Replacing the coolant tank cap

[Finklejag]

This is on my girlfriends 04 Saturn Ion. It doesn't have the traditional radiator cap. The coolant tank is the high point in the system. Do these plastic caps need to be replaced like the metal ones? Does the gaskets start leaking after some time? The car has 45,000 miles on it. She just had the coolant flushed last month.

Thanks

 

[HTSS_TR]

My '94 Lexus LS400 is more than 200k miles and still has the OE expansion tank cap. If your coolant tank cap has no crack then no need to replace.

 

[Donald]

You need to be worried about DexCool more than an expansion cap.

 

[moklock]

Dexcool really doesn't casue issues in 4cyl. Saturns and usually stays squeaky clean & bright orange.

Those caps can be replaced just like any other rad. cap but @ 45K it shouldn't need it yet, but as "cheap insurance" it couldn't hurt. The only failures I have seen were from grossly overtightening the cap causing the black handle part to break off.

 

[mechtech2]

The tanks go south before the caps.

 

[The Critic]

Not this early.

I just replaced the one in my Saturn earlier this month at 121k. I had been experiencing a slow coolant loss for about six months, and I noticed that I would no longer hear a "hiss" when I removed the cap. Installing a new cap has fixed those problems.