Sprung a coolant leak

Stopped for gas this morning and noticed my taco was bleeding. A small pool of coolant leaking from what looks like the lower hose where it connects to the radiator. I hope it’s just the hose. Decided it’s a good opportunity to upgrade to red reinforced silicone hoses.

Since it was cold outside and it wasn’t gushing out, it didn’t overheat. I drove it back home and drove my backup vehicle, the boring ol F150

 

oh dang. That reminds me. My radiator is starting to leak. lol It seems I only have to fix things on my Tacoma when it's cold out. Probably has something to do with it. haha

 

I just had a very similar leak, but it wasn’t the lower radiator hose. I was the damn cheap stamped steel nut that holds the trans coolant line in the lower radiator (plastic) tank. Rotted away inside and out! Had to replace the radiator just because of a $2.00 part that they use isn’t replaceable …

 

Aftermarket Radiator?

 

Mine is OEm radiator and I don’t have a trans cooker I don’t think. Manuals don’t have em right?

 

That I am not sure of cause it was a Denso radiator. Guess I assumed that it was OEM since I bought the truck in 2017 with about 78,000 miles on it...

 

Maybe its an Auto radiator....you put that hose clamp on there?

 

Check that that worm gear hose clamp is not loose (it is not oem). They are not bad, I always replace oem clamps with worm gear clamps, but they must be checked for tightness about a week after initial tightening. It’s not that they get loose, it’s that the material they tighten may compress. It is also possible the radiator is what’s leaking.

 

I assumed it’s OEM. It came to me this way. The radiator system is one of the few systems I haven’t touched yet on this truck aside from replacing the coolant. I never touched that hose/clamp before. I already ordered some new hoses and clamps anyway so I’m going to wait till they arrive before I go messing with it all. If it is the radiator that’s leaking I’ll replace that next but at least I’ll have new hoses with it.

 

I was just wondering cause toyota doesnt use those clamps...

 

Makes sense when I think about it. In hindsight I didn’t examine the problem too deeply or pay enough attention to those kind of details

 

May just need tightening..

 

Most OEM's don't use worm clamps. Take a look at this article to get a better understanding of why.

 

Plus new coolant haha. I just parked it and put a drain pan under it and rushed off in my other vehicle.

it probably drained all day

 

It looks like it was just loose hose clamps at both the top and bottom of the lower hose, like you said. Cinched em down, topped off the coolant and didn’t see any leaks. It didn’t actually lose but a few ounces actually. Took it for a test drive and it never exceeded 181 degrees. Same as before the leak. Now, I do see some seepage at the radiator cap, do I just need a new cap?

 

good deal...yeah looks like it needs a new cap.

 

Constant Tension hose clamps are the way, man. I don't trust those worm gear clamps.

 

Cheap clamp, replace it.