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Pages: 1

Where do the Degas bottles crack@ ?

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Posted by: WS6HUMMER

I just ordered one today, mine has air in the system from what I can tell.
When I unscrew the lid it bubbles, and I noticed the coolant level is about 2" below where it should be. Not to mention the temp guage pegs out spuratticly and the cooling fan is in overdrive most all of the time.

I removed the wiper arms, cowl, and unbolted the bottle to get a better look at it but the lower hose is keeping it pinned in place limiting what I could see. All I could find were a few small dried drip marks and a hair line fracture about 3/4" on the opposite side facing the brake booster.

Can you guys who've had this problem tell me what I'm looking for so if I do find it I'll have the satisfaction of knowing I have the problem fixed.?

Thanks,

Hummer

Posted by: lseguy

They most often crack starting from the inside of the bottle itself. at 65k miles or so, mine had a ton of spiderlike, hairline cracks that ran vertically inside the bottle. 2 or 3 found their way from inside to outside of the bottle. Almost impossible to see when the bottle was cold. And the bottle wouldnt leak at all then the car/bottle was cold. But when the car got full hot, the expansion of the cracks would case the coolant to leak out of the backside of the bottle, near the brake booster. My telltale sign was coolant on my garage floor just behind my drivers side front tire.

I removed it, and epoxied it GOOD with hard epoxy. First drive, the leak began at the edge of the epoxy.

Replaced with a new bottle, and that was that.

Tip: You can get to that lower hose clamp easily if you remove the drivers side plastic wheel well liner. There is a hole in the chassis RIGHT where the clamp is.

Posted by: WS6HUMMER

Quote:

Originally Posted by lseguy

They most often crack starting from the inside of the bottle itself. at 65k miles or so, mine had a ton of spiderlike, hairline cracks that ran vertically inside the bottle. 2 or 3 found their way from inside to outside of the bottle. Almost impossible to see when the bottle was cold. And the bottle wouldnt leak at all then the car/bottle was cold. But when the car got full hot, the expansion of the cracks would case the coolant to leak out of the backside of the bottle, near the brake booster. My telltale sign was coolant on my garage floor just behind my drivers side front tire.

I removed it, and epoxied it GOOD with hard epoxy. First drive, the leak began at the edge of the epoxy.

Replaced with a new bottle, and that was that.

Tip: You can get to that lower hose clamp easily if you remove the drivers side plastic wheel well liner. There is a hole in the chassis RIGHT where the clamp is.

Thanks for the help and the tip!

Posted by: itsnotmydaddys

Mine had i think a total of 14 cracks in it. They were all over the thing.

Posted by: WS6HUMMER

Quote:

Originally Posted by itsnotmydaddys

Mine had i think a total of 14 cracks in it. They were all over the thing.

Could you see them while the bottle was still mounted in the car?

Posted by: nearlyhalfamile

The cracks will most likely be along the edges of the bottle. Mine had cracks and every single corner. I couldn't see any of them while it was installed, but when I had it out, it looked horrible. If you are wondering if it is leaking from the bottle, fill up the bottle to the full mark and run the car and let it sit for awhile... if it is leaking bad you should see some small drips behind the driver's wheel.

Posted by: lseguy

Almost forgot..the dealer's replacement bottle comes with that lower skinny hose already attached. Someone here posted that it's easier to climb under the car, and actually remove the hose from the OTHER end..not the end where it attaches to the underside of the bottle.

So..in essence..it appears that the proper way for the repair is to loosen that hose clamp on the other end, remove the hose..then go back up and pull the bottle/hose assembly out of the car.

Posted by: fishbone1

Mine had cracks all down the backside. They were not visible till the bottle was removed.

Posted by: WS6HUMMER

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishbone1

Mine had cracks all down the backside. They were not visible till the bottle was removed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lseguy

Almost forgot..the dealer's replacement bottle comes with that lower skinny hose already attached. Someone here posted that it's easier to climb under the car, and actually remove the hose from the OTHER end..not the end where it attaches to the underside of the bottle.

So..in essence..it appears that the proper way for the repair is to loosen that hose clamp on the other end, remove the hose..then go back up and pull the bottle/hose assembly out of the car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nearlyhalfamile

The cracks will most likely be along the edges of the bottle. Mine had cracks and every single corner. I couldn't see any of them while it was installed, but when I had it out, it looked horrible. If you are wondering if it is leaking from the bottle, fill up the bottle to the full mark and run the car and let it sit for awhile... if it is leaking bad you should see some small drips behind the driver's wheel.

Thank you guys a million, you all are a HUGE help!

Posted by: Eliot_Ness_Ls

They crack anywhere and can crack everywhere.