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Saturday, August 25, 2012

08 Dodge Grand Caravan Antifreeze Heatercore Y-pipe

So here's the deal on an 08 Dodge Grand Caravan with the 3.6L, and others I'm sure, have this problem that is kind of hard to track down. When get off the highway and stop you'll smell burnt antifreeze. There's never an obvious leak or puddle and regular pressure testing doesn't seem to find the leak.You have to stop immediately when the smell happens and open the hood to find the problem. This plastic Y-pipe leaks.

When it leaks the antifreeze hits the exhaust manifold and instantly evaporates. So you get the smell, but no other evidence.


Here's better look at the Y-pipe in question.


This pipe has broken on me twice now. This is the stupid part. To get a replacement you have to go to the Dodge dealer and spent $100 and you this much extra stuff. When the Y-pipe and the hoses are all you really need.The dealer would probably charge you the full 1.8 hours to swap the whole assembly, too. That's about $300 total. A smart mechanic would still only swap the needed parts in about a half hour and sell the scrap aluminum and the business office still gets the 1.8 hrs of labor.



Last time I just used the stuff I needed from the big mess, but this time I decided to search the internet and found a easier/cheaper way. I found a great solution. There wasn't any picture filled write-ups so I put this together. Start with a Murray 84757 - 5/8 inch Plastic Y-pipe. I would love to find an aluminum or stainless version that would last forever, but for $7.99 a plastic one is cheap enough that carrying a spare in the van tool box is not cost prohibitive.


You'll need some 5/8inch heater hose and hose clamps.


Now let's get to it. One of these funny new style clamps.


That end's off the engine.


Now these permantent type clamps need to go. There are tougher. I could have cut off the hoses, but I didn't want to come up short of the pre-shaped hoses. So cut the bands with a razor blade.


Man they are tough. Don't loose any broken pieces in the radiator hoses.


Now get the second one off.


For breaking so easy this thing is dang hard to break off.


Y, hose piece, and clamps to match up with the original.


In place.


The other hoses go onto the Y with clamps. Don't over tighten the clamps and break the Y.


Good to go for another 50,000 miles hopefully.

91 comments:

  1. You really helped me - today I did the same thing in my car :-)
    The entire cost - $ 13 and 40 minutes of work
    THANK YOU !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Will a T the same as a y that is all Oreillys has here?

      Delete
    2. Will a T work the same as a y?

      Delete
  2. Great! I take pictures to help the next guy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do you need to change the hoses attached to the Y part or use the existing? Thanks

      Delete
    2. I'm losing antifreeze (no puddles) heat not working. I have put in grand new radiator, thermostat and replaced a leaking metal hose on bottom of engine. Where's the antifreeze going and y no heat?? When I add antifreeze I get heat for about 10 min. Any ideas?

      Delete
    3. Try back flushing your heater core with a water hose

      Delete
  3. Replies
    1. Sorry, just google it. They have it at O'Reilly Auto Parts. My 09 Dodge Journey v6 is having the same problem. Smelled coolant but no leakage. Had to take off the intake manifold to get to it easier, I need to change the spark plugs anyways so its all good.

      You saved me about $80 bucks... Many thanks!

      Delete
    2. Cool. I thought I had a link to it in my post. But yeah my local O'Reilly's had it in stock when I needed it.

      Delete
  4. This was awesome. Thank you for posting it. I used a dremel tool with a grinder wheel to score the bands and a screwdriver to crack them the rest of the way off. You saved me an incredible amount of time and money. Thanks again

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  5. I had this too. My y-pipe somewhat disintegrated. Two bike trips to my O'reillys yielded the wrong size pieces. Since it was already springtime in Texas, I ended up bypassing the heater all together. My coolant temp sensor has failed, so I'll be digging into that area and can replace the y-pipe now. Thanks for the item number, I'm sure that will speed up the parts hunt.

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  6. I found a metal one here: http://www.jcwhitney.com/dorman-universal-heater-hose-junction/p3051599.jcwx?skuId=3402399&filterid=d420y2010g226u0j1

    Just copy paste it.

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  7. I'm so unbelievably happy to have found this post. When I called the dealer they quoted me $220 for the parts. I couldn't believe it. Found this, bought the parts for $12 + replacement coolant. Perhaps 2 hours of work if I include waiting for the engine to cool before disassembling the connector. Thanks a bunch!

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  8. Can you post the link, so we can buy the ''Y'' online?? Do u think the one Sean Sullivan posted would work??

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  9. The JCWhitney one should work. This is the online place to get the one I used. http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/MRY0/84757/N0187.oap?ck=Search_N0187_-1_-1&pt=N0187&ppt=C0108

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  10. Thank you for posting this. I found my leak today and went on a search for replacing it. When I saw the $100 part I almost died! I knew there had to be an alternative to replacing the whole assembly. Now I can cancel my appointment with the mechanic and fix it myself. I have it taped up now since I can't get the parts for a few days.
    One question, did you drain the radiator first, or do I not need to worry about it since it's off?

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  11. No reason to drain it, but you'll probably need to top it off.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Will a T work the same as a Y? everybody has Ts' but no Ys'

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    Replies
    1. I think it would so, but I haven't tried it. It would stop the leak and you would know it didn't work if the heater wasn't working well.

      Delete
    2. A Wye fitting is better than a Tee for the flow.
      I would not use a Tee.

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    3. Don't use a plastic T. Not even one that is designed for radiators. I put one in and it sheered off completely. Now Have a brass T in and it is holding up well.

      Delete
  13. I am so glad that I found your page. This solution worked great. It saved me a significant amount of money. Thanks for sharing this info.

    ReplyDelete
  14. In the event you don't have an O'Reilly's near you (like me), but you do have and Advance Auto Parts, here is the same part: http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_heater-fitting-plastic-t-type-hose-splicer-factory-air_20891572-p?searchTerm=splicer

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  15. I just completed the same repair with success! Nothing better than saving $150 + labor.....

    Thanks for the advice!!

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  16. I used a 3/4" brass T fitting which fits the 5/8" heater hose perfectly.......I never have to worry about the T cracking because its not plastic....You can get it at home depot for $3

    http://www.homedepot.com/p/SharkBite-3-4-in-PEX-Brass-Lead-Free-Tee-UC370LFA/202270639#.UldxJm1kVNg

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Tee fitting might not work that well for the flow.
      I know that at work we have galvanized Wye fitting that should work

      Delete
  17. Thank you, thank you, for this pictorial guide. You saved me lots of money and I have the satisfaction of knowing that I fixed my van. I also have some bruised and scraped knuckle, but those are well worth it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Everything works better after you bleed in to it a bit.

      Delete
  18. Thank you for great job explaining and showing steps. Shop found problem for me but wanted to charge over $400 for repair. $10 later and little over and hour work (I'm and electrician, not an auto guy) and wife's van is back up and running

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thank you for posting this repair solution, just save a good amount of money doing it myself! To people who ask about the hose clamps; you need to buy at least 3 to replace the plastic factory ones on all three legs of the Y. You can reuse the other 3 metal ones.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thank you for your blog , I had to do the same thing on my 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan yesterday,
    In my case I just cut the hoses.
    It took me may be 15 minutes total.
    One would think that Chrysler would do something about this issue instead of just selling parts.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I used a copper 3/4 t and a 45 elbow and a couple straight pieces

    ReplyDelete
  22. Great post with good pictures and details. Wish I had found this the first time my heater core line started leaking. Just by two cents. I had one of those plastic radiator connectors sheer off completely, dumping all my coolant and almost immediately overheating the engine. Definitely stick with brass if you can find it. Not sure why Dodge hasn't re-engineered this part as they did with the A/C compressor hose. I doubt I will ever by another Dodge. Too many engineering flaws for parts that shouldn't fail raises the cost of ownership...

    ReplyDelete
  23. Is it the Y that is broken or just those funky band clamps? I just cut the bands off with a Dremel and am tempted to just put regular hose clamps in place of the band clamps. Has anyone done this or when you disassemble is the Y actually broken and/or failing somewhere?

    ReplyDelete
  24. Had this happen on my 3.3 L 2010 6cyl dodge caravan last night driving home from Grandpa's house. I think the problem begins under hard acceleration. My theory is the antifreeze is coming under high pressure through the connection, and the molded plastic part (which is obviously two pieces put together with some sort of process, either as they're molded, or after) fails at the seam. The top branch of the Y (the part facing the hood) actually split right down the middle! It was a huge mess, squirting antifreeze all over everything and stinking to high heaven. Thx so much for the post, you saved me hundreds $$! I'm going to follow the blog now!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agreed, mine broke after punching down a long straightaway and well into triple digits

      Delete
  25. My mom took her minivan and they wanted 300 dollars to replace the tube and the pump. What is the pump they speak of? Thanks for answering!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would think the water pump would be the only pump. If you have the antifreeze smell or mess then I would think the water pump is working. Fix the tube, fill the anti-freeze, and watch the water temp gauge. If it's not running hot then you should be fine

      Delete
    2. Is this also an instruction for air conditioning for the Y pump? That is my main reason for doing research and come across this forum.

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    3. I'm not familiar with anything on the AC side, but that will need hold higher pressures.

      Delete
  26. Go to this link: http://www.lowes.com/pd_314733-61002-APXT34_0__?productId=3694100

    These are what we use at my shop to repair the heater hose y-pipe made out of plastic.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Thanks for your stepo by step instructions. Did this repair two weeks ago.
    http://comments4today.blogspot.com/2014/08/mini-van-repair-diy-pt-2-repair.html

    ReplyDelete
  28. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBNyZQD9LD8
    Click the link above for a video of this fix using a brass T

    ReplyDelete
  29. Perfect for us picture learners, finished it with confidence in about an hour. Excellent blog!

    ReplyDelete
  30. This is awesome , I fixed it in the dealership parking lot in 30 or 40 min. and I saved $352.00 dollars.

    ReplyDelete
  31. I hate it when I write a long story and it disappears because of this lousy program

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  32. OK I'm going to try it again. I drove the car to the store and back. It was about 50 degrees out. About 2 hours later I felt the top radiator hose and it was limp telling me the antifreeze cooling created a slight vacuum. I split the plastic clamps with a hose cutter. wrestled and wrestled and couldn't get them off because the upper two were one piece so I cut the hoses at the end of the Y, cut a new piece and inch longer for the front and everything went back together fast and smooth. I only lost about a couple tablespoons of fluid. I can't see anything wrong with the old Y. Maybe the clamps were not tight enough. When I get time I'll pressure test the old one.
    How come all these published fixes only talk about the front Y leaking and not about the back one?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Also I didn't remove the battery. I took my pen and numbered the spark plug wires unplugged all the wires. removed the coil and had lots of room to work on the Y.

      Delete
  33. I was planning on doing this myself, certain circumstances forced me too go see the dodge dealership. (i was currently stuck out of town about 3hrs) A bill $567 dollars later!! I'm currently crying myself too sleep i never fixed it before going on my little trip..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Same thing happened to me just spend 565 to fix mine. I feel like a sucker

      Delete
    2. Same thing happened to me just spend 565 to fix mine. I feel like a sucker

      Delete
  34. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  35. Here is your aluminum Y pipe, no more plastic to fail.

    http://www.ebay.com/sch/eBay-Motors-/6000/m.html?_ssn=newyorkbuyer

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I found myself in same issue with repair estimation for $600. Thankgod I saw this post. Thank you so much for the original post as well as the links put down by others.

      Delete
  36. The information which you have provided is very good. It is very useful who is looking forBrass Flare Fittings Producer

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  37. I am going to do this tomorrow, but my concern is with using metal or brass Y pipe. How does it affect the vehicle long term? Which is better brass, metal or aluminum?

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  38. Thanks for the post. Fixed mine on about 30 minutes with a t pex connector and about 6 inches of hose and a sharp knife.

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  39. Many thanks! Worked great on our 2009 Grand Caravan!

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  40. Replaced the Y connector and hoses. No leak...but gage shows hot and air conditioner doesn't blow cold.

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  41. Thanks for this post was an easy fix. Less then 30 min and spend only $15 on all at O'Riley's, remember to give them the part #84757 for the Y connector, And 1ft of 3/8 heater hose, and 4 clamps.

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  42. I've been using these for a while now, they work amazing well.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/301694765474

    ReplyDelete
  43. Wonderful blog, thank you for posting it. I have a 2010 Dodge Journey 3.5l, the shop said the overflow tank was leaking but they couldn't show me a hole or crack anywhere. ($110 for the tank, I never replaced it) I found your post (great pictures) and went to work looking for the "Y" connection. On this model its behind the engine above the exhaust. $12 at O'reilly auto parts and 1 hour later it was fixed. The shop said the computer had a code indicating the overflow tank wasn't pressurized, that's why they said I needed a new tank. FYI the code is off now. Altogether I saved about $400, thanks again.

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  44. AWESOME!! Thanks for putting this up. I owe you one - This saved me a fortune

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  45. Just wanna say. I know this is an old form but this has helped me out big time. Called auto parts store to find out the part is 120. So I began my search and found this. Thanks agian for posting and helping us save money. Will be doing this tommrow to get my grandmother's van back up and going.

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  46. I tried but the Murray Y fitting cracked upon installation. The plastic is too brittle. When I was taking it out to go back to the store for refund it broke.

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  47. replaced a leaking y connector. Now the radiator fan is not coming on and smoke still coming up off the manifold? There was a lot of coolant sprayed around the engine. Could the coolant have caused problems in the radiator fan harness wiring or sensors?

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  48. An old post but this is really going to help me thank you!

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  49. I don't know about stainless steel, but I know there's brass Y 5/8" connector available.
    http://www.fairviewfittings.com/products/hose-end-fittings/low-pressure/hose-barb-fittings--brass/union-y-118114.html

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  50. THANK YOU! So much on this engine I have repaired myself. This is a great help!

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  51. Just had this repair done at the shop on my T&C, had quite a bit of white smoke. Shop owner said it's coolant that had pooled in a trough under the exhaust manifold. The leak is repaired, but I'm seeing quite a bit of exhaust now. Wondering if it's the pooled liquid burning its way out. Anyone else experience this?

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  52. I know your ability on this. I must say we ought to have an online exchange on this. Composing just remarks will close the discourse straight away! What's more, will confine the advantages from this data. heater repair services richmond hill ga

    ReplyDelete
  53. I'm losing antifreeze (no puddles) heat not working. I have put in grand new radiator, thermostat and replaced a leaking metal hose on bottom of engine. Where's the antifreeze going and y no heat?? When I add antifreeze I get heat for about 10 min. Any ideas?

    ReplyDelete
  54. What is the hose behind the y-hose? I have a leak there.

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  55. Nice work..it's almost identical to the work facing me on our Ellis Hurricane. Now we read your repairs list and seen pictures having second thoughts.

    http://smallandfriendly.co.nz/

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  56. Thank you so much, mine broke last night on our van. Already fixed this morning, just before our 2 hour trip to the beach. Saved the day :)

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  57. Thank you very much for the posting. It is still helping people out after so many years. To contribute a little as well: Autozone is now selling a Y connector kit for only $14.99. I believe the Y connector is made of Aluminum
    https://www.autozone.com/cooling-heating-and-climate-control/hose-heater/dorman-hose-heater-/948667_803633_0

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Autozone also has a cheaper version with plastic Y connector. This is in stock in all stores. The Aluminum version has to be shipped.

      Delete
    2. Wow, this was the posting I needed! I used Advance Auto Parts 47238HP, it's aluminum and comes with 4 hose clamps and an extra piece of hose. In 15 minutes (most of it trying to cut off the OEM clamps, just cut the hose since it's much easier) the job was done. Thanks!

      Delete
  58. Aluminum Y connector kit part number: 47238HP

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  59. Thank you so much, just changed the rear y fitting, had split where it was molded together, your tips were spot on, i had to use a dremel tool and a pvc pipe cutter to get the molded clamps off, that was actually the most difficult part of the job. Dorman heater supply repair kit # 47238 from Advance Auto, $8.19 plus tax. Thanks again

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  60. So glad I found this blog! This "Y" connector failed tonight on my 2009 Grand Caravan. I found this blog and then headed to O'Reilly's. They didn't have the correct connector in stock, but I was looking around the store for hose clamps and found that Dorman "HELP!" products makes a replacement kit FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM! YAY! It's Dorman part number 47238. It comes with the new Y connector, an approximately 4" long piece of hose, and 4 hose clamps. I paid only $8.49 for the kit! Thanks to Dorman products! I use their stuff regularly. I hope this helps someone else out.

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  61. I work hard for too many hours for money to take care of my family. Thank you for helping to make sure that it gets spent on them. Everyone's a Hero in their own way, and you're our Hero today. :)

    ReplyDelete
  62. I had the same problem over 5 years ago.
    I order the "y" but it was taking so long and I used a copper Tee from Homedepot has a remedy. It still there. The tee is on my shelf since.

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  63. I meant the "y" is in the shelf since

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  64. I had this go out twice on our 2010 model. I read up on some different ideas and ended up using a pex plumbing brass T to replace it and bought some heater hose to put new hoses on it. Been 4+ years and no more issue w/that piece! Highly recommend it, I think it cost me all of $3 for the 'T' and not much more for the length of hose.

    ReplyDelete