driveway could have jarred that loose (there was literally zero leaking before), but that's what the Viper tech said. And since removing the whole manifold takes time, it was an $800 repair at the dealer.

 

[RTTTTed]

"So apparently it was the thermostat housing?? Realize that's a common problem in Gen Is, but I have no idea how an impact on a driveway could have jarred that loose "

Sorry, your T-stat housing wasn't bolted down? Mechanic said it was jarred loose? What?

So there must have been $400 for the tow included in the repair cost?

Ted