Loss of coolant, possibilities?

[PrestigeWorldwide]

Hello everyone, about a year ago I purchased an '01 EB. 5.4/4wd. Put in a new heater core, and did some regular maintenance since when buying a used vehicle you just never know.

Not long after the heater core job, I noticed the truck had white smoke/vapor (really want to stress the vapor part, as it's not really white smoke like you would normally see, more or less looks like what you would see starting your truck cold on a cold day, just more dense and smells like antifreeze) coming from the tail pipe and I was slowly losing coolant. I haven't had much time to diagnose because of work, and I only drive the truck maybe once or twice a week. It's been this way for almost a year now, with no overeating issues, no running problems, no misfires, the truck still runs like a top.

My first thought would be bad head gaskets. I guess this seems maybe the most logical explanation, although I would think that would come with some driveability problems especially after a year.

My second though is maybe the intake gasket? Although I'm not sure that could even be a possibility.

It's time for me to look into this, work is slowing doe. And the truck itself is in very nice shape, even with 214k on the clock.

I'd like to add that there is no coolant mixing with my oil, and I can hear bubbling through the heater hoses when accelerating.

Thoughts?

 

[1955moose]

If your not getting leaks around intake manifold, and your losing coolant, and your radiator/ expansion tank are full. The noise your describing is a leaking heater core. Pull up your carpet on passenger side, check for leaks. You can either pull both hoses from core, put a fitting between hoses and clamp it. Or pinch of both coolant hoses and see if whooshing sound disappears. If you do second method don't overheat SUV. Take it for a drive see if noise goes away. Also you probably know this but be sure you've burped air out of system. Keep us posted what you find.


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[PrestigeWorldwide]

If your not getting leaks around intake manifold, and your losing coolant, and your radiator/ expansion tank are full. The noise your describing is a leaking heater core. Pull up your carpet on passenger side, check for leaks. You can either pull both hoses from core, put a fitting between hoses and clamp it. Or pinch of both coolant hoses and see if whooshing sound disappears. If you do second method don't overheat SUV. Take it for a drive see if noise goes away. Also you probably know this but be sure you've burped air out of system. Keep us posted what you find.


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I do have a coolant loss, not very significant, some times I can drive for a few weeks without adding, sometimes I have to add a gallon after a weekend. I just took it on a 300 mile trip this past Saturday and didn't lose any. When I stop hearing the "whooshing" sound is when I know I'm low Guess I forgot to mention that in my first post. I would hate to have a leaking heater core again as it was just replaced but I never rule out bad new parts and it wasn't a Ford core so it makes it even more believable.

I will try that method tonight, if I get home early enough. The only thing that has me thinking it's burning coolant internally is the smoke/vapor coming from the exhaust. It definitely has a strong antifreeze smell.

 

[UtilityCow]

Leaking intake manifold or a broken plastic T in the heater lines? I've had coolant leaks so small they evaporate before dripping and pooling, but you could smell it. Look for staining. The plastic heater connections get brittle and easily broken when changing heater core.

 

[PrestigeWorldwide]

Leaking intake manifold or a broken plastic T in the heater lines? I've had coolant leaks so small they evaporate before dripping and pooling, but you could smell it. Look for staining. The plastic heater connections get brittle and easily broken when changing heater core.

I'm hoping it's just a leaking manifold. It's being burned off I know that much. Even on warm days I can see it plain as day coming from the exhaust. Just don't have any of the driveability issues that usually come from bad head gaskets. I swapped all the plastic fittings for brass ones when I swapped heater cores.

 

[1955moose]

Well you might not like the results, but you should pressurize the system through your degauss bottle. Better to know now than fry a $4,000 engine. Mr Cow said it about those plastic coolant lines. That's why you pressurize to about 15psi to bring out those little leaks. Pay a little now, or a lot later!


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[UtilityCow]

Well you might not like the results, but you should pressurize the system through your degauss bottle. Better to know now than fry a $4,000 engine. Mr Cow said it about those plastic coolant lines. That's why you pressurize to about 15psi to bring out those little leaks. Pay a little now, or a lot later!


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You can rent those for free from auto parts store.
What I don't know is if a cracked manifold can leak into a runner. I do know those plastic manifolds crack often.
I wouldn't want to do a compression test on these trucks.

 

[1955moose]

Yeah but sometimes you have to. We've had many members that tried everything else, and found out with a compression/leakdown test they had a bad valve or rings. Better to know early, than plunk down tons of time and money, and to cry later.


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[PrestigeWorldwide]

Well you might not like the results, but you should pressurize the system through your degauss bottle. Better to know now than fry a $4,000 engine. Mr Cow said it about those plastic coolant lines. That's why you pressurize to about 15psi to bring out those little leaks. Pay a little now, or a lot later!


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I will give that a try as well, but if I dont see anything externally that would mean it's getting into the motor somehow.

An external leak wouldn't explain the strong antifreeze smell coming from the tailpipe though, which is the main reason why I think its internal.

 

[PrestigeWorldwide]

You can rent those for free from auto parts store.
What I don't know is if a cracked manifold can leak into a runner. I do know those plastic manifolds crack often.
I wouldn't want to do a compression test on these trucks.

Maybe not a cracked manifold, but a failed manifold gasket I think would.

 

[1955moose]

A manifold gasket would do that. Heater core just smells with heater on, or steams window. Theirs procedures online go help narrow it down, if not an obvious outward leak. Could be a gasket, on earlier 5.0/5.7 the inner plate behind water pump is where they leak, breaks down, that's why you pressure test, to eliminate possibilities.


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[ExplorerTom]

Take a flashlight and look under the intake manifold and between the V of the engine. See if there's any coolant pooled up there. If there is, you've either got a cracked intake manifold or a leaky intake gasket. You'll be pulling the intake either way- not too big of a deal if your handy.

 

[PrestigeWorldwide]

A manifold gasket would do that. Heater core just smells with heater on, or steams window. Theirs procedures online go help narrow it down, if not an obvious outward leak. Could be a gasket, on earlier 5.0/5.7 the inner plate behind water pump is where they leak, breaks down, that's why you pressure test, to eliminate possibilities.


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I agree, I'm more or less just thinking "out loud". I would much rather rule things out than start throwing money at it aimlessly.

 

[PrestigeWorldwide]

Take a flashlight and look under the intake manifold and between the V of the engine. See if there's any coolant pooled up there. If there is, you've either got a cracked intake manifold or a leaky intake gasket. You'll be pulling the intake either way- not too big of a deal if your handy.

Thanks for the info! Will add that to the list.

 

[docraymund]

You might have a cracked cylinder head or engine block. You don't know the history of your truck. It might have had frequent overheating episodes.

 

[1955moose]

I reread your original post. Your comment about smelling coolant out of tail pipe and you were slowly losing coolant, sounds like a lower intake manifold gasket leaking coolant into combustion chamber. It accounts for the slowly losing of coolant, along with the vapor smoke. That probably explains why your not seeing any traces of coolant in the oil. It's burning off. The gasket should be repaired as soon as possible, due to the fact that if the leak gets bad enough, you could introduce enough coolant into the combustion area to cause a hydro lock of the engine. And dat ain't good!


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[PrestigeWorldwide]

I reread your original post. Your comment about smelling coolant out of tail pipe and you were slowly losing coolant, sounds like a lower intake manifold gasket leaking coolant into combustion chamber. It accounts for the slowly losing of coolant, along with the vapor smoke. That probably explains why your not seeing any traces of coolant in the oil. It's burning off. The gasket should be repaired as soon as possible, due to the fact that if the leak gets bad enough, you could introduce enough coolant into the combustion area to cause a hydro lock of the engine. And dat ain't good!


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My thoughts exactly from the get. No coolant mixing with oil, smoke/vapor coming from the tail pipe, no visible leaks, no coolant smell when I run the heat. I will be pulling the intake this Saturday. I will report back with results.

 

[98eb5.4]

could have a combustion chamber leak with exhaust gases getting into the coolant

easy to test
https://www.google.ca/?gws_rd=ssl#q=coolant+exhaust+gas+tester

 

[PrestigeWorldwide]

Got the intake pulled. It's been replaced with the Dorman 615-188 manifold. Got the new gasket set, installed the gaskets into the intake, but in the head it looks like there's a spot for 2 orings, on the back passenger side and the front drivers side by the thermostat housing. The new gasket set did not come with these orings, although I did pull them off. The one under the thermostat housing was toast. Problem is, I don't see anywhere to put them in the intake, and am afraid if I set them in the head they will slide out of place when putting the manifold back in. I also don't see where the rear one would seal?

 

[1955moose]

Are you sure you got the right intake replacement? If the old one is identical, which I doubt, something's got to hold them on the other side. Is it possible you've got a different Year engine in your SUV?


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