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Had a weird coolant leak on a Ford Escape that stumped me for a day
It was on a 2014 Escape with the 1.6L engine, and the customer said it was losing coolant but there was no puddle. I pressure tested it cold and found nothing. After it warmed up, I finally saw a tiny spray from the plastic thermostat housing, but only when the engine was hot and the pressure spiked. The housing had a hairline crack that only opened up under full heat. I replaced the housing and the o-ring, which cost the customer about $85 in parts. Has anyone else run into a leak that only shows when the system is at full operating temp?
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wade_kelly7723d ago
My buddy had the same headache with his Focus! It was a slow leak that drove him nuts for weeks. He'd see a drop of coolant on the garage floor but could never find the source cold. Finally got it hot enough and saw it weeping from a seam on the plastic overflow tank. Those plastic parts get brittle and only leak under full heat and pressure.
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jordan_hill23d ago
Yeah EXACTLY. Those plastic tanks are the WORST for hiding cracks till they're HOT.
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That 1.6L engine is famous for those plastic housing cracks. I see it all the time. @wade_kelly77 is right about the plastic getting brittle, it just can't handle the heat cycles. The pressure spike when the thermostat opens is what finally pushes coolant through the crack. It's a good reminder to always test hot if a cold test comes up clean. Those tiny leaks are the worst to find.
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