2012 Jeep Wrangler - Disappearing Coolant, No Leak

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Hello there,

This is my first post on this forum, I know it's not oil related but having read the forums for a while now, the quality of responses on this site seems to be quite good! I appreciate any help as this issue has been bothering me for quite some time.

Info:

2012 Wrangler 3.6 Pentastar
~56000 km
New heater core as heater was not working - 1 month ago
New thermostat to initially address no heat issue - 2 months ago
--> All maintenance performed by dealer, on warranty

I have been losing around half an overfill tank every week, I've checked for leaks and can't find any. Could the engine be burning coolant as in a gasket leak, or is there another issue?

Thanks for any help!

-4thstpositively
 
Could be the headgaset. You getting more water than normal out the tailpipe? Does it smell sweet? Pentastars had head issues - maybe it's that?
 
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Originally Posted By: itguy08
Warranty? Doesn't Chrysler warrant the powertrain to 100k?


Yes, and with the coolant issues they had with the Wranglers I'd bring it to the dealer and let them sort it out if it's under the 100K mile mark.
 
Thanks for the help everyone, I will check for extra water coming out of the tailpipe, yes, the Jeep is still under warranty and I will let the dealer deal with it... Having had a few less than pleasant experiences with them (frequently getting the run-around when major issues like heater-core appear) I wanted to know a little more about the potential issue before going in...cheers!
 
Your probly not going to see 1/2 of the bottle as excess water vapor out the pipe. Rent a pressure tester from an auto parts store and pump it up when its still stone cold.let it sit an hr or more if necessary
 
I did a lot of research before I bought my 2014 Rubicon. I've read a lot of issues with the 2012 Wranglers having casting sand and or hoat and oat coolant being mixed during PDI causing all sorts of problems. Many had bad water pumps, which might have been caused by what I mentioned, or just a [censored] batch of water pumps. A pressure test can rule out the water pump, head gaskets, etc. The 2014's had similar issues but I decided to roll the dice, so far so good.

I'm a DIY guy, but when a warranty is in place and it is a high ticket repair, I'd let the dealer have the headache fixing it.-RD
 
I take it that it was not leaking before the most recent work was done? I would check all the connections/hoses to the heater core, and the floor on the passenger side to see if that's wet.
 
Rockydee - I believe it was casting sand that caused my heater core to malfunction (clog) in the first place, a heater core shouldn't clog after only 40k kms... I will definitely have the shop take care of the repair, that being said, having had the Jeep in the shop a good amount, their 'diagnosis' seems to bring me back to the shop more often than keeping me on the road... Took 2 yrs of arguing just to get the heater core fixed. All things considered it's a fun car and as long as the issues are addressed before warranty runs out, all will be well
smile.gif


Kuato - no wet floor or leaks around the rad. Leaks around the heater core usually give off a specific smell I find (based in experience with other vehicles) nothing of that sort here. I mentioned the leak on three separate occasions and the dealer has done nothing about it apart from first changing the thermostat and the heater core thereafter, let's hope third time's the charm
smile.gif
 
You need to take it to another Jeep dealership. Sounds like your local dealer is either incompetent or unwilling to provide satisfactory warranty repairs. Not worth the hassle if you have been fighting them for 2 years to fix a heater core. Your time is worth more than that and you want it diagnosed and repaired correctly before the warranty expires.
 
Originally Posted By: 4thstpositively
Rockydee - I believe it was casting sand that caused my heater core to malfunction (clog) in the first place, a heater core shouldn't clog after only 40k kms... I will definitely have the shop take care of the repair, that being said, having had the Jeep in the shop a good amount, their 'diagnosis' seems to bring me back to the shop more often than keeping me on the road... Took 2 yrs of arguing just to get the heater core fixed. All things considered it's a fun car and as long as the issues are addressed before warranty runs out, all will be well
smile.gif



I got it. Casting sand, HOAT and OAT mixed together or both caused all kinds of problems buddy. If all they did was replace the heater core I'm scratching my head. Alot of the casting sand or coolant f'ups ended with a new heater core, radiator, water pump, and oil cooler, at least according to the guy at my dealership. It wouldn't surprise me if they put it back together poorly and you have leaks from hose connections, or the water pump gave up. To replace the water pump the steering column and the entire dash has to come out. For what those guys are getting paid for that job they probably cut corners. Don't give up, stay strong and make them make it right. I love my 14, I waited for the bugs from the 12's to get ironed out and see how the 13's did, and gave it another year . But I think I was just flat out lucky after learning of all the problems they had. Next time I go diesel, hopefully by then they'll offer it with the 8 speed from the Ram.

On the plus, there's nothing like a Wrangler! Hang tight buddy!-RD
 
Do not work on this vehicle yourself... Find a new dealership and have it documented about the coolant loss... Sounds like The original work was not done right and could be air in the coolant system. Does your temp gauge bounce around? Has it ever overheated? Next, I would consider an internal gasket leak(Manifold/head gasket)... Good luck.
 
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Found a new dealer to service the Jeep, a little further away but hopefully worth it. For the record, the Jeep has been at 3 different dealerships as I move around a lot for work and the third dealer did the best work (fixed the heater core). When I'm in my hometown (where the Jeep was purchased) I usually take it to the dealer where I originally bought the car which seems to not get anything done. The new shop I found seems to have better reviews.

From what you guys have mentioned, it could either be: 1. Water Pump issues 2. Leaking fittings pipes 3. Gaskets as evidenced by the potential mixing of coolant and oil.

I will take these into account when they call me back identifying the issue as they usually do. I'll let the dealer handle the work as I do not feel that I am skilled enough to perform maintenance more complex than changing oil/ bulbs. Once everything is figured out, I'll update on the outcome.

Thanks Again

-4thstpositively
 
Originally Posted By: 4thstpositively
Found a new dealer to service the Jeep, a little further away but hopefully worth it. For the record, the Jeep has been at 3 different dealerships as I move around a lot for work and the third dealer did the best work (fixed the heater core). When I'm in my hometown (where the Jeep was purchased) I usually take it to the dealer where I originally bought the car which seems to not get anything done. The new shop I found seems to have better reviews.

From what you guys have mentioned, it could either be: 1. Water Pump issues 2. Leaking fittings pipes 3. Gaskets as evidenced by the potential mixing of coolant and oil.

I will take these into account when they call me back identifying the issue as they usually do. I'll let the dealer handle the work as I do not feel that I am skilled enough to perform maintenance more complex than changing oil/ bulbs. Once everything is figured out, I'll update on the outcome.

Thanks Again

-4thstpositively


That's what I'd do. As much as I hate to go to a dealership for anything other than purchasing a new car [I even hate that and wish it could be done online. OT Rant], sometimes you have to bite the bullet when it comes to warranty repairs like this one. Good luck.
 
*Update* --> Pictures at the bottom

Sorry for the delay with this update but I just got the Jeep back today. It turns out the previously installed heater core was leaking, more specifically, the connecting hoses.

The workmanship completed by the dealer who initially serviced the heater core was spectacular...for all the wrong reasons. It turns out a blockage was found in one of the tubes, the shop then decided to cut open the OEM tubing and fit an "inline filter", what I later discovered to appear to be a fitting straight from the hardware store.

Because of this modification, I was forced to pay well over $400 (as the OEM equipment was tampered with, albeit at a MOPAR dealer) to have the work done in a proper manner (refitting OEM hoses and removing the shoddy work), keeping in mind the Jeep is still well within the 5 year, 100,000 km limits.

The good news is that there is no longer a leak and the heater works great. The bad news is that I now have to approach the dealer who did the repair and try and get my money back... On top of it all, while checking my air filter, they forgot to screw in two bolts connecting the air cleaner tube to the plastic engine bay surround and forgot to connect the breather tube was "left off at air cleaner". Again, I would like to thank everyone for the advice you have provided me with. Pictures in the link below.

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=FB7A7AA2A2EE353E!17171&authkey=!ABBVan9QHc1jyzg&ithint=folder%2c
 
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