Cooling issue, please help
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 904
Likes: 112
From: Austin, Texas
Cooling issue, please help
Howdy, I need some help / advice... I have a 2017 350 that is 100% stock. I regularly tow a 12k camper. Today was I was towing from Texas to Angel Fire, NM, I had some cooling issues. Usually as the engine and transmission heat up, the clutch fan spins faster and things cool down. Today, the clutch fan did not do that. It spins at the idle speed but didn't speed up. In the past as the engine Temps got to 220 or so it would speed up. If temps went higher it would start spinning hard and loud. I never heard that today. My coolant levels are good. The truck never over heated but it got hotter than I ever saw it before.
Any ideas? I am on vacation and in a bind.... 😕
Any ideas? I am on vacation and in a bind.... 😕
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 1,454
Likes: 606
Bad fan clutch most likely, is a common issue. Put an OEM back in and be careful you get the right part number there are 2 that seem to get confused. There's threads on here recently and on other forums. Sorry you're on vacation, if you have tools with you it's doable.
They do take command from 3 inputs if I remember correctly so there's a chance its one of those failing sensing or communication causing the condition.
They do take command from 3 inputs if I remember correctly so there's a chance its one of those failing sensing or communication causing the condition.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 19,707
Likes: 12,846
From: Wyoming
On my prior truck, once the serpentine belt was off, the clutch fan was removed with just a 10mm wrench. I have no idea what the Super Duty fan will require. How big of a job may depend on which engine you have.
Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 37,383
Likes: 1,867
From: Frederick, MD
Sure sounds like the clutch fan is bad, if you had some diagnostic tools then I would see if you could command the fan on high, that would be the pin punt testing.
I would suppose the shroud has to come off. don't think it is a two piece.
I think that if you are at the destination already, I would just let it ride and then return home before the repair.
I would suppose the shroud has to come off. don't think it is a two piece.
I think that if you are at the destination already, I would just let it ride and then return home before the repair.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 904
Likes: 112
From: Austin, Texas
Thanks everyone for the input and information. I am currently sitting at the dealership in Raton, NM waiting for them to open. It was 75 miles over here and I drove the truck very hard with no trailer. All temperatures were normal. So it only seems to be an issue when towing.
I will update this thread as things progress.
I will update this thread as things progress.
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Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 19,707
Likes: 12,846
From: Wyoming
With my Titan, I could turn on the secondary cooling fan with software connected to the truck's OBDII port. Hopefully, the dealership can do the same with your clutch fan to test it.
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Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 904
Likes: 112
From: Austin, Texas
Update: August 6th @ 11:00am. Well the dealership in Raton was no help. They were overbooked with work and said that without a code or CEL light there was not much they could do.
I understand that to some degree. :-(
So I had an ODB2 reader with me and there were no codes on my truck. So that is good. Plus I found another thread were people were getting temps much higher than mine and said it was normal. So I may be stupid but I think at this point, we are going to chance the drive from Angel Fire NM to Durango, CO tomorrow. We have a friend traveling with us in another vehicle so we won't be stranded if something happens.
So to sum it up, I had higher temps than normal but no failures, codes or warnings.
Just a lovely situation at the start of my vacation. :-(
I understand that to some degree. :-(
So I had an ODB2 reader with me and there were no codes on my truck. So that is good. Plus I found another thread were people were getting temps much higher than mine and said it was normal. So I may be stupid but I think at this point, we are going to chance the drive from Angel Fire NM to Durango, CO tomorrow. We have a friend traveling with us in another vehicle so we won't be stranded if something happens.
So to sum it up, I had higher temps than normal but no failures, codes or warnings.
Just a lovely situation at the start of my vacation. :-(
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 19,707
Likes: 12,846
From: Wyoming
Which engine do you have? Engine oil temperatures in the 240's aren't uncommon for the 6.7L. For the gas engines, I suspect that may not be the case. But I don't follow the gas engine threads much.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 856
Likes: 270
From: SoCal
Update: August 6th @ 11:00am. Well the dealership in Raton was no help. They were overbooked with work and said that without a code or CEL light there was not much they could do.
I understand that to some degree. :-(
So I had an ODB2 reader with me and there were no codes on my truck. So that is good. Plus I found another thread were people were getting temps much higher than mine and said it was normal. So I may be stupid but I think at this point, we are going to chance the drive from Angel Fire NM to Durango, CO tomorrow. We have a friend traveling with us in another vehicle so we won't be stranded if something happens.
So to sum it up, I had higher temps than normal but no failures, codes or warnings.
Just a lovely situation at the start of my vacation. :-(
I understand that to some degree. :-(
So I had an ODB2 reader with me and there were no codes on my truck. So that is good. Plus I found another thread were people were getting temps much higher than mine and said it was normal. So I may be stupid but I think at this point, we are going to chance the drive from Angel Fire NM to Durango, CO tomorrow. We have a friend traveling with us in another vehicle so we won't be stranded if something happens.
So to sum it up, I had higher temps than normal but no failures, codes or warnings.
Just a lovely situation at the start of my vacation. :-(
When towing my F-450 would see water in the 230's and oil above 240. Hate it.
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 904
Likes: 112
From: Austin, Texas
Mine is a stock 2017 6.7 diesel. My main point in all this is that the behavior as far as temps has changed in my truck. I have towed these same roads with the same camper and truck before and never saw these temps before.... So something is wonky or different. No CEL or coolant warnings just me realizing the data is significantly different.
So one thing has changed and that is that 2 months ago I had the coolant system flushed and refilled. I was running the Ford Orange Coolant now I have the Ford Yellow Coolant. I don't think that would make a difference...
So one thing has changed and that is that 2 months ago I had the coolant system flushed and refilled. I was running the Ford Orange Coolant now I have the Ford Yellow Coolant. I don't think that would make a difference...
More Turbo
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 709
Likes: 188
Half the country is in an extensive heat wave. Are you sure you've towed in the same conditions?
I was pulling our 5th wheel through some smaller hills / mountains a few weeks ago. We were doing about 65 through the uphills. Engine oil temp got up to about 230, trans temp was 220+, and coolant temp was around the same. I know at these speeds most of the cooling is passive, but the fan never kicked in at all. We leveled off on some flat land and the temps returned to normal pretty quickly.
Normal for my 2021 6.7 is -
Coolant: 192
Trans: 208
Engine Oil: 210
90+ ambient temp, highway speeds
I was pulling our 5th wheel through some smaller hills / mountains a few weeks ago. We were doing about 65 through the uphills. Engine oil temp got up to about 230, trans temp was 220+, and coolant temp was around the same. I know at these speeds most of the cooling is passive, but the fan never kicked in at all. We leveled off on some flat land and the temps returned to normal pretty quickly.
Normal for my 2021 6.7 is -
Coolant: 192
Trans: 208
Engine Oil: 210
90+ ambient temp, highway speeds
Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 856
Likes: 270
From: SoCal
Mine is a stock 2017 6.7 diesel. My main point in all this is that the behavior as far as temps has changed in my truck. I have towed these same roads with the same camper and truck before and never saw these temps before.... So something is wonky or different. No CEL or coolant warnings just me realizing the data is significantly different.
So one thing has changed and that is that 2 months ago I had the coolant system flushed and refilled. I was running the Ford Orange Coolant now I have the Ford Yellow Coolant. I don't think that would make a difference...
So one thing has changed and that is that 2 months ago I had the coolant system flushed and refilled. I was running the Ford Orange Coolant now I have the Ford Yellow Coolant. I don't think that would make a difference...