I have a major coolant leak in my '99 Dodge Intrepid. I had both top and bottom housing kits replaced over the summer and for the last month I’ve been having to add coolant about every 3 days to every day now. Today coming home, my car started to steam from underneath the hood and temperature gauge was rising on the hotter side while I was at the stoplight. When I got home I checked the water pump and it was empty. Not in a financial point to have this fixed right away, am wanting a temporary solution for a couple of weeks to get by before I can get it in the shop. Any suggestion? Thanks for your help!
Does Bar Leak work?
Any attempt at a temporary fix by using additives will almost certainly result in a destroyed engine…if it isn’t already. There is no temporary fix at this point.
No disrespect intended, but the time to fix the problem was back when you were adding water every three days. You’ll be lucky now if repairing the leak is all that needs to be done.
Sincere best.
Bar’s Leak can work depending how big the leak is. As a matter of fact, vehicle manufacturers put this in their new vehicles on the assembly line.
http://barsproducts.com/catalog/view/6-radiator-stop-leak-tablets-hdc
Tester
No disrespect, Tester, but I ain’t buyin’ its use by vehicle manufacturers. A properly manufactured system with proper coolant does not need any additive. And additive is not a fix for an improperly manufactured system.
But I do now seriously question everything else the website says.
@the same moutainbike
Yes! Vehicle manufactureres do use Bar’s Leak.
Years back I visited the St Paul Ford truck assembly plant for business reasons. After I finshed with my business, the plant manager asked if we would like a tour of the plant. So he took us to the various assembly areas to see how the trucks were assembled. When we arrived at the final assembly point where all the fluids were added, I noticed that they were dropping in these pill-like substances into each radiator before the radiator was filled. I asked the plant manager what those were. And he said it’s a stop-leak product.
He explained that with all the radiators that they installed, not every radiator was perfect and some leaked. And it wasn’t cost effective for them to drain the coolant and replace the radiator. So to avoid this problem they added a stop-leak product into the radiators.
I never thought vehicle manufacturers used stop-leak products either. Until I saw it for myself.
Tester
I guess I’ll avoid recommending a Ford in the future…
Top and bottom housing kits? Checked the water pump and it was empty?? Sorry, but I’m having a hard time following this.
You need to get the cooling system pressure tested to find out where all that coolant is going. What motor does the car have?
I don’t remember what year it was but I know Cadillac used to add stop leak on the assembly line.