02 dmax coolant leak.

[Diesel_D]

My 2002 dmax has a small coolant leak. It appears to be dripping from somewhere above where the oil filter is located. Any idea where it could be leaking from? Im worried its gonna be expensive like a head gasket or something. Also the truck has 99500 miles on it but its over five years old, Is it still under warranty? I have an appointment at the stealer tomorrow and i dont want to get bent over too bad.
Thanks, Don

[Diesel_D]

I should also add that the truck is running great ( just took a 900 mile trip ) there is no water in the oil. I do have a service engine light that came on a few weeks back and when i took it to auto zone they plugged in the computer and it came back as a glow plug or relay problem.

[NutNbutGMC]

My 2002 dmax has a small coolant leak. It appears to be dripping from somewhere above where the oil filter is located. Any idea where it could be leaking from? Im worried its gonna be expensive like a head gasket or something. Also the truck has 99500 miles on it but its over five years old, Is it still under warranty? I have an appointment at the stealer tomorrow and i dont want to get bent over too bad.
Thanks, Don
Not to insult your intelligence at all, but are you darn certain that it is coolant (smell and color)? I have a method to the madness for asking.

[Diesel_D]

I guess im not 100% sure. At first i thought it might be water from the frost on the windshield as i was warming the truck up in my sisters drive. Mine is gravel so I didnt notice this problem until last week. I guy at work noticed the small spot under my truck and ran his fingers thru it as well and thought it might be antifreeze. Its really hard to tell as the spot on the ground is maybe 4" in diameter. Sooooo what are you thinking??

[Duramaster]

Look closely. It may be the oil cooler itself. I get the fun task of resealing one on a BRAND NEW LMM this next week! YEAH.........

[Diesel_D]

Isn't the oil cooler in the front of the motor? This is leaking somewhere at the back of the motor. Looks like its dripping in the area of the oil filter.

[jbplock]

Isn't the oil cooler in the front of the motor? This is leaking somewhere at the back of the motor. Looks like its dripping in the area of the oil filter.

The oil filter mounts to the oil cooler assy .. the cooler uses engine coolant ..

:)

[Diesel_D]

thanks for the info. They had it on the pressure tester for 5 hours and no leaky. Oh well i'll keep an eye on it. Im betting its the oil cooler though.

[Diesel_D]

Well i just went out and checked and its still has a small wet spot under the truck. I think i need to find a new mechanic.

[JohnC]

Some seals (o-rings, for example) actually seal better when under pressure...

[phill0072]

I just noticed a coolant leak yesterday afternoon on mine I had been sitting in pa for 2 days with truck off. yesterday I went into restroom and when I came out I noticed coolant on the ground. so I checked the over flow it was full "were it is always at cold" got on the ground in the snow and saw coolant on the radiator support took it to a shop 3 miles down the road they said it was that my lower radiator hose clamp had come lose by a turn or too. I thought this was odd because ain't no one been under there since the middle of november. They said when it gets this cold out the plastic contracts at the hose fitting so I will see a coolant drip sometimes. never seen it before on anyother truck or van I have owned they said they tightened it up and I drove 900+ miles today and I have been sitting here now for 2 hours with van off and no drip yet. anyone else ever heard or seen this before. I thank they called it a cold air leak or something on the order of that:confused:

[Diesel_D]

Look closely. It may be the oil cooler itself. I get the fun task of resealing one on a BRAND NEW LMM this next week! YEAH.........

yup that looks like the problem. It looks pretty straightforward, are there any tricks i need to know about. It looks like i can just pull off the oil filter and unbolt the housing and replace gasket.