Tech question - coolant loss
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From: Saskatoon, SK
Tech question - coolant loss
My 2003 has 80000 miles on it. It is all stock. My coolant level will drop half to three quarters of an inch in a hundred mile drive. It has the revised lower fluid level markings. There are no visible external leaks (the little egr cooler hose has been changed). Also, it doesnt seem to be coming out the top of the bottle like it used to when the level was high (it would leave white stains on the hood insulation). It was at the dealer to have this problem looked at. They ran the truck and pulled the egr valve out. They jacked up the back of the truck and let it sit for a while. They told me if egr cooler was leaking, antifreeze would be detected in the intake manifold cavity. None found. I asked about head gaskets. They said usually, the degas bottle would be over pressured blowing coolant out or white smoke would be detected in exhaust. Neither of the above. They told me to run it and let the coolant go down a bit more - just to where barely visible in bottle and see what happens. Any suggestions or are there procedures correct?
Last edited by LaredoF350; Feb 2, 2007 at 04:22 PM.
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From: Florence,SC
do you notice any smoke? egr coolers can be cracked slightly and only open when they reach the egts that are pumped into them. if i have one with coolant loss, with no leaks or signs of a leak, i go with a egr cooler.
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From: Saskatoon, SK
No signs of any white smoke. Do you guys think the service tech did all he could do? My problem - truck is losing coolant through quite possibly the egr cooler or headgaskets and the warranty is slowly running out.
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The TSB for finding EGR cooler leaks like your service department did will only work when there is a substantial leak. Very small leaks will not show on the valve, or in the exhaust. Sometimes it's just a process of elimination to find the EGR cooler leak. When I can't verify a cause for coolant loss, I'll replace it and see how it goes from there.
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Tech Question: Cooler loss
I have a 03 Excursion with the Gale Banks 6 pack bundle kit, 4" exhaust etc. My truck has 80,000 miles on it and the past month I have noticed that the level in my coolant resivour leaks down considerably. I have noticed a small puddle of anti-freeze on my drive way behind my front left wheel, but more toward the center of the vehicle. I do not see any cracks or leaks anywhere. The only white smoke I have seen is when I first start the vehicle in the morning when it is cold. Where can I find the egr cooler hose? Any other places I might be able to look? Is this a common problem with the 03 6.0liter? I have had it for the past 60,000 miles and take very good care of it, but this concerns me ALOT!
Please advise,
Milton
Please advise,
Milton
Originally Posted by LaredoF350
My 2003 has 80000 miles on it. It is all stock. My coolant level will drop half to three quarters of an inch in a hundred mile drive. It has the revised lower fluid level markings. There are no visible external leaks (the little egr cooler hose has been changed). Also, it doesnt seem to be coming out the top of the bottle like it used to when the level was high (it would leave white stains on the hood insulation). It was at the dealer to have this problem looked at. They ran the truck and pulled the egr valve out. They jacked up the back of the truck and let it sit for a while. They told me if egr cooler was leaking, antifreeze would be detected in the intake manifold cavity. None found. I asked about head gaskets. They said usually, the degas bottle would be over pressured blowing coolant out or white smoke would be detected in exhaust. Neither of the above. They told me to run it and let the coolant go down a bit more - just to where barely visible in bottle and see what happens. Any suggestions or are there procedures correct?
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Originally Posted by Milton04
Where can I find the egr cooler hose? Any other places I might be able to look? Is this a common problem with the 03 6.0liter?
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From: gillam
i have the exact same problem as milton. seems to do it right after i park it and come out in the morning. the level has gone down and im not sure about the revised coolant level marks but it has since stopped when the coolant went down. i didnt refill it because i seem to recall reading that somewhere on here about leaving your coolant lower than told by the marks. it is going to the dealer soon to be looked at so they can order parts and do it while i am on holidays. i thought either headgaskets or egr but headgaskets should do it all the time no?
clarence
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Thanks CandaGuy, I will take a look when I get home. It just seems odd to me that even if I don't drive the truck for a day or two nothing is underneath it, but then I might come out the next morning and it has a small puddle.... Strange to me, stranger than a computer.....
Thanks again,
Milton
Thanks again,
Milton
Originally Posted by CanadaGuy
If you look under the blue hotside hose at the turbo, you should see the orange hose, about 1 1/2 inches long underneath, going from a tube on the EGR cooler to the oil cooler. It may be covered in oil if your turbo tube leaks a bit, so it may not be bright orange. Any coolant under the turbo pedestal is usually the result of a cooler hose leak.
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Coolant
Any thoughts were I should begin looking? It just seems odd to me that it doesn't leak steady or that it doesn't leak consistently.
Thanks,
Milton
Thanks,
Milton
Originally Posted by big inch
I would add some dye to the cooling system. The coolant has to be going somewhere, but I have not seen many (or any?) 03-04 egr coolers fail. I would suspect a small external leak.
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From: Jackson, TN
Originally Posted by CanadaGuy
Really? We probably average 2 per week.
Milton, I would look closely at the egr cooler hose again, along with all of the radiator hoses and around the radiator and degas bottle.
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Thanks Big Inch, It seems to me that it is leaking underneath the plastic holder for the coolant.... I don't see any leaks, but I am going to try the dye this weekend.
Thanks again,
Milton
Thanks again,
Milton
Originally Posted by big inch
I do tons of late 04-early 06 coolers (the square ones), but only recall doing 1 or 2 of the early, round coolers.
Milton, I would look closely at the egr cooler hose again, along with all of the radiator hoses and around the radiator and degas bottle.
Milton, I would look closely at the egr cooler hose again, along with all of the radiator hoses and around the radiator and degas bottle.
