I had a leak that was hard to detect in my Dodge. After much searching, it ended up being the thermostat-housing gasket. Since it leaks on the top of the hot engine, and the housing is in a really tight location, a leak is not easily detected. Add into the equation bright sunlight and a person looking for the leak who may be partially sun-blinded, and the difficulty level only increases. Simply re-torquing the housing fixed my leak. Maybe this will help others.
— M.C., Munford, Tennessee
Thanks for writing, M.C. When all else fails, a pressure tester or ultra-violet dye added to the system and checked with a “black” light will turn up those pesky leaks.
— K.F.
Ken Freund’s more than three decades of auto-repair experience and 20-plus years of RVing helped him author numerous books and articles on vehicle repair. In addition to RV Clinic and Performance, he writes the Powertrain column in MotorHome magazine. Ken has been a California Automotive VO-Tech and Smog-Test Program Instructor and an ASE-certified Master Automobile Technician.
