2001 Sport Trac going through coolant way to fast...

[Miz101]

Hello,

I have a 2001 Sport Trac and it is going through the coolant extremely fast. It is wasting about a gallon a day. I do not see any leaks around the radiator cover or anywhere around the engine, I also do not see anything on the floor when the car is parked. It only seems to happen when the car is running if it is left stopped it will not leak. There is a funny smell that kind of smells like the coolant burning but I have no idea where it could be.

Is it possible that it is somehow leaking into the exhaust from the inside and burning in there which is why I can't see it but can smell it?

Any help would be really appreciated as this is driving me crazy!

 

[briwayjones]

Woah if it's not leaking anywhere than really the only place it could be going is in the engine and being burnt which is what it sounds like. That's not good at all. Sounds like you have a blown head gasket or lower engine gasket. Take the oil cap off and see if there is white milky stuff on the inside bottom of it. Pull the dipstick and see what color the oil is. If it's burning a gallon of coolant a day you don't want to be driving it.

If you have to drive it until you get it fixed, more than a couple days drain the coolant out and put 100% water in it until it's too cold to do so.

 

[Squirrelmaster]

Indeed, it sounds like you've got a headgasket leak. When you drive it, does it seem to blow a nice cloud of white smoke out of the tailpipe? Do as briwayjones says and check the oil for evidence of coolant.

Tom

 

[Miz101]

Briwayjones - I took the oil cover off and it seems like there is a milky substance in there... the stuff that is stuck on the top of the cap almost has a cappuccino color to it. The dip stick does not show any sign of water though and I do not see any smoke coming out of the tail pipe.

So it seems all signs are pointing to a bad head gasket?

 

[briwayjones]

Briwayjones - I took the oil cover off and it seems like there is a milky substance in there... the stuff that is stuck on the top of the cap almost has a cappuccino color to it. The dip stick does not show any sign of water though and I do not see any smoke coming out of the tail pipe.

So it seems all signs are pointing to a bad head gasket?

It sure sounds like it. How far do you drive it to work or at one time without turning the engine off?

 

[John_Rock]

Do you smell it inside the truck with the windows shut and A/C on max?

I had the same problem in my Limited. The heater core started leaking my coolant inside the truck. So it was dripping off the truck on the passenger side way in the back.

 

[Miz101]

You can more or less smell it inside the car but you smell it outside way more so I have a feeling it's the smell getting in from the outside. The car is probably driven between 5-10 miles a day.

 

[briwayjones]

How far at one time typically do you drive in one run? In other words when you start it up, how long do you drive it for before you shut it off? If you don't drive it long enough the white milky stuff under the oil cap can also be from condensation. But it definitely sounds like you're going through coolant.

 

[Miz101]

How far at one time typically do you drive in one run? In other words when you start it up, how long do you drive it for before you shut it off? If you don't drive it long enough the white milky stuff under the oil cap can also be from condensation. But it definitely sounds like you're going through coolant.

Ahh about 5 miles.

 

[Miz101]

I'm planning on taking the heads off to change the head gasket. When I do so do I have to mess with anything related to the distributor? Such as the timing or will the ECU handle setting the timing once I put it back?

 

[John_Rock]

I'm planning on taking the heads off to change the head gasket. When I do so do I have to mess with anything related to the distributor? Such as the timing or will the ECU handle setting the timing once I put it back?

No disrespect, but your question right there tells me that you should not be messing with your heads. This is not a simple engine from the 70's. At the very least you should have a manual in front of you and read over the procedures thoroughly. I'm still not convinced that the problem is a blown head gasket.

 

[JDraper]

No disrespect, but your question right there tells me that you should not be messing with your heads. This is not a simple engine from the 70's. At the very least you should have a manual in front of you and read over the procedures thoroughly. I'm still not convinced that the problem is a blown head gasket.

I agree. Your vehicle doesn't have a distributor for starters, and there are several possibilities. If you are getting water into the cylinders, it could be a blown head gasket, a bad intake manifold gasket or a crack in the block or head. If it's a bad intake manifold gasket, your compression should still be good. If you've got a blow head gasket or crack, you will probably see a drop in compression in one or more cylinders. If you're not getting water into the engine, and it's burning off like Johnstone mentioned, it could be a bad heater core or other cracked coolant/heating system component that is allowing water to vaporize on the exhaust manifolds.

Before ripping the engine apart, do a compression test at the minimum. You may also want to do a leakdown test on the cooling system and a dye tracer test to pinpoint the problem.

 

[CDW6212R]

Keep an eye on the oil and its level. If it turns brown or gains height than stop driving the truck immediately. If that much water gets into the oil, the bearings will be destroyed very quickly. If it's a head gasket and you fix it before water contaminates the oil, the bearings will be fine. Changing head gaskets is dirt cheap compared to a full engine rebuild.

You can drive it carefully as long as the oil is only oil, clear or black and not over full. That is why I say watch the oil on the dipstick. Keep checking the oil and the inside right floor board behind the rug. A heater core can easily leak a gallon in no time. That is what you should hope for. Regards,

 

[SVO]

Keep in mind both what JDraper said and Johnstone, this is not an engine you want to take apart if you never had.

Go have the issue verified, with a cooling system pressure test, cylinder leak down test, and verify the head gasket is not blown by also having them check for exhaust gasses in the cooling system.

If not you take matters into your own hands and this could wind up costing you more money than you think.

An interfereance motor is not something to play around with, only bad will come of this, take it to someone who knows what thier doing.




Jeff - :navajo: