I want to know what is the matter with the mechanics, especially at the dealerships - Chrysler Dodge Jeep to be exact? This scenario is lengthy to say the least! I had the radiator flushed and pressure tested at the local Chrysler dealership who has been servicing my Jeep since my purchase in 2004, last tested and flushed two years ago @ 64,000 miles because I was experiencing pouring coolant into the reservoir every time I turned around. Funny thing was there was no evidence as to where it was going because it didn't show up on the ground. I kept asking, "Where's it going, back into the engine?" Chrysler looked all over under the car and couldn't locate any drips! Funny thing is a few months later when I became extremely aggitated with the local Chrysler mechanic, and the problem worsened and when I took it back to the local Chrysler dealership, they stated nothing was found once again, I took it to a supposedly 5-star Chrysler dealership in another town, and I was informed there was a hole in the radiator. The local Chrysler service manager said, as I thought he would, "You could have gotten a hole just from driving from here to there if a stone popped up." Jeeps have a grille that protects the radiator. I was advised by friends to go to a local mechanic so I had a new aluminum radiator installed (2 yr warranty on parts only). I was still adding coolant and kept complaining to Chrysler and the local mechanic. All of a sudden, all the lights came on the dash, I popped the hood and checked the coolant - it was empty. Checked the radiator after it cooled down and there was no coolant - it was all on the ground. Called the local mechanic who said to take the car to his shop right away. So, a friend filled the radiator and reservoir as full as possible since it came out as fast as put in, so I could quickly drive 5 miles down the road. The plug popped out of this new radiator. And, by the way, the local mechanic swore the radiator was a Chrysler product, yet the Chrysler mechanic couldn't find any emblems that would indicate that fact. The coolant leak continued, now putting coolant in every few days. The local mechanic said it was going to the floorboard under the mat on passenger side because I need a new heater core. Do you see where this is going? After that installation, the coolant still needed to be added every 5-8 days. I was advised that is normal until things get back to normal flow. Now my dash was not reinstalled properly and I have flapper air ducts added to my console in front of the manufacture air ducts that the local mechanic stated was part of my system and it was always there, a busted speaker, a resistor that has since been replaced because I was advised by the local mechanic that is why the A/C and Htr were sporadically operating. Meanwhile the coolant is still being added by me every 5-8 days, and once in a while sooner as soon as all the lights come on and I find the reservoir is empty. The out of town Chrysler mechanic looked at the underneath when I showed them pictures of the puddles in my driveway, and advised me the undercarriage is showing no signs of dripping. The next morning, the drips caused even a larger puddle overnight that I took pictures again. the local Chrysler dealer mechanic installed a new heater hose that was supposedly defective (but I asked for all hoses and belts to be replaced at 100k miles and was told they were all fine and the local mechanic replaced the upper and lower radiator hoses). I still was adding coolant every 10 days or less. Finally, after nearly a year of putting up with the incompetency of the mechanics, I demanded a new radiator from the local mechanic who did not guarantee his labor. Mind you, the dripping was now larger than just puddles in the aluminum tray under the car in my carport. I picked up my car this morning, except it needed jumping because the service rep at the Chrysler dealership advised me the WalMart 1 year old battery with a 3-yr life expectancy (3rd replacement in 5 yrs) is bad. Walmart tested the battery with the hand held tester then took the battery out and retested, and it was fine. So, I replaced the connectors to see if that would make a difference. I drove it home, parked it in my carport, went in the house for a few minutes after turning off the engine, and what did I see after 4 hrs of having my SUV in my possession, but new coolant on the white towel I placed on the carport to catch the residue the local Chrysler mechanic told me I would most likely experience. The radiator removed yesterday was returned to the local mechanic, who turned it into the parts supply house for a replacement. The local mechanic was extremely insulting when I advised him today that I was returning the 2nd radiator for a complete refund because both radiators blew at the seams (the clamps holding the radiator's aluminum wires in tact-1st radiator on the right and the 2nd one on the left). The local Chrysler mechanic pressure tested the last radiator and checked under the carriage and saw no leaks before he released it to me. When he pressure tested it upon my return, we could hear water running and see it squirting all over the top of the radiator. I thought my radiator experience starting more than 2 yrs ago was highly unusual, but what do I know? The local mechanic, at my insistance, called the parts supplier - refund will be delivered in a few days and the radiator will be collected. In the meantime, I sit with no radiator and a dilemma. I saw white drops all over the previous radiator and this last one that was removed today. When inquiring of the local Chrysler mechanic and service rep, when I picked up the last removed radiator to deliver to the local mechanic, I was advised that it was nothing, just splatterings. Chrysler parts dept ordered a new radiator from 1-800-radiator because the price was $200 compared with nearly $400 if I ordered a Chrysler radiator. I paid Chrysler $285 for labor including coolant to install the previous radiator that the local mechanic wanted $300+. The removal was free today, but I paid for a rental car now for 2 days. When Napa quoted me $150 today for their radiator with a lifetime guarantee, I immediately called 1-800-radiator to see how much I would have had to pay, instead of Chrysler, for that radiator. The salesperson knows mechanics and warned me, after I told him briefly my dilemma of installing another radiator, and he advised me about electrolysis and the cost will be on me if that is the culprit for my radiator problems. After researching on the Internet, I am now thinking there is something to that analyzation. I've been complaining about an electrical problem for a very long time - more than 2 yrs., but no one found anything wrong; and as I said, the battery has not lasted its warranty periods, and yesterday the license plate connector was burnt. Supposedly, after uninstalling an after market alarm system the previous owner had installed, it was to prevent any electrical problems from occurring. I replaced the heater core about 6 months ago, which three years ago the local Chrysler dealership replaced as well. Do you see the picture? Who in the hell can I trust with my vehicle if the two dealerships don't know what they are doing when one of them is a 5-star????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????? Any ideas? I even tried to get Chrysler Corp involved. The next thing I knew the Service Manager was replaced with another, but I didn't get anywhere else with them, no recoup. The next thing is BAR and BBB for all four of them including Chrysler Corporate!!!!!!!! And, maybe Fox investigative team would like to hear about this!!!!! What do you think? I had a similar problem with my rear differential, and although I complained to Chrysler Corp because I had just paid for the differential service 6 months prior and they should have seen the metal flakes. Now, I read that the crankcase and metal flakes can have something to do with the electrical system and grounding that can also cause electrolysis in the radiator. WOW!!!!!!

Don't even think of replacing that tank. You must also replace the O ring. If so much as one tab cracks off, and it will, you are done. I did an experiment on my own car that had a cracked plastic tank. It started out as a 1 inch crack where they over tightened the bolt to hold the fan on. I used plastic weld. It held for awhile but the crack grew even after drilling the " holes ". After the crack grew to about 5 inches i replaced the rad. I took the tank off. Well, you should have seen the inside of the tank where the crack was.It was completely etched away and the plastic tank was about as thick as a dollar bill where the hot gasses and anti freeze leaked out eating away at the plastic tank. There was nothing left of the plastic where the leak was as it ate away the plastic from the inside.You know, the place you never see. John you were so bloody lucky. I wasn't. A 390 came into the shop one day. Just off the highway. Supposed to have the cap and wires replaced.Opened the hood, removed the cap and BANG the bypass hose let go. I was very lucky. Only spent 2 days in the burn ward and 4 weeks off work. When i got new skin it was the softest skin i've ever had. Baby's bum. My whiskers still grew back so that didn't change.Lost the scar under my left eye and the freckels on my nose. Lost the liver marks on my neck but they came back. I actually made more money on compensation than i did in the whole 2 months before the accident. Good stuff. Well if you want to call having all your faceial skin fall off good stuff. Yes it does actually fall off. I'm actually very lucky. I only have one " floater " in my left eye. The right eye lid feels tight but that is probably old age and I can still see with both eyes. Thank god. Yah he was probably with me under that hood. Actually he was under the hood with me. I can still see. could have lost my sight. Anyone that has been burned with hot antifreeze knows what i mean. Where i live water boils a 207 degs. F. anti freeze under pressure boils can boil at 260 F. Now we are getting into science.

Your engine: 1993, 2.2 L, 4cy, 114,000 KM (70,836 Miles) Wow! That is low mileage for year 1993. At one time, my wife had a 1989 Plymouth Sundance (US version). I've got a repair manual for the '89 2.2 and 2.5 L 4cy, plus the 3.0 L V6 engines. I believe that the layout of the 2.2 and 2.5 L engines remained about the same up through '93. I'll be quoting from the '89 manual. Drive belt: From what I see, the water pump is driven by an accessory belt, not the timing belt. (The water pump on the 3.0 L V6 is driven by the timing belt.) There are 2 to 3 accessory belts on the 2.2 and 2.5 L engines; 3 belts when equipped with an air conditioner compressor. However, the water pump housing is behind the timing belt so that will likely have to come off. The water pump on this engine is unusual in that it has a 2 piece housing. The book labels the back part, "Housing" and the front part, "Body assembly". These two halves are held together with 9 screws; a gasket is between the halves. Here is a potential for a leak. The tigntening torque specified for these 9 screws is 12 Nm (105 in-lb). The water pump assembly is fastened to the engine with 3 screws at the top and one screw much lower down. [Torque for the top 3 screws is 30 Nm (250 in-lb) and the bottom, 68 Nm (50 ft-lb)] You could try checking those 9 screws for tightness if you can get at those without disturbing the timing belt and sprockets. However, the drawing in my book doesn't look promising. I think the intermediate sprocket (associated with the timing belt) covers 2 of the 9 screws.

Mama Goose, I always imagined using old barn siding in a house, but never in a living room. More likely in a family room or more casual surroundings. Definitely not near a kitchen which has a way of depositing greasy stuff on any paint job or other finish. Very difficult to keep that coarse finish clean, IMHO. I sympathize with your desire to redo the trim in a 1920s period style, smoother finish. Mama Goose, epoxying the bathroom tile instead of removing it is inspirational to me. We have a totally BLUE TILE, BLUE TUB, BLUE SINK, BLUE TOILET bathroom in DH's little cape up in Massachusetts. He hates the tub surround because it leaks, is not tiled in. I'm now thinking we could change out the toilet and sink, have the tub refinished in white, remove the surround and have a newer tile put in. Of course, If the epoxied tile does not match closely, I suppose we could just rip it out. I saw where a towel warmer in the bath was used in place of a bathroom heater. Possibly the floor tile, white with a tiny diamond in the middle of a 4" area, could be taken out and a heated floor put in. But right now, we are wanting to be done with that house so we can enjoy it a little while before putting it up for sale. I will miss that little house, and the lovely yard too. It was a brief taste of what it would have been like if DH and I had married 50 years ago when we were first engaged.