Water pump failure leads to dead engine

[94Eddie]

I am assuming you have the 3.5L V6 engine. If so, it is very likely that the water pump has failed. When this occurs coolant will be dumped into the oil pan. Sometimes the engine can be salvaged if it wasn't run very long with coolant in the oil. Many times it destroys the engine and it will need to be replaced. I would be very surprised if you have a head gasket failure because the 3.5L V6 is a very stout engine other than the water pump issue. I would also question the capability of the repair guy if he did not consider a water pump failure. This is a well known issue with the version of this engine installed transversely in Ford cars and SUVs. The engine needs to be inspected to determine the amount of damage it has encountered.

How long did you drive the vehicle once you knew there was a problem? Did it overheat? How much coolant got into the oil? Unfortunately you are far from the first person to have this issues. There was a class action suit against Ford for this problem but the judge mostly ruled in Ford's favor. There is a long thread in the 5th Gen forum about this very failure. A lot of the 5th gen Explorers are getting older and worth less every year which makes spending money on a repair this expensive questionable. I call this "repair totaled" because putting $6k-$8k into a repair on a high mileage vehicle isn't always the thing to do. Personally, I wouldn't do it. I have the same looming issue with my wife's 2015 Edge. It has the 3.5L V6 used in Explorers and is about to reach 100k miles. Our dilemma is to sell it now that it is out of warranty, do a pre-emptive water pump replacement for $1.5-$2k or roll the dice and keep driving it knowing the risks of doing so. The good thing is that other than the water pump issue the 3.5L V6 is basically bulletproof which makes doing a pre-emtive water pump replacement a good option to consider.

One option I would consider in your situation is to buy a good condition used 3.5L from an Explorer in a salvage yard. Then change the water pump, timing chains and guides before installing it. This should bring the costs down quite a bit.

 

[NJD]

I am assuming you have the 3.5L V6 engine. If so, it is very likely that the water pump has failed. When this occurs coolant will be dumped into the oil pan. Sometimes the engine can be salvaged if it wasn't run very long with coolant in the oil. Many times it destroys the engine and it will need to be replaced. I would be very surprised if you have a head gasket failure because the 3.5L V6 is a very stout engine other than the water pump issue. I would also question the capability of the repair guy if he did not consider a water pump failure. This is a well known issue with the version of this engine installed transversely in Ford cars and SUVs. The engine needs to be inspected to determine the amount of damage it has encountered.

How long did you drive the vehicle once you knew there was a problem? Did it overheat? How much coolant got into the oil?

Honestly i drove the car for awhile, but didnt hear any noise then when i did hear it I pulled over right away. Tried to get it to a mechanic right away but she wouldnt go. She wouldnt stay started. It didnt over heat or anything

 

[NJD]

Honestly i drove the car for awhile, but didnt hear any noise then when i did hear it I pulled over right away. Tried to get it to a mechanic right away but she wouldnt go. She wouldnt stay started. It didnt over heat or anything

The guy i took it too said it had been doin it for awhile, because of the milk shake color of the oil. But i just had the oil changed in colorado 3 weeks before this happened

 

[Mbrooks420]

What noise did it make?

 

[NJD]

What noise did it make?

It was like a card in your bicycle spokes

 

[Mbrooks420]

That coupled with not running is a very bad sign.

 

[NJD]

That coupled with not running is a very bad sign.

Yeah i know

 

[NJD]

Yeah i know

Thats why Im thinking a new engine

 

[Mbrooks420]

I’d start planning on a motor replacement. I’d find a new mechanic If he thinks it’ll just be fine after headgaskets. If it won’t stay running and is making bad sounds at idle, the motor is probably lunched.

 

[94Eddie]

The guy i took it too said it had been doin it for awhile, because of the milk shake color of the oil. But i just had the oil changed in colorado 3 weeks before this happened

The water pump can fail catastrophically and dump all the coolant into the oil at once. It can also fail and release coolant slowly.

Re-read my first post. I edited it to add a few options for you to consider.

 

[peterk9]

I have a 2014 ford explorer, i had a noise night, found out my coolant leaked into my oil. I was told my head gaskets have to be replaced. Hes charging 6200 to fix. It only has 130000 miles on it. Ive done everything Im supposed to. Had oil changed every 3000 miles, ive taken good care of it. But never got any warnings something was wrong. Is the 6200 high? Or am I better off getting a new engine?

Your thread was merged with this one found with the 'Search' feature. Your water pump failed and an engine replacement will be required.

Peter

 

[Satz]

Your thread was merged with this one found with the 'Search' feature. Your water pump failed and an engine replacement will be required.

Peter

that is a alot of money. what is a replacement engine cost to drop in. Might be cheaper.

 

[peterk9]

that is a alot of money. what is a replacement engine cost to drop in. Might be cheaper.

Looks like $4-5K plus installation if this is the correct one. DL2Z-6006-D

Engine for 2014 Ford Explorer | Auto Nation Ford White Bear Lake

parts.autonationfordwhitebearlake.com

https://parts.ford.com/shop/en/us/engine/new-gas-engines/service-engine-assy-7824965-1

Peter

 

[Javajunkie]

When I did a preemptive replacement of the water pump on my 2011 Limited. I decided to keep this thing forever. Im no car guy, so all I know in terms of required maintenance is what's in the owners manual. and Im learning that that's probably not a good thing, given the fact that there is nothing in the owners manual about the water pump issue

Regarding the transmission.
Per the owners manual, I had transmission service done at 150000 miles Im at 300000 miles now, and I learned that all that was done at 150000 miles was a drain and fill, which means only 4 quarts have been replaced in 300000 miles. And Im also learning that service every 150000 miles is probably not enough.

So heres what Im doing.. Im in the middle of replacing all the oil, 4 quarts at a time. At each oil change, Im draining 4 quarts out of the transmission and adding 4 quarts,,,, Which brings me to my questions.

I know that the transmission filter cant be changed, Which makes no sense to me at all. I mean, why have a filter to catch contaminants if it cant be changed? What happens if the filter becomes clogged, is the flow of oil impeded. or is there a bypass? And my big question: does it make sense to add an external filter?

Sorry I'm late to the party, but as far as the water pump issue....would that apply to my 2009 Mountaineer as well?

 

[94Eddie]

Sorry I'm late to the party, but as far as the water pump issue....would that apply to my 2009 Mountaineer as well?

The Explorers/Mountaineers previous to the 2011 models don't have internal water pumps so a pump failure will not dump coolant into the crankcase. When they fail, the coolant dumps out on the ground.

 

[weaslee]

When I did a preemptive replacement of the water pump on my 2011 Limited. I decided to keep this thing forever. Im no car guy, so all I know in terms of required maintenance is what's in the owners manual. and Im learning that that's probably not a good thing, given the fact that there is nothing in the owners manual about the water pump issue

Regarding the transmission.
Per the owners manual, I had transmission service done at 150000 miles Im at 300000 miles now, and I learned that all that was done at 150000 miles was a drain and fill, which means only 4 quarts have been replaced in 300000 miles. And Im also learning that service every 150000 miles is probably not enough.

So heres what Im doing.. Im in the middle of replacing all the oil, 4 quarts at a time. At each oil change, Im draining 4 quarts out of the transmission and adding 4 quarts,,,, Which brings me to my questions.

I know that the transmission filter cant be changed, Which makes no sense to me at all. I mean, why have a filter to catch contaminants if it cant be changed? What happens if the filter becomes clogged, is the flow of oil impeded. or is there a bypass? And my big question: does it make sense to add an external filter?

Just curious... What mileage did you change the water pump at? Did you see any wear or leaks? If you took it somewhere, what did it cost? Our 2013 is at 135,000. I'd like to keep it till the wheels fall off.

Thanks.

 

[CDW6212R]

Just curious... What mileage did you change the water pump at? Did you see any wear or leaks? If you took it somewhere, what did it cost? Our 2013 is at 135,000. I'd like to keep it till the wheels fall off.

Thanks.

The Ford WP is high quality, which should last 100k miles easily. The seals and bearings are the wear items, usually the bearings will wear slowly and cause the seals to lose their ability to hold the pressure inside.

135,000 miles is a good time to think of replacing the original water pump. Other brands it may be smart to not let those go past 100k. I'd buy a new Ford WP unless you find something else which you know is better.

 

[peterk9]

Just curious... What mileage did you change the water pump at? Did you see any wear or leaks? If you took it somewhere, what did it cost? Our 2013 is at 135,000. I'd like to keep it till the wheels fall off.

Thanks.

If you are thinking of getting the water pump and timing chain replaced, you might want to compare the cost to the cost of a Ford ESP which will cover more parts as well. I'm sure there are costs posted in this thread; Water pump failure leads to dead engine

Peter

 

[94Eddie]

If you are thinking of getting the water pump and timing chain replaced, you might want to compare the cost to the cost of a Ford ESP which will cover more parts as well. I'm sure there are costs posted in this thread; Water pump failure leads to dead engine

Peter

How many miles will an ESP cover a vehicle past 100k?

 

[peterk9]

How many miles will an ESP cover a vehicle past 100k?

A very good question that I had to look up. I guess in this case it may not be worth it. Here is what I found out,
"You can somewhat customize the length of your Ford extended warranty plan. Ford ESP warranty coverage can range from 3 years/36,000 miles to 8 years/150,000 miles."

Google Search

Thank you for bringing that up.

Peter