Hi all—strange coolant situation. 2007 24/TK Ford V10 40K miles. Coolant level has never changed over the past two years. Ran it around 20 miles on its monthly exercise run and the temperature gauge pegged at hot and the warning light came on. Reservoir was empty. Put a whole gallon of coolant in the reservoir and watched it be drawn in to the system. Added another half gallon to bring the reservoir to the proper level. Have run it around a few miles and temperature gauge stays at the normal position about halfway between hot and cold. Mechanic has examined it and finds no visible leaks. He checked all the usual points of coolant leakage than have been reported on the V-10 and found nothing. Overnight pressure testing showed a drop in pressure but nothing significant. No white exhaust or sweet smell from the tailpipe. Oil is normal and not milky. Does anyone have any idea what is going on or is it just a fluke and nothing to worry about. Thanks for any and all input.
Did the tech put enough load on the cooling system to engage the fan clutch? E.g., air on full while pulling a grade could cause the water pump shaft seal to leak when the fan engages...
Steve
A really small leak in a head gasket might swallow coolant. With today's smog devices and EGR, you would have a hard time detecting it. A small vapor leak from a coolant hose near the top might also be nearly undetectable. Oil analysis, or coolant test strips would be my next step. RonB
I don't know where your coolant went or what regular maintenance has been performed on your rig. My initial thought was that perhaps the cooling system thermostat was stuck in the closed position which lead to the engine overheating.
If this was my rig, I would have the hoses, thermostat, and coolant replaced. Fortunately for you, this happened while you were close to home.
Steve K
Thanks for all the responses. Steve, I don’t have any maintenance records. I bought the rig two years ago from an elderly lady. Despite being a 30 year full-timer and knowing that sitting is the worse thing you an do to any motorized vehicle, I bought it anyway with 37K miles (2007 24TK) on it because it was a Lazy Daze. We have driven it back and forth from NJ to FL with no problems. I have done basic maintenance stuff. I have never had to do anything to the coolant except simply sighting the reservoir and noting that there was coolant in it. When it got hot and the reservoir was empty, I filled it with one gallon of coolant which promptly was absorbed in to the system. I added another half gallon and the reservoir has stayed full after driving it about twenty miles. No overheating since. Should I be concerned? Before I start tearing in to things, I would like to hear what other think.
Just my opinion, but if you don't have maintenance records, servicing the cooling system would be a wise thing to do. I suggest you check a Ford maintenance schedule to confirm what Ford recommends. My 2003 Ford maintenance schedule says the yellow coolant should be replaced at 5 years or 100,000 miles and then every 3 years or 50,000 miles. Thermostats are inexpensive and should be fairly easy to change when the coolant is drained. Radiator hoses are relatively inexpensive.
The maintenance is much less expensive than ruining an engine or having a problem on the road.
I am not saying this solves your overheating problem but it is one possibility and probably way overdue.
Steve K