2013 Explorer Overheating

[ExplorerJoe1]

Recently got a liquid coolant overheating warning. Shut the engine off and let it cool and then it didn't happen again for a couple of weeks. Now it seems to be overheating when the stopped at lights or just idling. The fans are both working and seem to be running a really high speed, but it is still overheating when stopped but cools back down when moving at faster speeds. Thoughts???

 

[2018explorersport]

Could be the water pump, is your coolant low?

 

[peterk9]

Recently got a liquid coolant overheating warning. Shut the engine off and let it cool and then it didn't happen again for a couple of weeks. Now it seems to be overheating when the stopped at lights or just idling. The fans are both working and seem to be running a really high speed, but it is still overheating when stopped but cools back down when moving at faster speeds. Thoughts???

Welcome to the Forum.
As mentioned above, have you checked the coolant level? Also, I suggest you check the oil on the dipstick for possible coolant contamination. Water pump failure leads to dead engine

Peter

 

[blwnsmoke]

This was the symptom of when the fans were going in the early model years. They were not operating properly and vehicles would overheat when idling.. but start driving and the air would help cool the motor down.

How is the coolant level?

 

[thefranchise713]

Are the fans multi-speed? I'm wondering if they're failing at a lower duty cycle, but then running at the high duty cycle when so commanded.

+1 for the coolant milkshake check.

 

[Napalm]

So my 2016 started doing this today. Now I didn't witness it - wifey did. on the way to school, overheat warning came on - she says no CEL - but I scanned and there was a PCM code for coolant overtemp (not CHT, coolant over temp)

I get the overflow tank was empty - now it was low a weekago. but not empty.. Car started fine - fans came on fairly quickly (my first concern based on phone call). I added about 1/3 of a gallon of water so 1.5 quarts distilled water. because I had some.

Car drove 16 miles no issue - turned on the heat full bore - made heat quick and easily didn't turn on rear heat though. Cut AC back on - temp outside around 60 +. car temp crept up to 100 C (212 F) and hovered below that mostly around the 93-95C mark most of the time that the heater was off. (205-209 F). Per forscan read.

No lights - no hesitation, no issues. Get home - overflow tank was nearly empty again. Go get premix coolant - top back up to the C line. At 3PM go get the kiddos . 7-8 mile round trp with idlining at 2 locations total engine on time around 20 minutes. again no driving issue - no smell - no fluid under car while idling.

Get home - overflow is again nearly empty. So now I've put more than 1/2 a gallon of fluid in play. This time when I pull the reservoir cap - fluid comes back in a little bit.

right now without equipment I can't pressure test but I need too - or perhaps I need to rebleed the system - meaning it got rather low. Oh and yes Oil check. So oil wasn't milky nor did it smell other than lightly burnt - color is still light brown on paper - about 1 month of driving on the oil. For all the coolant I added - oil level didn't budge. so I don't think there is any oil-coolant mixing. but I can't see if there is oil in the coolant - again though oil level is even keel.

So right now without pressure test It got low - and needs to be rebleed more. OH trip to grocery store - added fluid to the C line again - after trip (13 miles round trip - no extended idle) it dropped some again but not as much - maybe another 1/2 quart. I haven't topped it off again.

When I squeeze the top radiator tube - fluid goes back and forth in the overflow tank. that didn't happen with the first top off.

 

[jade97]

So my 2016 started doing this today. Now I didn't witness it - wifey did. on the way to school, overheat warning came on - she says no CEL - but I scanned and there was a PCM code for coolant overtemp (not CHT, coolant over temp)

I get the overflow tank was empty - now it was low a weekago. but not empty.. Car started fine - fans came on fairly quickly (my first concern based on phone call). I added about 1/3 of a gallon of water so 1.5 quarts distilled water. because I had some.

Car drove 16 miles no issue - turned on the heat full bore - made heat quick and easily didn't turn on rear heat though. Cut AC back on - temp outside around 60 +. car temp crept up to 100 C (212 F) and hovered below that mostly around the 93-95C mark most of the time that the heater was off. (205-209 F). Per forscan read.

No lights - no hesitation, no issues. Get home - overflow tank was nearly empty again. Go get premix coolant - top back up to the C line. At 3PM go get the kiddos . 7-8 mile round trp with idlining at 2 locations total engine on time around 20 minutes. again no driving issue - no smell - no fluid under car while idling.

Get home - overflow is again nearly empty. So now I've put more than 1/2 a gallon of fluid in play. This time when I pull the reservoir cap - fluid comes back in a little bit.

right now without equipment I can't pressure test but I need too - or perhaps I need to rebleed the system - meaning it got rather low. Oh and yes Oil check. So oil wasn't milky nor did it smell other than lightly burnt - color is still light brown on paper - about 1 month of driving on the oil. For all the coolant I added - oil level didn't budge. so I don't think there is any oil-coolant mixing. but I can't see if there is oil in the coolant - again though oil level is even keel.

So right now without pressure test It got low - and needs to be rebleed more. OH trip to grocery store - added fluid to the C line again - after trip (13 miles round trip - no extended idle) it dropped some again but not as much - maybe another 1/2 quart. I haven't topped it off again.

When I squeeze the top radiator tube - fluid goes back and forth in the overflow tank. that didn't happen with the first top off.

Check you oil level and see if it is milky. Your water pump seal could have failed and is dumping coolant into the crankcase.

 

[Napalm]

Check you oil level and see if it is milky. Your water pump seal could have failed and is dumping coolant into the crankcase.

as I stated in the post - checked the oil 3 times. Oil looks good - little burnt smell expected that - no volume changes and no smell changes.

Not milky - not grey.

Oil is good.

Follow on from today. 2 other in town drivers. One to the wallmarx last night about 12 miles round drip light traffic - coolant dropped about 1/3 of the overflow tank. Then second drive this morning. 10 mile or so round trip - stop and go though school drop off (stopped idle) and drive to and drop of kid 2 again stop and idle a minute or 2. Level didn't drop appreciably.

Also today's coolant temp hovered around 85-88 C (187 F) and with OAT being 13C or 55-56 F Also checked oil again still looks good.

So at the moment I think if there is a leak is must be minor and it's been there for the better part of 3 months (since oil change) as there is no fluid under the car.

 

[peterk9]

If the coolant is dropping and you have to keep adding it and there is no sign of a visible leak, it has to be going somewhere. I don't think a drop of 1/3 in the tank after having filled it would be a minor leak. It's supposed to be a sealed system. Have you noticed any white exhaust smoke?

Peter

 

[Odrapnew]

Throwing out one more thought, since it's not getting into the oil and you don't see leaks, could it be going into the transmission?
Is the transmission cooled by coolant as well?

Otherwise, losing a full overflow within 7-8 miles, if it was a head gasket (burning coolant), I would expect a white cloud behind you as Peter alluded to.

Last question(s). How many miles are on your Ex, how long have you owned it and have you ever checked (or noticed) coolant level in the overflow tank? Just thinking, maybe it was never full.

 

[Napalm]

So another update. This is a doozy.

So tuesday after making more intown errands. Coolant at the end of the day stayed nearly even - accounting for pressurization. so let the car cool back down - or purposely vent the cap - coolant lever rises. Was nearly where it was when I started that evening. Another 12 miile round trip.

Wednesday - sitting over night -coolant again didn't move noticeably. Let wifey drive the car to school and all - later that afternoon after a 26 mile round trip in traffic and 2 stops. coolant was where is needed to be. but yes some coolant smell when hot. I attribute that to the coolant that was spilled filiing it the last time. However - no over heat, coolant level stayed, oil still there, no white smoke, no drips, etc.


So talking to a mechanic friend of mine to see if he had the Uview5500 tool that the ford manual calls for - we talked though it and he said - have you never added fluid to it. NO. OK so nearly 6 years old (will be in June) and 113K mile of life. Never touched it, and he said well usually they lose/use some over time either with cap leak or a little be of seepage around the connections etc. I mean never added any in 6 years. Nope.

His thought and mine think it was a bit low earlier this winter. Wifey hit the curb and shatted 2 tires back in February - he things that caused the cap to come loose or one of the hose connections to come loose and let it vent some. Since it's not now warming up the loss finally created a airlock pocket.

 

[Napalm]

So I will watch it for another 2 days and I plan to change the oil just because. and later this month flush the coolant provided there are no continued issues.

 

[Napalm]

So of course I have terrible luck. Thrusday night wifey drives home - all appeared well, we've driven the explorer for nearly a week now with no cooling incidents. Even 120 mile round trip on the weekend all good.

outside with kiddos - uhm there's a puddle under the car. oh ___________________________. Jack up look under - frame rail is wet, belts ae wet but so is the radiator support in the corner and the fluid trail starts under the rad support. but it's a hill too - so trail runs under to the back tire.

OK well _____________________________________...... Radiator let go I guess. OK easy enough to do figures it had to be going somewhere. . . .

Friday morning move the car a bit - get up under it good - hmm - drips are only under the alternator. frame rail is still wet but not the rad support. Radiator sides are dry. . . . . . HMM. read internets - confirm pit is stomach - weeping water pump. Makes no noise - but it did ldrip nearly all friday. while I called around to see how I would go about getting it fixed. No other shop would really quote it with 2 saying well drive it here so we can diagnose it. What part of shot waterpump makes you think I'm driving the car to you. smurftastic.

So aside from wanting it done right hopefully by someone that should be able to do it right with fixing cam timing and the like - I took it to the local ford dealer. pain the wallet awaits.

Aside the more I'e looked at the system I really don't understand why there isn't a low coolant sensors on the degas (reservoir ) tank.

 

[Explorer75]

If it´s the water pump consider yourself lucky that you caught it early. It´s and expensive job to replace the pump but it would be ridiculous expensive if the engine gets damaged.

Please, keep us posted.

 

[Napalm]

so it was the water pump and while I know it could be worse I don't feel lucky. 2700 dollars later all they did was replace the water pump - yes they pulled the engine to do the job - yes they supposedly replaced a few gaskets and recharged the AC system (which you know 5 years later it might have needed a bit)

but I tried to get them to replace the timing chain and they said well it doesn't need it. Supposedly in great condition - I admit when I looked at it it didn't seem worn and as the tech said the tensioners were still mid range tight. They didn't look worn either - surprised me.

I don't know that it was needed but they also pulled the oil pan which was supposedly clean.

At least they didn't try to up charge me for additions but hell for the money I would have thought more was replaced. If it wasn't that I needed the car I might have tried it myself. would have easily taken me 3 full days work to do it I'm sure.

 

[Explorer75]

so it was the water pump and while I know it could be worse I don't feel lucky. 2700 dollars later all they did was replace the water pump - yes they pulled the engine to do the job - yes they supposedly replaced a few gaskets and recharged the AC system (which you know 5 years later it might have needed a bit)

but I tried to get them to replace the timing chain and they said well it doesn't need it. Supposedly in great condition - I admit when I looked at it it didn't seem worn and as the tech said the tensioners were still mid range tight. They didn't look worn either - surprised me.

I don't know that it was needed but they also pulled the oil pan which was supposedly clean.

At least they didn't try to up charge me for additions but hell for the money I would have thought more was replaced. If it wasn't that I needed the car I might have tried it myself. would have easily taken me 3 full days work to do it I'm sure.

I understand what you mean, 2,700 for a water pump is crazy, but there have been other stories like a whole family starting a road trip and get stranded, bad water pump and wrecked engine. Somewhat happy that you got it fixed, this is how it goes with this engine and the water pump, it´s better to work on this terms than to have the pump explode (or implode) in your truck. I have the habit of checking the oil at least every 15 days knowing that I´ve played a lottery ticket I didn´t want in the first place and hoping I never have to "cash it in" and if I do I hope it goes like you. I wouldn´t feel happy but I would feel relief.

Good luck!

 

[jade97]

When I contemplated changing my WP and Timing Chain (2016 Sport), I was quoted $2200 (including a spark plug change). Seems that the prices are all over the place.

We did lose our 2011 XLT to the WP dumping coolant into the crank case without warning. I checked the oil and coolant levels 2 days before it went bye-bye and all was good.

 

[Explorer75]

When I contemplated changing my WP and Timing Chain (2016 Sport), I was quoted $2200 (including a spark plug change). Seems that the prices are all over the place.

We did lose our 2011 XLT to the WP dumping coolant into the crank case without warning. I checked the oil and coolant levels 2 days before it went bye-bye and all was good.

It all depends on the shop and the parts used. Maybe on the Sport the engine doesn't have to be removed form the vehicle?

 

[jade97]

Same procedure for the 3.5L turbo or non-turbo....