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  #11  
Old 12-04-2013, 03:53 PM
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Idled it for a while when I got home to see if it would get hot, but it stays at 1/2, though it warms up really fast. The heat blows good and hot. Still haven't found where the leak is coming from, but it does seem to only happen when I top off and then go on the highway. Will keep looking.
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  #12  
Old 12-04-2013, 04:36 PM
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when you say top off, you are just filling so that the float rises to the top correct? if you fill it to the top of the expansion tank, the radiator cap will allow that extra coolant to overflow once it gets hot enough and you'll end up where you are supposed to be after a while. That's really hard on the cooling system though.
You might be able to rent a pressure tester from autozone for free. Then to test, fill the tank to the correct level, and pump it up to around 20psi and see if it holds. If it isn't holding pressure, look for the leak. The cooling system might need to be warm (hard to test while hot) in order for the leak to appear.
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  #13  
Old 12-04-2013, 04:45 PM
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I miss autozone! They don't have 'em here. Will see who rents tools here. Thanks!
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  #14  
Old 12-04-2013, 10:11 PM
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When you said in your original post that the expansion tank seemed dry, do you mean it was empty, or that it was simply dry on the outside (in which case I gather you mean the tank itself appears to not be leaking)? If it were a simple case of your overfilling the tank, sure, the excess would be pushed out of the system, but it wouldn't empty the tank. Often a vehicle gets the hottest just after it has been run a while and then shut off. Pressure builds, and if there is a weak point in the system (like a weak o-ring joint on the side of the radiator), coolant is pushed out until things stabilize. I think that was my radiator's story. I had to remove that bottom plastic shield so I could look up to see where the leak was coming from.
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  #15  
Old 12-04-2013, 10:29 PM
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I meant that the outside of the expansion tank seemed dry, though the second time some coolant was on the outside... it's also almost empty. The leak only seems to happen when the tank is full.
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  #16  
Old 12-05-2013, 04:50 PM
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I found the leak. Pinhole on the tank. Dealer couldn't find it, but will probably just swap in a new tank and change the hoses while I'm at it.
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  #17  
Old 12-05-2013, 08:25 PM
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Guess that explains it only leaking when the tank was full.
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  #18  
Old 12-06-2013, 10:40 PM
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Yay, she's back, with a new tank and t-stat.
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