Today I was sitting in a long line at a drive-through restaurant, like
30 minutes in 100F weather with the engine running and A/C going.
The temperature gauge never went above about 1/2 way on the dash, which
is the usual range for the car. When I parked the car I noticed
antifreeze spilling on the ground.
I opened the hood and the hoses were fine, but on the passenger side
near the top of the radiator is a plug with a large metal nut and a
plastic plug in the middle. It looks like an access point for the aux
fan thermoswitch.
Coolant was dripping from there. When I got home it did it again and so
I tightened the nut 1/8-1/4 turn and it stopped.
I took a short drive and it did it again. I am sure it was the long
idle that did this. Here is what I checked:
Both intake and outgoing coolant hoses were soft and flacid, I am
thinking the thermostat is opening. The overflow tank was fine, only
dripped down from max to min.
When I opened the overflow tank, there was pressure and it relieved
when I opened the cap.
Is this normal (but needs to be replaced) because it is a plug used to
fill a spot where a switch should be? Or should I be concerned?
Thanks,
Jamie
