Hey Guys, I have an ‘06 Rubi with about 90k on it and has just started leaking coolant. From what I can tell it looks like the radiator is leaking. The hoses are getting old, but no real sign there of a leak. I’m thinking…replace the radiator, might as well replace hoses, then I’m thinking should I replace water pump while I’m at it? Should I just do the heater core since it’s all apart? I’ll certainly replace the thermostat and cap out of principle, but looking for a little guidance on what makes sense and what is a waste of time and money. Thanks in advance
Radiator and cooling system
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I would caution against replacing a ton of things at once. I would determine what is leaking for sure and go from there. If no signs of overheating I would replace the radiator (if thats the culprit) and inspect the hoses. Just my .02 others will differ.
Thank you for that! Definitely not overheating just an orange mess on my garage floor and a bunch of splatter all over. I suppose I could run some dye and be certain. I’m worried a pressure test will just confirm I have a leak, and will be pissed if I replace the radiator to find I still have a leak. Is there a clear way to confirm it’s a leak in the radiator and not somewhere else in the system? Seems that a bit of fluid is coming through the fins at the bottom center, but I only see it when the engin is on, so could be the fan throwing drops from somewhere else. Maybe cut power to the fan and run the engine for a minute? Just hate wasting time, and don’t trust most mechanics around me.
Have you owned it the entire time? If so you know what’s been done which may have an impact on your decision.
I bought a one time owned LJ, good service records with 112,000 miles on it. Sitting in the garage is a new clutch fan, t-stat, upper & lower radiator hoses, both heater hoses, and water pump waiting to be installed. I just figured it’s a simple task, not too terribly expensive and figured better now than on the trail. Now it does have an issue at idle or freeway speeds with a/c on with rising temp depending on weather temp which played into my decision. Doesn’t overheat, temp just goes up some. Not doing heater core as seems like an intensive project and I don’t think there are factory ones still available. Just my thoughts.
I bought a one time owned LJ, good service records with 112,000 miles on it. Sitting in the garage is a new clutch fan, t-stat, upper & lower radiator hoses, both heater hoses, and water pump waiting to be installed. I just figured it’s a simple task, not too terribly expensive and figured better now than on the trail. Now it does have an issue at idle or freeway speeds with a/c on with rising temp depending on weather temp which played into my decision. Doesn’t overheat, temp just goes up some. Not doing heater core as seems like an intensive project and I don’t think there are factory ones still available. Just my thoughts.
Great point that I have only owned it for about 5 years. Some of the mods seem “questionable” or rather sloppy and I’m not sure if that was a dealer patching something (Bondo on my tire bracket), or cheap fixes. Upper and lower hoses are a bit brittle, but zero signs of leaks. I’ve also been reading replacement hoses need to be cut and the spring clamps never fit right again (random threads as a source).
KennethS
TJ Enthusiast
Do some investigation to determine where the leak is. Firing the parts cannon at a problem can get very expensive and may not fix the issue.
If it’s the radiator leaking, replace it and the hoses if they seem old. They have to be disconnected to replace the radiator so it’s easy to replace them at the same time. The thermostat is one of those things that I would leave if it’s working. I replaced one on my muscle car as a “might as well while I’m there” and it failed shortly afterwards, and I ended up putting the old one back in. I would leave the water pump alone if it’s not leaking.
My philosophy is if it ain’t broke don’t fix it and I am comfortable with that. I’ve done roadside repairs with no drama but some folks have anxiety and like to be proactive. To each his own, whatever lets you sleep at night.
If it’s the radiator leaking, replace it and the hoses if they seem old. They have to be disconnected to replace the radiator so it’s easy to replace them at the same time. The thermostat is one of those things that I would leave if it’s working. I replaced one on my muscle car as a “might as well while I’m there” and it failed shortly afterwards, and I ended up putting the old one back in. I would leave the water pump alone if it’s not leaking.
My philosophy is if it ain’t broke don’t fix it and I am comfortable with that. I’ve done roadside repairs with no drama but some folks have anxiety and like to be proactive. To each his own, whatever lets you sleep at night.
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I'd do the water pump, hoses (if they look bad) and t-stat while the radiator is out. Makes it easier to do.
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I would definitely do the hoses at a minimum.
I only pull the thermostat housing if I'm also doing a cooling system cleanup flush so I would leave that alone if it was clean and maintained.
Hard to predict how much life is left in it. I've bought TJs with 54k, 98k and 119k and only the 54k still had the original water pump. I put Mopar back on both of them when they were running warmer than I thought they should, but it didn't really seem to be the pump that made the difference.
I only pull the thermostat housing if I'm also doing a cooling system cleanup flush so I would leave that alone if it was clean and maintained.
Hard to predict how much life is left in it. I've bought TJs with 54k, 98k and 119k and only the 54k still had the original water pump. I put Mopar back on both of them when they were running warmer than I thought they should, but it didn't really seem to be the pump that made the difference.
Where is the leak from? Are you certain the radiator is leaking?
If so, replace the radiator. I'd also replace the water pump and hoses. I wouldn't do the heater core unless it's leaking. Not a bad idea to replace the thermostat and the radiator cap if it's not holding pressure. If it's holding pressure, I probably wouldn't replace the cap. If not, replace it too.
After more looking it seems like it is the radiator for sure. I can see bubbling near the seem at the top and bottom. I picked up a replacement at AZ along with a cap. Seemed to me a lot of youtubers had similar issues, and I decided to head the advice of not replacing 5 things when 1 is bad (forum and wife).
Stupid question I don’t see on a diagram is a small hose coming out of passenger side firewall at 90* that looks cut off and seems to be just constantly leaking water now. I’ll get a picture this weekend if it keeps up. Of course I can’t load my hanes download at the moment, but wondering if I can cheat and ask someone here.
Stupid question I don’t see on a diagram is a small hose coming out of passenger side firewall at 90* that looks cut off and seems to be just constantly leaking water now. I’ll get a picture this weekend if it keeps up. Of course I can’t load my hanes download at the moment, but wondering if I can cheat and ask someone here.
Sounds like your condensate drain. Are you using your AC?
And toss that Hayne's manual and get the Factory Service Manual here: https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...ice-manuals-fsm-technical-documentation.4618/
The heater core is a big project that normally involves removing the dash.
Definitely flush it out while you have access to the hoses.
Thanks B1Toad, that is exactly the part. I have been using AC, but it’s been sitting over 24 hours and seems more liquid than I’ve ever seen on my floor. It has been really humid, so maybe it’s a combo of things. I’ll focus on the radiator for now. Also, thanks for the manual, that is the same link I have downloaded and just refer to as Haynes. (Not used to posting where people actually use shop manuals). Appreciate the responses and advice
KennethS
TJ Enthusiast
When I lived in south Louisiana the amount of water pouring out of the AC condensate drain looked like a water hose running. High humidity and AC translates to a LOT of water condensed out of the air.
I had a mystery coolant leak that turned out to be a hairline crack at the the upper part of the radiator where the top hose attached. It wouldn't open up until the radiator heated up, and then only a slight amount ran down. I happened to rest my hand on it as I was inspecting for leaks and it opened up the crack, spraying hot coolant everywhere. Also, is the fluid coming out of your AC drain clear, or coolant color, or when darker? If so, your heater core is likely the culprit. Just replaced mine. I noticed the drain dripping even before it started leaking in the footboards.
Lots of people around here don't like Auto Zone parts in particular their radiators. I have never bought one there for any vehicle I've ever owned so no personal experience. The Mopar radiators are much more expensive and a bit harder to find. I went with a Denso from Rock Auto and have been happy. Definitely sounds like yours has failed.
Is the leaking water just clear water or the same color as the coolant? If it's coolant, yes your heater core is leaking. If it's just water, then it's condensate from the AC and nothing to worry about.
I think I’m learning the hard way about AZ radiators. The attachment for the transmission lines is slightly different and for the life of me I cannot get them to connect. Left is the new one, slightly different, but I figured it would work. Unless I’m just not lining it up right, it seems the new one is too deep for what is coming from the trans. Am I missing something here, or is there a way to make this work?
Poking around on here am I correct that the new radiator has quick connect fittings, so I will need to use cut my hose and clamp it? Of course the fittings currently going in are metal, so I’m going to need to get more hose, and couplers. Seems rediculous for what should be a simple job. Looks like I need 11/32 transmission hose and a hope/prayer they have couplers that size.
I did find a similar thread with a potential solution, not exactly sure how the Doreman connector works though. This seems to be for the opposite problem, male end is coming out of the radiator so this doesn’t make sense to me.
Post in thread '04 42RLE Transmission Radiator Cooling Line Fittings'
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...ator-cooling-line-fittings.35114/post-1408094
I did find a similar thread with a potential solution, not exactly sure how the Doreman connector works though. This seems to be for the opposite problem, male end is coming out of the radiator so this doesn’t make sense to me.
Post in thread '04 42RLE Transmission Radiator Cooling Line Fittings'
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...ator-cooling-line-fittings.35114/post-1408094
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Just wanted to close this out, for whatever reason I was not realizing that the metal screw coming of the metal connecter from the trans was the same clip style as the Dorman part. Once that was made clear, I unclipped the old connector and clipped in the Dorman which screwed into the new radiator. Everything is sealed and working as it should. I appreciate the patience and help from the forum to fix this. It really was obvious, but just wasn’t registering in my grey matter.