Hey guys, I need some serious advice about my 05 F250. She's running fine around town but I’m constantly having to refill the degas bottle and once I start pulling a trailer she starts running real hot and overheating. I’m about ready to just replace the whole damn coolant system, including oil cooler, and add a coolant filter to take care of everything once and for all.

- No obvious leaks
- No white smoke out of the exhaust
- Stronger non-OEM degas cap
- Standard engine temp of 194 degrees (not towing)
- No increased oil pressure which might mean an oil cooler failure/coolant in the oil
- Thermostat was replaced/coolant flushed at 195k
- ARP headstuds
- EGR delete
- 225k miles and I’m the original owner

Long story, I brought my truck to a good radiator shop and had the owner (who also owns a 6.0L) look it over before I hauled half my stuff in a 18ft trailer across the country. He found no problems or cold spots in the radiator. However, once I hooked my trailer up I hardly made it out of Nevada before she started running really hot and I had to keep adding coolant. Needless to say she overheated a couple of times on I-80 east coming out of Salt Lake City. I’m noticing the usual white residue around the new degas cap like I saw with the old OEM one. Now I’m having to add coolant while just driving around town. I’m not running any hot tunes, just the SCT tow tune, and I don’t drive like a pissed off teenager. I do have an Edge on it but I only use it for the digital display and it cannot read my oil temp.

I just started a new job here in Fort Smith AR and I don’t have my tools or a place to work on my truck so I’m gonna have to take it to someone. I’ve spent the past 2 weekends online researching what might be wrong but haven’t found anything that really matches my problem. My biggest thing is that I want to figure out what might be wrong so that some ******* mechanic that I don’t know, isn’t able to charge me for a bunch of bull**** that I don’t need. I’m need to get it fixed ASAP before I head back to Nevada to haul the rest of my stuff here.

I Appreciate Any Help, It’s Great to be back on here,

- Eddie

 

What are you using to read live data? Whstmis your ect/eot temp split when fully up to temp?

 

Eddie,
I'm in Fort Smith, Ar. If I wasn't getting ready for hip surgery in a very short time I'd help you with your truck. There's a shop up on Alma Highway just off exit 2 on 540 that's got a pretty dang good reputation here. He's always busy and the only one here I'd recommend. We have a member on here that goes by GT4660 that had his truck done there and he's been happy as far as I know.

 

Unfortunately my Edge doesn't allow me to check my engine oil temp and I don't have a Scanguage.

 

Thanks, I really appreciate the info. I'll check them out right now and call tomorrow to see when I can get in.

 

Roger npccpartsman has you covered

 

The owner's name is Aaron and the business is Extreme Diesel Services. He has some ex-Ford tech's working there.

 

Not sure which egr delete you have but have you checked the little 3" hose connected to the delete pipe for leaks?

 

Have you looked at your water pump? Had a buddy with the exact same issues with an 03. You could grab one radiator hose and it would be scalding hot and the other was cool. Water pump impeller had separated and was just free spinning. Only would overheat on long highway runs/towing.

 

Does your cooling fan sound like a jet engine? EGR valve plugged in?

 

How far are you filling the degas bottle? If you're servicing it to the "Full" line, you're overfilling it. The new full line is about level with the "add" mark.

When you're towing, do you hear your cooling fan start screaming at about 217 degrees? It should start ramping up at about 215, with max rpm at 217. If you don't hear it at all, your fan clutch has failed. Don't bother buying an "OEM" part from Ford on this one, Autozone has the exact same unit that Ford stocks, for a lesser price and lifetime warranty.

FYI; a clogged oil cooler won't increase oil pressure. The coolant side of the cooler gets clogged with casting sand and globules of coolant is you aren't flushing like you should. This clog results in a high oil temperature, and creating a superheated pocket of coolant that is then routed to the EGR cooler that cracks because of the extreme heat. If you haven't done so already, look into a coolant filter and flushing out all of the "Ford Gold" coolant. The combination of the casting sand and poor quality coolant make for many clogged oil coolers. I suggest switching to an ELC coolant, such as Fleet CHarge that cna be had at any Advance Auto parts or Tractor Supply.

Like Cranemech said, is your EGR valve plugged in? If it isn't it causes the cooling fan to act funny.

 

In this order, check:

1) Get some gauges. For $25 you can have a good set if you have a Droid device by paying $5 for the Torque Pro App and $20 for a blue tooth OBDII.

1) Fan clutch. It should be sounding like a turbo prop (it almost is) when the coolant temps hit 219 F. Does it overheat more in stop and go traffic? A bad fan clutch will cause it to overheat at an idle, it just takes a while.

2) Blockage in front of the radiator.

3) Water Pump: inlet and out let of the radiator hoses should both be hot.

4) Blocked thermostat. Don't know how you tell this from a failed WP without pulling the WP.