2014 Explorer Base Model Leaking Coolant

[Jessica_B]

I have a 2014 ford explorer base model that I bought new in November of 2013. All scheduled maintenance/ oil changes done at ford dealership every 6K miles.
I noticed a burning antifreeze smell and the engine was running hard so I marked the coolant level on the reservoir. I also took some pictures of what looks like leaking fluid but Ford told me they tested the system and there are no leaks. Even paid extra for a diagnostic which they say showed no problems. Anyone else have a "hard" sounding engine and dropping coolant levels in the reservoir?
I tried putting a large roll of paper under the wheels under the entire engine to find leaks overnight and there was nothing.
The first picture was the day I noticed my engine running harder than normal and the second picture was taken 2 weeks later. Third picture looks like rust, but Im not sure.
Last picture looks like fluid (also not sure what part of engine this is) but Ford said its was glue.
Thanks

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum Jessica.
Are you having to add coolant on a regular bases? If so and you don't see any leak then hopefully it isn't this; Water pump failure leads to dead engine
Check the oil on the dipstick to see if it may be contaminated. If it is, you shouldn't be driving it.

Peter

 

[Keith N]

Just how much are you adding? Quart a month, quart a week, etc?

Do you have the V6 engine?

Coolant can be burned thru the exhaust in event of a gasket failure inside the engine or cracked head (rare on this engine)
Coolant can leak externally, in which you can see it usually, or possibly it hits a hot part like exhaust part and vaporizes.
Coolant can leak internally on this engine (V6 engine) and go into the engine oil (see Peters link) Could destroy engine.

First thing is to make sure its not leaking into oil, as Peter said. If you suspect it at all going into oil, go get an oil change asap. Ask the garage to take a hard look at oil to see if it looks suspicious at all. Like coolant is leaking into it. Thats $50 well spent if you have any doubts it could be going into oil. You could send an oil sample in like I did, but in the three weeks it took to get it back, the engine could be ruined.

Beyond that, I would find an independant and well reviewed mechanic also to have another look. Dealerships are so hit and miss on performance and tend to just want to replace things, versus a thorough analysis of problem.

 

[KayGee]

If you are smelling coolant, there is likely some sort of leak. If you suspect a coolant leak, I would strongly suggest getting a leak detection kit or dye tracer fluid and a UV light. It should run you about $20-40. Check things with the light before you add any dye to see if any dye has been previously added to any other fluids so you can establish a baseline.

I suggest hosing down or otherwise cleaning/degreasing your engine bay to help make the leak easier to find. When you are ready to look for leaks, I suggest inside a darkened garage or in the evening when there is a lower amount of ambient light.

Alternatively, you can pay some else to add dye for you and take it back to them after a few days to have a look.

The only other thing I would add is to start keeping a log of your coolant checks (and other maintenance checks) - maybe start weekly and work up to monthly depending on how things go.

Just an FYI, but apparently Ford considers this their threshold for normal coolant usage - "If you have to add more than 1.1 qt (1 L) of engine coolant per month, have your vehicle checked as soon as possible."

ETA - I strongly suggest getting a $5 bluetooth adapter from ebay and the torque app for android to check codes and look at more detailed info about your vehicle. It only takes a few minutes to set it up so you can monitor fluid temps and such. If you notice something different in the way the vehicle is operating, you can make note of any temps or other readings from the app that could be helpful. If the place you took it to already didn't perform a leakdown test on the cooling system, that would also be good to do. You can buy a pressure test kit at harbor freight for ~$75 or less, or you can probably get a free loaner from autozone or similar.

 

[Jessica_B]

Just how much are you adding? Quart a month, quart a week, etc?

Do you have the V6 engine?

Coolant can be burned thru the exhaust in event of a gasket failure inside the engine or cracked head (rare on this engine)
Coolant can leak externally, in which you can see it usually, or possibly it hits a hot part like exhaust part and vaporizes.
Coolant can leak internally on this engine (V6 engine) and go into the engine oil (see Peters link) Could destroy engine.

First thing is to make sure its not leaking into oil, as Peter said. If you suspect it at all going into oil, go get an oil change asap. Ask the garage to take a hard look at oil to see if it looks suspicious at all. Like coolant is leaking into it. Thats $50 well spent if you have any doubts it could be going into oil. You could send an oil sample in like I did, but in the three weeks it took to get it back, the engine could be ruined.

Beyond that, I would find an independant and well reviewed mechanic also to have another look. Dealerships are so hit and miss on performance and tend to just want to replace things, versus a thorough analysis of problem.

Thanks!
I just got the oil changed at the dealership and drove 10 miles home and it has been sitting un-driven since. How much do I need to drive it before the oil can be analyzed?
My engine is a 3.5 L Cyclone V6 Petrol TiVCT
I am worried that this in fact a coolant leak back into the engine that will cause the catastrophic engine failure.
The dealership was completely unhelpful
But thanks for your help

 

[Jessica_B]

If you are smelling coolant, there is likely some sort of leak. If you suspect a coolant leak, I would strongly suggest getting a leak detection kit or dye tracer fluid and a UV light. It should run you about $20-40. Check things with the light before you add any dye to see if any dye has been previously added to any other fluids so you can establish a baseline.

I suggest hosing down or otherwise cleaning/degreasing your engine bay to help make the leak easier to find. When you are ready to look for leaks, I suggest inside a darkened garage or in the evening when there is a lower amount of ambient light.

Alternatively, you can pay some else to add dye for you and take it back to them after a few days to have a look.

The only other thing I would add is to start keeping a log of your coolant checks (and other maintenance checks) - maybe start weekly and work up to monthly depending on how things go.

Just an FYI, but apparently Ford considers this their threshold for normal coolant usage - "If you have to add more than 1.1 qt (1 L) of engine coolant per month, have your vehicle checked as soon as possible."

ETA - I strongly suggest getting a $5 bluetooth adapter from ebay and the torque app for android to check codes and look at more detailed info about your vehicle. It only takes a few minutes to set it up so you can monitor fluid temps and such. If you notice something different in the way the vehicle is operating, you can make note of any temps or other readings from the app that could be helpful. If the place you took it to already didn't perform a leakdown test on the cooling system, that would also be good to do. You can buy a pressure test kit at harbor freight for ~$75 or less, or you can probably get a free loaner from autozone or similar.

I will try these, thanks! The ford dealership filled up the coolant reservoir completely to the top and did a pressure test and said it tested fine. But I don't trust the dealership

 

[Keith N]

I think you should establish how bad the leak is first. Check the reservoir every few days.

 

[RhinoQuartz]

I think you should establish how bad the leak is first. Check the reservoir every few days.

Best time to check is in the morning just before you're about to drive. Take a sharpie and mark on the tank where the coolant is when cold. Check the level regularly as well as around the engine bay, under the car, and your oil (on the dipstick).

 

[Jessica_B]

Thanks

 

[blwnsmoke]

Keep in mind coolant level fluctuates with temp so always check on a cold engine.

 

[KayGee]

I will try these, thanks! The ford dealership filled up the coolant reservoir completely to the top and did a pressure test and said it tested fine. But I don't trust the dealership

And therein lies the problem. If one doesn't trust a business, why do business with them? Is this the same dealership that has performed all the scheduled maintenance/oil changes mentioned in your original post? If so, how can you trust they did that right, or even did it at all if you can't trust them to do a simple pressure test? If not, why did you go to a different dealership to check out the coolant leak instead of the one that did all the maintenance?

Anyway, if you paid a dealership to check out an issue and they said no problem and provided you with receipt/documentation, than you should be good to go. If anything were to happen shortly thereafter, you would likely have a case against the dealership that just checked the vehicle and said NPF...

Lots of moving parts here - best thing you can do now is find a reputable local shop and get a second opinion.

 

[Jessica_B]

Yes it is and that is my plan.
Thanks!