02 Jeep GC radiator hose popped off after running hot?

JEEPGirlGT

New member
Hi there, first post!

For the passed 2 wks my 02 Jeep GC Special Edition has been running hot when in park or idling. People kept saying "your coolant is probably low" or "your radiator is done"...well my coolant was actually a little above the "full" mark and I was thinking a radiator problem would be a little worse.

I started thinking it must be something wrong with the fan. My uncle, who used to be a mechanic full time always has the answers. I called him and ran down a list of details and he said there was something wrong with the fan or a fan censor or something along those lines. Two summers ago, the temp would go up and "check gages" light would come on when at idle or parked. Then, sitting it traffic one day I heard a loud crash and it felt like something in the car just stopped. The fan had basically cracked in half.

This time it was the same thing...when at idle or in slow traffic the temp would go up, but when I got some speed going or in the evenings, when it's cool, I was having no problems. I hadn't taken it into the shop yet just because of lack of time & $$$.

Last night, I went to Publix and while I was inside, my sis & dog waited in the car. I told her if she saw the temp moniter moving to turn it off. She says it never moved, steam and water (or some liquid) just started pouring out of it. She turned it off when she saw the steam/smoke.

There were several guys outside offering explanations. One guy said he had had the same thing happen 4 times with Jeeps...he ran down my list of what had been happening with mine exactly. He said that pressure had built up in a radiator hose and it popped off. I'm guessing the fan thing is still an issue too as it's clearly not cooling anything when the car is at idle or parked. My Jeep's temp usually runs at or just below 210 and it had been going up to 260, but would usually come back down within a minute and I'd try to go park it and let it cool off.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had this issue and if I should be worried about anything else being wrong with it?

After the hose popped off (or whatever happened), I didn't turn it back on at all. It was towed to a nearby Jeep service center. I really hate taking it to dealership service dept's because it seems that something I didn't even know was wrong with it suddenly pops up when it goes into one, if you know what I mean.

Just hoping someone can give me some insight into what to ask and what to expect. Thanks so much! :)
 

A hose popping off could be the clamps fault not being able to retain the hose to the fitting at a high pressure event. Verify if the fans are working by turning on your A/C and the engine is at idle. If the fans doesn't turn on then i would start the diagnostics there. It could be a faulty relay or a faulty fan module.
 
Just my thought but i would go with the aftermarket clamps if the hose keeps popping off. I also just replaced the fan relay for my 03 GC doing the same kind of thing with the heating issues. At an idle or slow pace it would get hot. As soon as i would get some air moving it would cool right down. the hoses could be popping off with increased temps. steelheadz has the right idea. If you turn the AC on and let the car idle it will automatically turn the fan on.

If it is the relay.............Dont be a hero, cut the hole. its much easier!!
 
Hey y'all, thanks for the replies.

An update:

I HATE taking my car to dealership mechanics, but I don't really know any mechanics personally in ATL, so that's what happened...

They said there was a hole in the radiator, cooling fan wasn't responding, thermostat went out, and that relay thing, etc too.

They've replaced everything...total damage: $1,866. YIKES! Anyway, hopefully I'll pick up my baby this afternoon or tomorrow.

Hope y'all have better luck!
 
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