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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Explorer / February 2004

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Head gasket leaking coolant

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dthan@scco.edu - 14 Feb 2004 03:24 GMT
Hi all,

My 70,000 miles Ford Explorer'99 SLX is diagnosis with "Head gasket
leaking coolant" although it is in good condition now.  As machenic
recommended, do it now for $1,600 or $5,000 later on due to overheat.
It is very costly!  I don't know anything of HEAD GASKET LEAKING,but
it makes me so nervous when driving. Also I have no money for it now.
Does any one tell me what the head gasket leaking coolant is, and how
bad it is if I can not fix it right away although it still running
smoothly? Thanks in advance.
Jim Warman - 14 Feb 2004 08:45 GMT
This kind of thing is like shooting craps.... all depends on how the dice
land. If it is indeed the head gasket that is leaking, there is no way to
tell if the leak is going to go internal or not. Glycol in the crankcase can
kill a bottom end in short order.

Sorry man..... broken is broken and I can't conscientiously tell you it's OK
to keep driving.....

Keep the radiator topped up and check the oil level daily paying close
attention to the colour and consistency of the motor oil. Even then, there
is no real way of guarranteeing that something isn't going to go terribly
wrong.

> Hi all,
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> bad it is if I can not fix it right away although it still running
> smoothly? Thanks in advance.
David - 14 Feb 2004 18:03 GMT
The early Explorers were notorious for leaking head gaskets. I tell you this
because this clouds the hurried technician's thinking. I was quoted $1,400
for a new head-gasket job until I made the shop change the thermostat and
refund me the $270 already paid for a clutch fan This was a Ford dealership
of course and I expect to have that sort of problem...........

So. First what are the symptoms? Does it overheat? Is it loosing coolant? Do
you park it inside where you can see drips on the floor? Have you taken it
to another shop for a second opinion? What does the oil look like on the dip
stick? Do you do your own oil change? Try to do it yourself and look at the
oil that you drain out.... does it contain water droplets?

Let us know more and maybe money can be saved.

Jethro

1998 XLT 125,000 miles
Ex- 1991 EddieB 150,000 miles

> Hi all,
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> bad it is if I can not fix it right away although it still running
> smoothly? Thanks in advance.
dthan@scco.edu - 15 Feb 2004 05:40 GMT
My 70k Ford explorer's problem begins with the noise from ahead and
just happen when it is put in gear.  I noticed this happened almost a
month and it is not getting worse. Yesterday I took it to Ford dealer
services for a diagnosis and found the noise came from water pump and
fan clutch.  Then they have been replaced along with thermostat.
Total charge: $678.20.  The noise is gone, but it is not over yet!
Mechanic also found "head gasket leaking coolant" that located beneath
the exhaust that is unable to see from outside due to view blocking.
He found it during working on water pump/fan clutch replacement.

I bought the car almost a year.  I always check to see if it has
anything wrong.   I have never noticed any symptoms such as loosing
coolant, seeing drips on the floor, overheat or leaking trace.  I have
oil change every 5000 miles at Ford dealer and I have never added
coolant since I bought it (no loss of coolant).

Any suggestion would greatly appreciate it.
__________________________________________________________________

> The early Explorers were notorious for leaking head gaskets. I tell you this
> because this clouds the hurried technician's thinking. I was quoted $1,400
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> 1998 XLT 125,000 miles
> Ex- 1991 EddieB 150,000 miles
Fred W. - 19 Feb 2004 18:43 GMT
> My 70k Ford explorer's problem begins with the noise from ahead and
> just happen when it is put in gear.  I noticed this happened almost a
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> Any suggestion would greatly appreciate it.
> __________________________________________________________________

This sounds like a very suspicious diagnosis to me.  The mechanic claims
that he can see the leak?  But you do not have any coolant on the ground or
lose any coolant from the system?  Sounds like a scam to me.  Since he
claims that he can see the leak, it would have to be external.  Run the
engine fully up to temperature (in park) and then leave it over clean
pavement and double check for coolant drips.  Otherwise, just be very aware
of the coolant level in the overflow tank and watch for any decrease.  If
you are uneasy, you should get a second opinion from a trusted mechanic.  I
would not pay the guy for a job that big just on his "say so".

There are tests that can be performed such as exhaust gas analysis and oil
testing to see if the coolant is leaking internally.  But then if that were
the case the dealer's mechanic would certainly not be able to see it from
the outside...

Another thing, why did he replace the (expensive) fan clutch?  You didn't
have symptoms of a bad fan clutch.  Bad fan clutches cause overheating at a
stand-still, not noises.  It sounds like he may have already padded his bill
once with you.  You probably only needed a waterpump, and it was agood idea
to do the thermostat at the same time, but fan clutch?  That's not a
Preventive Maintenance item...

-Fred W
 
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