Coolant low quick question???
Thread Starter
|
Tuned
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 258
Likes: 0
From: Northern Virginia
Coolant low quick question???
My truck is running really good, there is no leaks and everything seems to be fine. I checked the coolant level on it the other day and it was really low. I checked to see if its leaking from anywhere but nothing. Anyone can tell me something??????
f250 2004
f250 2004
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 6,127
Likes: 6
Who did coolant change last time?
Did you have any recent work done on engine?
Any coolant system related items (overheating, running very hot, towing, etc.)
1. Get a measuring cup.
2. Get Ford Gold coolant
3. Fill it to the mark (or below as recommend)
Mark the fill line cold.
4. Check it every 3 days
5. Refill as needed and LOG the amount you put in each time, and details like mileage, number of times run, conditions, etc.
If the fill stabilizes after a while, ignore problem.
If the thing keeps losing coolant over a month (or large amounts of it)
Come on back...
Did you have any recent work done on engine?
Any coolant system related items (overheating, running very hot, towing, etc.)
1. Get a measuring cup.
2. Get Ford Gold coolant
3. Fill it to the mark (or below as recommend)
Mark the fill line cold.
4. Check it every 3 days
5. Refill as needed and LOG the amount you put in each time, and details like mileage, number of times run, conditions, etc.
If the fill stabilizes after a while, ignore problem.
If the thing keeps losing coolant over a month (or large amounts of it)
Come on back...
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 6,127
Likes: 6
If they opened up the system, I am willing to bet you (5 chances out of 10) that the tech did not do the coolant flush properly and exactly to Ford spec.
Have a look on here as to how much effort / time / money, etc. it takes to do coolant flush properly.
That means doing cleaning with VC-9, bleeding air out completely.
Look on your bill, if it does not say they used VC-9, they did not do it right.
I would stick the Ford recommended coolant change / flush procedure in their nose, and make them do it right for free --- think it is normally a $200 or $300 service to do it right.
What you seem to have is air in system that worked its way out --- and not a leak.
Hence my instructions are to eliminate that first, before you start dropping big time and bucks on diagnostics and "fixes" that you may never need to begin with.
Have a look on here as to how much effort / time / money, etc. it takes to do coolant flush properly.
That means doing cleaning with VC-9, bleeding air out completely.
Look on your bill, if it does not say they used VC-9, they did not do it right.
I would stick the Ford recommended coolant change / flush procedure in their nose, and make them do it right for free --- think it is normally a $200 or $300 service to do it right.
What you seem to have is air in system that worked its way out --- and not a leak.
Hence my instructions are to eliminate that first, before you start dropping big time and bucks on diagnostics and "fixes" that you may never need to begin with.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 27,915
Likes: 3,632
Just rememeber the proper cold-fill level is no higher than the minimum point. Lots of folks actually keep it at 1/4 inch below the lomin level mark. It is normal to see the level fluctuate in the degas bottle.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 6,127
Likes: 6
Aye.
The coolant capacity is 27.5 Q for the F, and a tad less for the Es.
Normal fluctuation seasonally measured by level change on the side of the degas bottle:
about 1"
How I arrived at this:
Thermal Expansion - Volumetric or Cubic
Calculation is for distilled water, not coolant solution, but it is close enough:
27.5 Q becomes 27.1 Q.... or roughly 1 pint of shrinkage going from 65F to 0F
That volume is roughly 1" on the degas bottle measured around the ------ fill mark.
Oh... there is this little thread and post as to how to do a coolant change properly by bismic:
6.0 coolant change - Ford Powerstroke Diesel Forum
If you are going to do this right... might as well change out the thermostat, use brand new coolant hoses, etc. if your vehicle is over 6 years old and the stuff is original.
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
|
Tuned
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 258
Likes: 0
From: Northern Virginia
i filled it back up and it hasnt gone down at all. Its fine now but i still cant understand where all that coolant went and how it got out.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership
Brett Foote
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches
Pouria Savadkouei
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained
Brett Foote
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 6,127
Likes: 6
A combination of air in system purged out and normal expansion, and a bit of weeping loss (normal) would do it.
Unless you got coolant changed by a 6.0 guru / diesel tech who goes by the book, there is a high likelihood that the previous changer did not purge air out properly.
Unless you got coolant changed by a 6.0 guru / diesel tech who goes by the book, there is a high likelihood that the previous changer did not purge air out properly.
Got Diesel?
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,345
Likes: 21
If I look at my degas bottle in my garage it reads one level.
If I read it out in my driveway... it reads a different level.
My point is... I swear that my garage and driveway are both level... but I know better... my driveway has slight slope to it which is very slight... but to an untrained eye (mine is trained)
... it looks level.
My point is... check your coolant level in your garage everytime to be consistent.
Yes... air worked its way out of the system... my son and I just changed his coolant and it takes 1 to 2 days for the air to purge out of the system after a few heating and cooling cycles and the thermostate opening and closing. The difference will be about an 1/2" in the degass bottle.
If I read it out in my driveway... it reads a different level.
My point is... I swear that my garage and driveway are both level... but I know better... my driveway has slight slope to it which is very slight... but to an untrained eye (mine is trained)
... it looks level.My point is... check your coolant level in your garage everytime to be consistent.
Yes... air worked its way out of the system... my son and I just changed his coolant and it takes 1 to 2 days for the air to purge out of the system after a few heating and cooling cycles and the thermostate opening and closing. The difference will be about an 1/2" in the degass bottle.
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 13,834
Likes: 26
From: Middle Tn.
By leaky egr, do you mean egr cooler? If so then they should have replaced the oil cooler at the same time or you could still have the root cause of your original problem.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 6,127
Likes: 6
I hope you kept meticulous logs...
I did... and it saved me from being goaded into an unnecessary EGR cooler / head studs repair.
