Hi Everyone

We've owned this Rodeo for about 6 years. We've put something like 90,000 miles on it and it's been bulletproof. It has never failed to start and has never left us stranded on the roadside.

Yes it ticks, has done since we got it. Lazy lifter in there somewhere. [img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img]

Have had 2 punctures, although ..... technically .... one wasn't a puncture as all it did was throw 3/4's of the tread off the casing, which didn't go flat, and stayed together even though I was doing 75 at the time [img]smileys/smiley3.gif[/img]. Had to replace the taillight bulbs and I did both headlights when 1 blew. Replaced the rear brake pads and it's on it's second set on the front.

We've put 2 set of tires on it.

Oil changes every 3-4000 miles.

anyway ......

Now the truck has sprung a water leak. A few weeks ago I noticed it got hotter than normal when the gauge moved to the right from the normal dead center. Didn't over-heat; it just got hotter than normal. Noticed the puke tank was low, so let it cool and popped the cap. Put in about 1 pint of water and all was ok till now. It was a HOT day and I was in stop-go traffic.

Now it leaks and leaks good. Pop the cap and pour water in, and it trickles out the bottom. I don't know where the leak is, but the water is trickling off the front end of the bottom pan.

After todays investigation I am pretty it's not the radiator, or hoses or t'stat housing. I've got the fan, pully and all the belts off, and have cleaned as much of that area as I can to trace the water back from the trickle point to the leak. No luck. I can easily see where it trickles off the engine, but can't see where it's coming from. Tried putting food coloring in the water to see if that would help to see it. It didn't

I've read posts on the transfer tubes between cylinder banks ... could that be it?

Other Ideas ?? Other things to look for ?

Thanks in advance
Doug

PS Once in a rare while the radio will not turn on. It won't power up with the key, then a few minutes later it turns on. Once a rarer while the AC fan will not .... fan. Switch is on, AC is running, just no fan to give us the COLD air. Wait a few minutes and it comes on. Does this about 3 times a year .....

If this truck ever wears out I'll buy another.

Edited by: Doug I

 

Use a flash light and look under the intake manifold. If you see coolant sitting in there then the o-rings on the tubes under it are probably leaking. If not then I would say its the water pump leaking.

 

Thanks Gizmo

I put a fluorescent dye in the water and it's the water pump. Going to do the timing belt while I'm at it as that belt has done 155k miles.[img]smileys/smiley4.gif[/img]

 

Make sure you get a new timing belt tensioner as well. Thats usually the part that fails most often and you dont want to do it again,