Leaking pink stuff...

Well I was driving around today in my old Amigo (2000, v6, 2wd, 88k) and I was thinking.... this old girl has been a good truck...

I get home and change the oil on my snowblower and decide once that is done to sweep out the garage. I was 2 lazy to back out the Amigo so I was just reaching under it with the broom. As I'm doing this notice a nice size wet spot under my truck.... I jack it up in the air and roll under it only to find out it is leaking tranny fluid from the accumulator piston cover. The good thing it is under warranty the dealer is only 2 miles away.

The ironic thing is that I was planning on taking it in, in december to have them drop the tranny pan and replace the filter and fluid....

Right now, I put a fresh piece of newpaper under it to see if it is leaking a lot. I haven't noticed any harsh shifting. If the paper is soaked in the morning, I may opt to have a flat bed come pick it up....

My new cover is sitting on the shelf still. Guess it is less of an issue with first gens.

Seems like no matter if I work on a machine, aircraft or vehicle, if I even think the "this is sure being a good ___)" it's like it hears it and acts up right after! It's like the jinx of the bragging mechanic!

YES....don't congradulate it for being good!

I did, just 2 days before I started having a major antifreeze leak. $800 later, I have another new radiator, 3 new hoses under the intake, new spark plugs, and thankfully, had free towing. It was leaking antifreeze like it was going out of style, no way was I driving it.

The accumilator piston does seem to be a 2nd generation issue....I wonder why?

Ok. It is at the dealer (we got our 1st snow storm that stuck over night, so I had to drive slow).

I got there right at 7AM so they could work me in. They did say the accum-piston cover is under warranty, so I'm happy I didn't have to fight them over that....

YES....don't congradulate it for being good!

I did, just 2 days before I started having a major antifreeze leak. $800 later, I have another new radiator, 3 new hoses under the intake, new spark plugs, and thankfully, had free towing. It was leaking antifreeze like it was going out of style, no way was I driving it.

It wasn't the pump, then? What was spewing coolant??? The rad? Is that the third radiator in your truck?

Yeap....3rd radiator.

2nd one only lasted 2yrs, cracked down the neck and down the side for no apparent reason. Guess that's what I get for trusting a mechanic then that I was having my suspicions about, even though we've known him forever.

Truck went to a completely different shop, highly recommended by the BBB, they did a pressure test and a compression test on the headgaskets, just to make sure, this thing was leaking BADLY.

Turned out to be those 3 coolant hoses under the intake, that you've had issues with, and the radiator was spitting antifreeze all over the engine.

Headgaskets are completely fine...truck's running great now, so they're telling me, I don't have it back yet.

New radiator is from Napa

So you can still recommend the oem pump. I have a NAPA rad in mine. Holding up well. It was changed about the time I had those hose issues, too.

I had to run down to my daughter's school this weekend, though:

"Dad. I think the battery is dead. The truck won't start. It makes a lot of clicks. I might have left the light on." Battery was at 10V. It was a Wal-mart cheapo which was out of its 2 year warranty by 7 months (April '06), so I just got a new one at Advance ($105!), even though the old one might have taken a charge. Sure enough, the back light was on when I put the new battery in. Started right up and running great.

Sorry for the jack, Ryan!

Yeap...oem waterpump's doing it's job! Could've sworn that it was the culprit, BUT, I did have somewhat of a doubt, as the pump wasn't making the same...*I'm dying* noise as it had before.

Have an Interstate Battery, one with the highest CCA available to fit in the Rodeo, this truck killed the same Walmart battery you probably had in a week.

Only thing I can think of on that radiator, is it never did quite fit in right, I think it banged against the frame on a constant basis and went cuput...whatever the reason, at least the truck didn't overheat, and we caught the issue before it got bad.

Have no idea what brand of radiator was in there before...but yeah, a napa one is going in this time.

Well the amigo is back home and all is well. Well, except my wallet is a little lighter but that is ok.

Glad they got it done right.