Losing coolant only when towing
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Cross-Country
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Losing coolant only when towing
I have a 03Ex with 245K miles that I recently had the oil cooler as well as EGR cooler replaced by my mechanic. This work was done about 4 months ago with no issues until we decided to tow our 5K lb trailer for a weekend. I have an STS Livewire to monitor temps and noticed that the coolant temp had gotten to 214, normal temp has been 190 on the freeway. I let it cool and had to add over a gallon of antifreeze! Is it possible for the EGR or oil cooler to be leaking and if so how can you tell? I also noticed my fan is not engaging as I don’t hear that roaring sound. How can this be tested? Thanks in advance for any help you can give!
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Cross-Country
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Thanks for the thought. I also suspect a small leak but the location as evaded me. I suspect my mechanic will need to tear it down to find the leak. There is pressure in the system when I had to refill the overflow. My concern is losing over a gallon and not seeing where it’s going, luckily it’s not in the oil!
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2018
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From: unfortunately Germany
To see a coolant loss better, you can make a mark on the degas bottle. Look closely at the hose below the turbo, (the connection from the oil cooler to the egr cooler) and at the heater valve.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Fresno, CA
You might want to check the hose that goes from the degas down to the water pump. You can't see it from the top, you have to go under the engine, and even then it's hard to see as it's above the large hose going to the radiator. That could be leaking. Typically you'll see white residue.
EGR Cooler leak is you park nose down overnight and look for wetness in the EGR valve.
214F isn't anything to be afraid of. The fan doesn't hit high speed until 220F. It typically starts "low" speed around 207F but if you've got a good load/hot outside air the temp will keep climbing to 220F.
EGR Cooler leak is you park nose down overnight and look for wetness in the EGR valve.
214F isn't anything to be afraid of. The fan doesn't hit high speed until 220F. It typically starts "low" speed around 207F but if you've got a good load/hot outside air the temp will keep climbing to 220F.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2016
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This is the tube from the oil cooler to the EGR cooler. The blue tube is the upgraded one
This is the original orange tube. You might have the original orange tube since you have a 2003 Ex. I put UV dye in my coolant and noticed some dye at this hose. I changed it last Sunday so I have t seen a loss of coolant, yet
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Cross-Country
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Thanks for the info on the upgraded hose as I checked mine and it’s the blue one which is good. I shined a light down in that area but it was completely dry! After all the work I had done on it I took it back to my mechanic as this was the first time I’ve towed our trailer and had this issue of losing coolant. I had lost any coolant when driving solo so it’s kinda got me stumped! I guess we’ll see what he finds and I’ll let everyone know the outcome!
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2016
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I was losing coolant but only when the engine was at operating temperature or hot. Cold on my driveway it wouldn’t leak coolant. But, any coolant that leaked out of the EGR tube would evaporate while the engine was still hot. I could only see evidence of a leak up there with the dye in the coolant. Even though you have the blue EGR hose they are still able to fail. Some just put a 3/4” ID heater hose and some hose clamps. The blue EGR hose only has O rings on each end to make the seal and they simply slide on the EGR “J” pipe and oil cooler fitting. Not a permanent tight seal in my opinion. Check out Fix Ur 6 web site. They make a CNC aluminum oil cooler fitting that allows you to back flush the oil cooler that permanently stays on the oil cooler. The fitting I used needs to be installed and removed after each oil cooler rack flush. It’s a pain to get the fitting on and off. I’m probably going to get the one you install and leave it there. You mentioned you have a remote oil cooler so it’s probably not necessary for your application
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Cross-Country
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Losing coolant update
Just got the news about my coolant loss from my mechanic. The dreaded head gasket problem is now my problem! Any suggestions for anything else that I should be looking at when I get this job done? I’ve had the HPOP replaced as well as injectors, glow plugs, oil cooler, and EGR delete. I know I need the ARP studs but what else do I need to do to keep my baby on the road another 245K miles??
Looking forward to everyone’s help on my next journey.
Looking forward to everyone’s help on my next journey.
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2018
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From: unfortunately Germany
how did your mechanic diagnose the HGs as the problem? Did he checked the coolant pressure?
Inspect your heads closely for cracks and distortion. Remove the motor and replace the lifters as well.
Inspect your heads closely for cracks and distortion. Remove the motor and replace the lifters as well.
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Cross-Country
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We tried putting in a new radiator as it was the original to get the coolant loss under control. But it continued to lose coolant from the cap even after replacing it. It’s not something my mechanic took lightly as he’s known my vehicle for many years. I need advice from those that have gone through this issue to what I should be doing going forward. Thanks
Cargo Master
Joined: Oct 2018
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From: unfortunately Germany
If your mechanic is replacing the radiator on a trial basis because of your coolant loss problem, then i would look for a mechanic who knows the 6.0s.
I'm NOT saying you don't have head / HG problems, but many HG jobs are done useless. Did your mech check degas bottle cap ?
I'm NOT saying you don't have head / HG problems, but many HG jobs are done useless. Did your mech check degas bottle cap ?