FIXED - Coolant leak near exhaust - Exhaust Pipe Auxillary Heater

[clofan]

Lariat Hybrid, 7k miles since July. After the cold weather blew through, my Mav has developed a coolant leak! There are no dash lights even though the reservoir is completely empty. I've been leaving puddles all over the driveway since the 25th, even drove 200 miles before I realized it was leaking.

I took it to the nearby dealership because I didn't know what was leaking at the time but they didn't want to look at it, said they don't work on hybrids. Their tech is studying but won't be certified until March. Told me to drive it out of town to another dealership, that it was safe to drive as long as there were no dash lights.

I drove it home and started investigating. The leak was coming from between the front and rear doors, off of whatever device is inline in the exhaust system there. I couldn't tell if it was coming from elsewhere and just dripping over the exhaust, or coming out of it.

Not a lot of clearance on these trucks!! But here is a quick video of the underside, right in the middle of the cab :

Now that I've seen the empty coolant container, I'm going to go back and make them fill it before driving the 100 miles to the next dealer tomorrow. It's been leaking for 3 days and hasn't complained, hopefully it can make it just a little bit longer.

Great truck, otherwise...

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[fossil]

maybe this

https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/f...-that-backordered-with-eta.24108/#post-453030

 

[Joeneonturbo]

Does coolant run to battery to keep warm? Cld be a leak from that area??

 

[Hardening2753]

Does coolant run to battery to keep warm? Cld be a leak from that area??

I thought the battery coolant was separate from engine coolant.

 

[clofan]

Yes, the low temp coolant reservoir is actually the same housing as the high temp coolant. That one is fine though, fluid is right in between the Min/Max. I was real worried about that when I saw the leak location next to the HV battery area.

 

[clofan]

Dealer put a quart in it. Hard to believe that's all it took after dripping for 4 days leaving puddles everywhere. Since the manual says 12.5qt.

I'll update when I know more from the other dealership....

 

[projectvortex]

Lariat Hybrid, 7k miles since July. After the cold weather blew through, my Mav has developed a coolant leak! There are no dash lights even though the reservoir is completely empty. I've been leaving puddles all over the driveway since the 25th, even drove 200 miles before I realized it was leaking.

I took it to the nearby dealership because I didn't know what was leaking at the time but they didn't want to look at it, said they don't work on hybrids. Their tech is studying but won't be certified until March. Told me to drive it out of town to another dealership, that it was safe to drive as long as there were no dash lights.

I drove it home and started investigating. The leak was coming from between the front and rear doors, off of whatever device is inline in the exhaust system there. I couldn't tell if it was coming from elsewhere and just dripping over the exhaust, or coming out of it.

Not a lot of clearance on these trucks!! But here is a quick video of the underside, right in the middle of the cab :

Now that I've seen the empty coolant container, I'm going to go back and make them fill it before driving the 100 miles to the next dealer tomorrow. It's been leaking for 3 days and hasn't complained, hopefully it can make it just a little bit longer.

Great truck, otherwise...

Please name the Ford dealer that said they don't work on Fords (a hybrid in your case). They should be ashamed and @Ford Motor Company needs to know.

 

[apstephen]

Please name the Ford dealer that said they don't work on Fords (a hybrid in your case). They should be ashamed and @Ford Motor Company needs to know.

Read the entire post. They don't have a trained technician till March. We pound the dealerships concerning honesty, and then complain about them when they are honest.

So they could have worked on it figuring it out as they go and screwed it up, resulting in down time of who knows when. They could have said that it was fixed when it wasn't, resulting in down time resulting in who knows when.

I probably wouldn't have been happy to hear that, but I certainly would appreciate the honesty.

Now having said that, I would call FoMoCo and see about towing it, if I was uncomfortable with the distance to the next dealership.

 

[clofan]

They diagnosed it pretty quickly. Coolant is leaking from a seam in this part: Exhaust Pipe Auxillary Heater https://parts.ford.com/shop/en/us/c...ir-parts/auxiliary-heater-assembly-14222109-1

Leaks when pressurized. I lost a decent amount on the drive over (halfway between Min and dry), but they told me to just keep an eye on it but continue driving it. Part is ordered but on backorder until Jan 9 !

 

[Rivers90]

The hybrid does have a system of using hot exhaust gases to more quickly heat up the engine coolant.
To do this coolant lines need to run back to the exhaust heat transfer.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

I thought the battery coolant was separate from engine coolant.

Yes the hvb coolant is separate from the ice coolant but the ice coolant has a loop that circulates the ice coolant through a heat exchanger around the exhaust to start warming the hvb fluid in heat exchanger to warm the hvb battery fluid. They need to warm the hvb battery ASAP so it can charge/discharge at a higher rate and full Regen braking can occur sooner (helps mpg)! Someone reported earlier that his radiator fluid was leaking in this exhaust heat recovery device.

 

[Redneck Garage]

Read the entire post. They don't have a trained technician till March. We pound the dealerships concerning honesty, and then complain about them when they are honest

Now having said that, I would call FoMoCo and see about towing it, if I was uncomfortable with the distance to the next dealership.

Holy crap - I was an ASE certified mechanic 30 years ago. Owned a locksmith company the last 30 years. I can tell you this - you give me the diagnostic tools and reference materials ( not to mention the current techs have a hotline to Ford repair tech ) and I could walk into your dealership and work on a hybrid Maverick. To tell someone " uhhh we dont have a technician trained on hybrids " - They need to go ahead shut the doors and stop working on vehicles. Lame and sad.

 

[clofan]

Yes the hvb coolant is separate from the ice coolant but the ice coolant has a loop that circulates the ice coolant through a heat exchanger around the exhaust to start warming the hvb fluid in heat exchanger to warm the hvb battery fluid. They need to warm the hvb battery ASAP so it can charge/discharge at a higher rate and full Regen braking can occur sooner (helps mpg)! Someone reported earlier that his radiator fluid was leaking in this exhaust heat recovery device.

That's exactly how the tech described it. Is it a coincidence that this part failed just after the cold snap where we went from 45* to 8* and I was driving through it! Who knows.. glad to know it's not coolant in the exhaust system.

 

[Hardening2753]

Yes the hvb coolant is separate from the ice coolant but the ice coolant has a loop that circulates the ice coolant through a heat exchanger around the exhaust to start warming the hvb fluid in heat exchanger to warm the hvb battery fluid. They need to warm the hvb battery ASAP so it can charge/discharge at a higher rate and full Regen braking can occur sooner (helps mpg)! Someone reported earlier that his radiator fluid was leaking in this exhaust heat recovery device.

So the heat exchanger at the exhaust runs on the ICE coolant and not the HVB coolant? So you are saying ICE coolant>exhaust heat exchanger>ICE coolant (warmed) > heat exchanger HVB coolant

 

[MakinDoForNow]

So the heat exchanger at the exhaust runs on the ICE coolant and not the HVB coolant? So you are saying ICE coolant>exhaust heat exchanger>ICE coolant (warmed) > heat exchanger HVB coolant

That is as I understand it. I have not seen schematic of the exact hybrid setup. I will look for thread that confirms that.

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