1997 Radiator/Bubbling Resorvoir

[busyallie]

I have a 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan -- We have had a problem with our radiator and cannot afford another one. There has been some kind of a leak as my husband has had to fill up with water every time before driving (5-10 times a day). We are flat broke and were given the advice to try JB Weld. We tried this and now less water needs to be replenished, however the engine is still steaming after short distances and a peculiar thing is happening -- the water resorvoir (plastic container) does not lose water, but along with the steam, the water in the resorvoir boils like it is sitting on a flame. My husband said something about checking the thermostat and possibly taking it out. We cannot buy another radiator until January -- Do you all have any suggestions on what could be making the water resorvoir boil and how to possibly temporarily keep this problem at bay? Any advice you can give would be great. Thanks.

[rjirvine]

Obviously, it sounds like your cooling system is getting too hot. The radiator cap vents pressure at a certain PSI (different for different model cars) into the reservoir. The water boiling in the reservoir is just the fluid from the radiator. It's doing what its supposed to do.

Can you see any evidence of a leak anywhere? There are "stop leak" additives you can buy as a temporary measure.

Is the radiator cap in good shape? If it's venting at a lower pressure your overheat will happen sooner. (new ones are about $5)
A new thermostat is $5-8.

Water boils at a lower temperature than anti-freeze. Make sure you're not putting just water into your system, because if it's all water, it will boil pretty quickly.

[LongIslander26]

Originally Posted by busyallie

I have a 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan -- We have had a problem with our radiator and cannot afford another one. There has been some kind of a leak as my husband has had to fill up with water every time before driving (5-10 times a day). We are flat broke and were given the advice to try JB Weld. We tried this and now less water needs to be replenished, however the engine is still steaming after short distances and a peculiar thing is happening -- the water resorvoir (plastic container) does not lose water, but along with the steam, the water in the resorvoir boils like it is sitting on a flame. My husband said something about checking the thermostat and possibly taking it out. We cannot buy another radiator until January -- Do you all have any suggestions on what could be making the water resorvoir boil and how to possibly temporarily keep this problem at bay? Any advice you can give would be great. Thanks.

It's possible you're thermostat is stuck and it's causing the coolant to heat up too quickly. Those only cost 5 or 10 bucks and are fairly easy to replace. Stay away from stop leak type additives, as they are only a temporary fix, and usually cause more problems later on down the road.(like a clogged heater core). NORMALLY, bubbling in the reservoir could be a sign of a blown head gasket, (Expensive). Remove the radiator cap and top off the radiator with WATER, and start the vehicle. If water shoots out of the fill neck, it's a head gasket. You may want to try a wrecking yard for a "New" radiator, and just have it boiled out and tested. That's alot cheaper than a brand new one. Good luck.