help! coolant probs

[rubin110]

hi guys,

i have a 2000 x5 4.4i and it had an upper radiator hose leak. fixed that and then it started leaking from a pinhole in the expansion tank, replaced that and now its leaking right out of the cap! its like the system cant handle the pressure. earlier today after driving for about 45 min, it sounded like the antifreeze was boiling and it was coming out of the cap. i spoke with my mechanic, he said i need to bleed the system. i am going to attempt to bleed the system once the truck cools off. i have read some posts about the thermostat. does it sound like i might have thermostat troubles? if so where is the therm and does anyone have instructions on how to replace it?

Thanks guys!!!!

[fast4d]

make sure the cap is tight. when I replaced my expansion tank the cap was a very tight fit. it take alot of effort to screw it on completely. otherwise it would leak.


a bad thermostat would cause coolant temps that are either too high or too low.

[rubin110]

ok, i bleed the system with the screw. it only took a second for the antifreezeto start coming out of the screw. after that i took the truck for several rides. each time i shut the truck down, antifreeze leaks out from under the cap. i can also hear that boiling sound in the upper radiator hose where it connects to the radiator.


the cap is a tight fit. once the truck cools down, i am going to remove it and try to really tighten it down. im really concerned about the boiling sound. any help is appreciated.

**could the radiator cap be bad?**

[alpac]

Could be the radiator not opening when it should. Could also be the water pump. I had a very similar problem last summer. First got a leak at the expansion tank. Got that fixed and then I got a leak at the bottom radiator hose. When I brought it back to the garage I told them to check the thermostat and water pump. They did not, just got the hose and coolant replaced. 2 days later the bottom hose exploded. It ended with having to tow the car and get entire cooling system (Radiator, Water pump, thermostat, etc...) replaced. Fortunately my extended guaranty covered everything.

[rubin110]

hey guys, thanks for the help. i replace the radiator cap and now the system is running well!

so just to recap, what started out as an upper radiator hose leak turned into a new upper hose, new expansion tank and new cap.

cost of parts (approx cost, i installed all parts) $80 for new upper hose, $22 for new cap, $60 for new expansion tank.


but now she's good to go!!

thanks for the help