[Chrislolas71]

Hey All!

I have a 2015 R/T that is at 59,900 miles and I am seeing signs of a coolant leak. It looked like it was coming from the upper inlet hose area and spraying a good amount onto the cylinder head and fuse box so I replaced the hose (and added a 180 Degree thermostat while I was in there) and the problem seemed to have stopped for a while (drove on a 200 mile trip without getting on it). The issue seemed to have went away because there were no more signs of a leak.

The coolant level was about 1" below the cold max fill line so I added some coolant and lone behold, there were more spray marks on the upper hose. If I shine a light onto the radiator fins I can see dried coolant all over them under the fan shroud. I don't know why it wasn't leaking with the level just below the max fill line but once I added some, the issue came about again. The system holds air because I can hear the air escaping when I take the radiator cap off of the reservoir in the morning after the car sitting over night. The "spray" affect may be due to a small leak on the radiator combined with the forward movement of the car but I am not 100% sure. These new cars are a pain to work on.

My plan is to take the fan shroud off soon and see if I can see anything that will reassure me that it is in fact the radiator. The dealership wants around 1000 bucks for parts (OEM radiator) and labor with a 2 year warranty. I have the mechanical ability to do it myself and add an aluminum radiator to make the job worth it but before that, I wanted to see if anyone else has had this similar problem before.

I cant find anything online regarding a 2015 radiator swap, just 2014 and below. Can I do this with out removing the front bumper ? Should I add a 16lbs radiator cap versus the 18Lbs? Any advice and tips is greatly appreciated.

Powertrain warranty doesn't cover the radiator BTW....Seems ridiculous but I already tried that angle with the dealership since I am under 60K miles.

Thanks !

 

[CtCarl]

So far as I know, the Mopar Severe Duty I Radiator 68050126AB should fit your car and be an upgrade for what you already have. But just check the dealer quote and verify what part number they're using.

Aftermarket radiator should cost you around $150 or so. I would put it in myself, but if you pay someone to do it, that shouldn't be more than 2 or three hours, tops. I've never heard of taking off the front fascia for an LX radiator swap, but it might be a little easier if you did, and it really isn't that big a deal.

 

[sc.charger]

Doing the swap should basically consist of removing upper radiator support. Unbolting the A/C condenser from the front of the radiator.
Draining coolant and disconnecting hoses.
Pulling radiator out the top.

It should work like the 11 to 14s

 

[JAMES FAIN]

The way radiators with overflow tanks work is when the car gets up to operating temps the water expands and the excess, along with any air, goes out the overflow hose into the tank. When it cools down, coolant gets pulled back into the radiator, minus any air. If you have a leaky radiator, you would lose a little coolant, and air may be getting sucked back into the radiator which settles to the top and which is what you hear when opening the cap. Although, I don't know how it would retain any pressure when you have a leak.

 

[BilletAG]

Don’t change the recommended radiator cap pressure. If you had a leaky radiator, your overflow tank would be empty. It is common for the coolant in the overflow tank to be 1” down over time. The air you hear when you remove the cap is because your radiator did not lose the pressure overnight. I believe if there was a leak, you would have no pressure after it sat overnight? My guess the residue is from the previous leak or spraying on the radiator core. Do you actually see any wet coolant spray signs or just old dried coolant signs? If you can’t tell that the radiator is actually leaking, I would get it pressure tested before replacing it. I would actually drive it some more and monitor your overflow bottle and see if you are really losing coolant?

 

[BilletAG]

Do you see any coolant on the driveway or garage floor after you park it?