I posted this in the engines forum, but I thought I'd ask here too...


I have a leak coming from the rear of the engine compartment underneath my 99 Expi. It has a 5.4L engine. The fluid leaking looks almost like pure antifreeze before it's diluted with water. SO to be exact it kind of a neon green/yellow in color. Here's a pic...



The only thing that I can think of that it is, is the refrigerant (freon) from the AC system. It is dripping from the lines that go to the rear AC unit, but it also appears to have sprayed to other parts in that area. I can't see any breaks in the line however, so I can't say for sure that it is that or if it got sprayed on there from somewhere else. Can anyone confirm my suspicion? I'm gonna take it to the dealer on Monday, but would like to have a better idea what is going on before I drive it ove there. Thanks in advance to anyone that can tell me what this is.

 

You know, after some more research and thinking about it more, I believe freon is a gas in it's natural form? If so, what would be comaing from the rear of the engine compartment that would be that color?

 

Cat p*ss maybe? Seriously, the only thing I think it would be is anti-freeze.

 

Ok, here's an update on this issue. The dealer took a look at the vehicle and found that the coolant lines that run to the rear heater/AC unit were rusting and having pin hole leaks. Both lines need to be replaced all the way back. The Total cost for the repair is about $930 *cough* *sputter* "What? How much?"

Well, the lines that run back there are some sort of metal that have to be bent this way and that to run along the undercarriage. After whining about the price, the service manager checked out the Ford extended warranty thing. I don't know exactly what it's called, but it's the thing where they help out with repairs on vehicles that are just out of warranty. I have 43K on the expi. Ends up I only have to pay %25 of the cost. That's much more reasonable in my book. Also the price of the parts will go down according to the service manager. I guess Ford doesn't want to pay full price either. Anyway, FYI to all the Expi owners, that rear AC is nice, but it sure is Expensive to fix. Ouch.

Oh, and another thing, these parts aren't readily available. The dealer said they won't have the parts till at least tomorrow morning. They doubt the parts could be found easily anywhere else.

 

Be careful, alot of us have had the infamous "#4 coil pack" go out (engine runs like crap, maybe a light, etc.) as a result of coolant (from leaky hoses/clamps) spraying on it.

 

yeah, I've seen some posts on that. I didn't see any coolant on the engine. The highest up I could see coolant was the cat. converter on the passenger side. I'm not sure where the #4 coil pack is exactly, but I think it's up higher. I'll remeber if the engine starts running weird to keep that in mind though.