Newish Trucks - low resevoir tank? Leaking rad cap?

I've got an 07 with 19K miles on it.

Just curious if anyone has experienced their radiator caps leaking?

I periodically get under the hood (aside from oil changes) and check things. I've noticed residue around and underneath the radiator cap for a while. Took note of it....and went on with life. Now, my resevoir tank is 1" below the empty line.

This isn't a big deal, but for a truck that's only 2 years old.....it really shouldn't happen. Just curious to know if anyone else has seen this or not?

I'm taking the truck in to the dealer Monday to have the front bumper resprayed (paint is bubbling up from a previous paint repair) and I'm gonna request they top off my tank along with changing the radiator cap. The radiator cap is cheap and I don't care even if they charge me for it. If they charge me for it and it fails again, then I will be somewhat pissed.

 

my 06 did it a little bit........i looked at it as normal evaporation over time.......not much on the radiator cap tho. i'd add to the full line every few months as needed.....never really had any probs with it.

 

Thanks guys!
Looks like this is pretty normal.

I can understand a little loss of fluid - and why I wasn't all that concerned about it until it went below the empty mark. It's been hot & I've been using the A/C more lately.

Hopefully a new cap will help keep the fluids in there.

If changing the radiator cap every few years is part of maintenance, I'm cool with that. It's the 'other' things that worry me.... especially with warrantee ends in March.

 

my 09 is doing that with only 1300 miles on it.
Do they sell better caps?

 

Not sure.... been looking around trying to find info about radiator caps (although they seem rather pointless, they are VERY important). There are pressure testers that test the systems and the caps themselves. Makes me wonder if Toyota would do that or not?

Here's a neat site....good read.
http://newcarbuyingguide.com/index.php/news/main/2524/event=view

Caps come in various pressure ratings also - and I'm sure if you got the wrong ones, it could mess things up.

 

Mine has leaked since it was brand new. I wrote this off because I regularly park on about a 35% incline. On the other hand, I have not had to fill it back up since the leak occurred. Apparently the cap leaked a little when it was at the full mark, went down to just above the add mark, and I've left it there ever since.

 

mine loses fluid too.
Let us know what you find out!

 

I have noticed this also, but never really thought much about it.

 

I don't have the truck back yet... I called for an update.
They also saw the residue near the cap and agreed to have the cap replaced and go from there. They topped off the tank also.

This normally isn't a big deal for me - just recently the level dropped farther than I'd ever seen it drop and the truck smelled like coolant after shutting it off.

If you guys are still under warranttee and you're loosing fluid often - I'd have it looked at by the dealer. They can perform a pressure test to find out where its leaking. And if you're not under warrantee....Pressure checks aren't all that expensive either. A local radiator shop near my house charges $24 for pressure test. We were gonna have my mother-in-laws Grand Cherokee done but we didn't need it...found the radiator was leaking. That was just this past Sunday.