RESOLVED: The Mystery of the Disappearing Coolant

[Tazgarde]

Owned my Mav for about a week and a half when the Check Engine light came on. Hadn't even run through my first tank of gas (860km).

FordPass app said the light pertained to the coolant and to check the levels. Lower coolant reservoir was bone dry. Tossed in a 1/3 of a jug of coolant I had in the garage and it didn't even make a dent in the level, just flowed into the hoses. Purchased a new jug and was able to top it up to the MAX line. The Check Engine light also turned off. I drove 40km to work and when I arrived the fluid was below MIN with hardly anything left in the reservoir. I checked again before heading home but found the same thing. Empty. Nothing appeared to be dripping from underneath.

Took it to the dealer and they eventually discovered the problem was a leak in the block heater and it would take two weeks to get the part up from the US, thus no Mav for two weeks. Longer than I have actually owned it at this point. Faulty build? Lemon? Who knows?!

To add insult to injury, they said they would provide me with a rental free of charge, but they couldn't find a vehicle to give me. They were able to secure one for tomorrow and have arranged to Uber me to and from work tomorrow (80km round trip). Not ideal, but to be fair my dealer has been nothing but helpful, so this isn't a slight on them by any means, just a recounting of my experience. I've loved the time I've spent with my Mav so far, I'm just disappointed I can't drive it for the next two weeks.

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[Rob Cactus Gray]

Sounds like a crappy situation. A single issue does not necessarily make it a lemon. Glad they are doing a great job of taking care of you.

 

[ValenciaOrange]

Sorry to read this. Glad the dealer is working with you.

 

[Johnkn]

If it is leaking from the block heater you should see evidence of an external leak.

Good luck


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[dibrowz]

Hybrid or Ecoboost?

 

[Tazgarde]

If it is leaking from the block heater you should see evidence of an external leak.

Good luck


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I don't know too much about it, but it appears the system is pressurized, so maybe fluid doesn't escape until the car is pressurized and moving?

 

[Tazgarde]

Hybrid or Ecoboost?

Hybrid

 

[JBL14]

On a search, I believe this is the part that comes up as the block heater.
The part number is the same for hybrid or ecoboost apparently, #6A051, the same item number but different prices. Confusing???
It is a simple part and I wonder, how that much coolant leaks out, that fast. Defective soldering perhaps.

 

[Johnkn]

The cooling system operates under pressure that remains long after the vehicle is turned off. There would likely be evidence of an external leak in the engine compartment where coolant is leaking and being blown around, there would also be coolant on the ground where the truck is parked.

Good luck with the repair..


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[NoVaJimmy]

The cooling system operates under pressure that remains long after the vehicle is turned off. There would likely be evidence of an external leak in the engine compartment where coolant is leaking and being blown around, there would also be coolant on the ground where the truck is parked.

Good luck with the repair..


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This is what I was thinking, if it were truly a leak OP would see coolant pooled up in driveway/garage.

 

[Dun4791]

Aren’t there many complaints of eGoboost engines that like to drink coolant?

 

[MaineMav]

Aren’t there many complaints of eGoboost engines that like to drink coolant?

You're thinking of the old block design. It's been updated/fixed. Right now the hybrid motors seem to be the duds. Also, there are two plants for the 2.0L ecoboost motor, fortunately the ecoboost in the Maverick is made in the Valencia Spain plant which has always been rock solid for quality. The 2.0L engines made in the Cleveland plant have been the unreliable problem ridden motors.

 

[Tazgarde]

The cooling system operates under pressure that remains long after the vehicle is turned off. There would likely be evidence of an external leak in the engine compartment where coolant is leaking and being blown around, there would also be coolant on the ground where the truck is parked.

Good luck with the repair..


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Good to know. Nothing appeared to be dripping when I filled the reservoir, and most likely there was nothing left to drip by the time I got to my destination!

 

[stick]

With so much coolant gone, I would be concerned about engine damage before you took ownership. Not sure if there is a hot test for the assembled truck or not. I would ask the dealer to pull all temp data from the engine to confirm no overheating. Otherwise, Ford should replace the engine for you. Overheating causes damage that doesnt show up as impacts life of components, vs. function. Biggest hit is seals - rubber seals will start to harden and set with heat - and will leak at some point in the future (I provided support for sealing technology and performance for a major heavy equipment manufacture for 10 years). really sorry this happened to you - good luck. Dont let ford off the hook - they owe you at the very least a free 10 year 120,000 mile extended warranty that covers the engine bumper to bumper

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