erikrichard Posted October 22, 2018 Report Share Posted October 22, 2018 (edited) The 2010 Edge I purchased with 115k miles 2-3 months ago is losing coolant and not sure what to do to figure out where. All coolant checks were done with engine overnight cold. After I bought it I noticed the coolant level was about an inch below the low mark. Yeah I know, I should have paid more attention to that before buying it. I did a dump and fill with motorcraft green as specified in the manual. About 20 miles later level had dropped about 1/2" so I added to just above the low level cold mark. I then drove it about 300 miles and the level didn't drop so I thought it was good. It's been about 500 miles since the last check and I checked it today and the level has dropped about 1/2" (maybe 1/2-3/4 cup I'm guessing?) The oil on the dipstick looks and smells perfect and the level hasn't changed. There are no coolant smells or leaks nor any coolant residue stains anywhere I've looked, including under the engine area. I can't find any evidence of a leak anywhere. It had to go someplace though. Any ideas on what to look for next? should I borrow the Autozone coolant pressure test - can anyone confirm if those come with an adaptor that would fit the expansion tank? If it's being burned off somehow what to look for for evidence of that? Edited October 22, 2018 by erikrichard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishx65 Posted October 22, 2018 Report Share Posted October 22, 2018 I would read some of the threads about 3.5 water pump failures. I think slow coolant loss might be a warning sign but, hopefully, your's is something different. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enigma-2 Posted October 22, 2018 Report Share Posted October 22, 2018 (edited) Its most likely the water pump failing. As you have already checked the oil and its not being watered-down, it may bw failing through the inner o-ring. (There are two o-rings, an inner and an outer). There is a weep hole on the top of the engine were the leak is allowed to exit the engine so you can determine if the pump is failing. Heres a video from MACTFORDEDGE showing where the weep hole is located. If its leaking, it will cost in the neighborhood of $1800 for the repair (if you currently dont have an extended warranty) and while your in there, replace the chain & guides as well. Its never going to get better and if it fails through the bearing, will leak into the oil, killing the lubrication of the engine. Best to get it fixed as soon as you can. BTW, you can get a Ford Credit Card right at the service desk and get a year to pay for the repair with no interest. (OPM)! Edited October 22, 2018 by enigma-2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikrichard Posted October 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2018 (edited) Thanks for that video, I just used it to find the weep hole and there are no signs of leaking or coolant residue anywhere around or under it. There are 2 weep holes for the water pump then? I thought there was one behind the alternator. Edited October 23, 2018 by erikrichard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cds71 Posted October 23, 2018 Report Share Posted October 23, 2018 Could be a head gasket as well. How are your operational temps been.....especially when idling for a few minutes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikrichard Posted October 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2018 Could be a head gasket as well. How are your operational temps been.....especially when idling for a few minutes? Once warmed up temp gauge never moves from a bit under halfway. The only thing I can find amiss is it lost about a cup of coolant over the last 500 miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWPerfA_ZN0W Posted October 23, 2018 Report Share Posted October 23, 2018 Get Forscan Lite for Android/iOS. Pair with an OBDII adapter. Watch temps in realtime. The temp gauge as it were is an "idiot" gauge. Not really useful for telling you where in the normal temp range the coolant is. Maybe temps have been creeping up over time due to a failing thermostat, for example. The temp gauge would be blissfully oblivious. Though TStat failure is rare, it is an easy task to replace. So you could just toss a new one in first, see if it makes a difference. Getting to the CHT sensor (doubles as an ECT sensor) and of course the water pump is much more labor intensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikrichard Posted October 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2018 Get Forscan Lite for Android/iOS. Pair with an OBDII adapter. Watch temps in realtime. The temp gauge as it were is an "idiot" gauge. Not really useful for telling you where in the normal temp range the coolant is. Maybe temps have been creeping up over time due to a failing thermostat, for example. The temp gauge would be blissfully oblivious. Though TStat failure is rare, it is an easy task to replace. So you could just toss a new one in first, see if it makes a difference. Getting to the CHT sensor (doubles as an ECT sensor) and of course the water pump is much more labor intensive. Im not having any overheating issues, only slight coolant loss. Why would a failed tstat cause that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWPerfA_ZN0W Posted October 23, 2018 Report Share Posted October 23, 2018 Fail-ing not fail-ed There is always a little bit of loss via the weepholes and degas bottle if need be. So if the TStat is not opening on time or fully, it could impede cooling a little, cause the coolant to run hotter, cause a little more loss than usual. The losses would begin to add up over time. TStats are typically designed to fail in the open position, but anything is possible, especially on a Gen 1 with original Gold coolant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enigma-2 Posted October 24, 2018 Report Share Posted October 24, 2018 (edited) Thanks for that video, I just used it to find the weep hole and there are no signs of leaking or coolant residue anywhere around or under it. There are 2 weep holes for the water pump then? I thought there was one behind the alternator.The information i have. Only shows one. (See attached)WEEP HOLE.pdf BTW, are you still running GOLD coolant in your Gen 1? Ford strongly recommends changing to green as soon as possible as gold was found to not offer sufficient protection. Dealer told me it could cause the heater core to leak due to corrosion and you wouldn't notice as the loss would leak out of the HVAC enclosure under the car. They have a very detailed and specific requirements for the change, flushes, part numbers, etc. And at least one part (a bypass tube) must be changed as it will fail when switching over to green. (Internally painted). Edited October 24, 2018 by enigma-2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikrichard Posted October 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2018 Green was in it and the owner's manual said to use motorcraft green so by 2010 it appears they had already changed it from gold to green. I checked it today after driving about 50 miles since adding a cup, and the level was about a cup higher - in other words, if I hadn't added any a few days ago the level would be about where it was 500 miles ago. Maybe the difference in outside temps had something to do with it, but for now I'm just going to drive and monitor it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebird Posted October 25, 2018 Report Share Posted October 25, 2018 You can also have a small crack in radiator that is only gassing at high temperature. Check upper thermoplastic end for evidence of what looks like a water drip on a dusty surface. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbwt Posted October 26, 2018 Report Share Posted October 26, 2018 Get the engine oil sampled. This will tell you two things. Condition of the engine and if there is coolant in the oil. Then go from there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chipster Posted November 19, 2018 Report Share Posted November 19, 2018 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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