Big coolant loss from passenger side

[MyExpWork]

Get to work this morning and the Ex is running really hot and leaking coolant bad. Look under hood and cant see any major sign of coolant leak. No hose broken or disconnected.

The coolant leak appears to be coming from the passenger side under the truck.

Other than the possiblity of a blown head gasket what coolant lines are under there that could caus this?

Thanks,

Brian

 

[lonestar]

Heater Core??

 

[hiridin]

my 98' ohv 4.0L is leaking coolant out of a freeze plug... on the motor, although mine is on the drivers side visible uneder the fenderwells. i can see mine easily b/c of my 3" body lift but am not sure if this could be yer problem. maybe something to check

 

[MyExpWork]

Heater Core??

Heater core would be inside.

This is in the engine compartment.

 

[MrShorty]

Ok, maybe not the heater core itself, but the hoses from the water pump to the heater core run on that side. I'd suspect/check those before getting too worried that it's in the engine itself. FWIW, the compartment that contains the heater core does have a drain through the firewall that will allow coolant to drain to the outside if the heater core develops a leak.

 

[Robb]

Also check the heater control valve. I accidentlly hit one, on a '94, a couple of weeks ago with the airbox, and two of the hose nipples on it broke to pieces.

 

[sirhk100]

I had the exact same thing happening on mine Sat. morning. Major leaking coming down dripping on my extended radius arms. I couldn't find where it was coming from. Radiator hoses were dry, heater hoses at the top of the firewall were dry. It seemed if anything though it was coming down the firewall. Does this necessarily mean heater core? I haven't searched, that's next, but how much is a heater core gonna set me back? I plan on putting the thing up for sale... Actually it's already in the classifieds but it needs detailed and cleaned before I put it in the local trader...

Khris

 

[uncopyrightable]

same thing happened to my 91, was the heater core, cost about $20 to replace. plus another $0.75 for new hose clamps.

 

[Skibug]

Robb has the idea?

Check the heater control valve. I recently replaced mine because it was leaking where the valve lever comes out of the valve. I had to replace it and boom no more coolant leak.

 

[sirhk100]

How'd you know it was the valve and not the core? Once you got it apart was it evident??? Where's the valve in relation to the core behind the glove box?

 

[newbi]

Definitely check the heater control(mixing valve). I've replaced mine twice already(94). Black plastic part where heater hoses attach( on firewall in engine compartment). They crack then fall apart when the heater hoses are removed.

 

[MrShorty]

sirhk100: In searching for the heater control valve (on your '92, I assume), be aware that Ford didn't put heater control valves on the earliest Explorers. My '92, for example, doesn't have a heater control valve.

 

[Skibug]

Weird that the early models don't have one, but if you have one, it is located on the passenger side with two hoses from the radiator and engin going into it and two coming out going into the firewall. Little canister thing that has a lever and a small vacume hose attatched to the top of it. I could see the coolant leaking from the valve when the heater was off.