Hey guys, I though I would ask you all this here too. I posted it in the Expi and Engine forums, but I know some of you know a thing or two about the engines in these rigs. Here goes...


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?

 

Looks like antifreeze but, hard to tell.

I'd suggest posting this in the engine forum and see what you snag there. Those guys are pretty damn good up there...

RP

 

Thanks Rock, I did post it there. No replies yet. I got to thinking about the AC system and realized that the coolant sytem goes back there to for the heat. Just don't think about that much since we really don't need the heater down here. It's kinda oily to the touch and I can't remember what antifreeze feels or smells like. It does smell kinda sweet when it's burning off the exaust sytem, where it dripped on it, so I think that may be what's leaking.

 

It is most likely a hose that goes to the heater core. Runs through the firewall on the passenger side. Before you have it worked on you might want to run the heater to make sure the core is not leaking. (That will leak inside the truck on the front passenger floorboard.)

Have you taken off the radiator cap to see if the coolant is low? Is coolant low in the overflow tank?

Take a sample of antifreeze from the radiator or overflow tank and drop it on the floor next to your "spill". That should let you know if it is antifreeze. Warning DO NOT LET ANIMALS NEAR THE ANTIFREEZE. If they drink it they will get very sick and die within a couple of days.

--- After looking at the pics again ... it looks like water that has condensate on the AC condenser/lines dripping onto the floor. (You do need to find out why it is yellowish in color) I know it is hot, but if you could run it a while with out the AC on and then see if you have anything dripping from underneath. If not than it is most likely just condensation.

--- It could be a combination of water from the AC mixing with a very small leak of antifreeze.

--- If you smell anything then you know it is just not water.

---- It could be your wife drove through a toxic waste dump and the toxic waste is dripping from underneath car with the water from the AC condenser.



OK ... I admit that I have no idea ... have it checked out by a service department you can trust.

 

I didn't check inside to see if there was any in there. I'm thinking it's a hose leak of some sort. Posibly from the hoses that go to the rear heater/AC unit, since the Expi has one in the back. Thanks for the reply.

 

Viper,

If you invest in a radiator pressure pump, you can diagnose the leak yourself. If you have any inclination of doing your own maintenance in the future after your warranty has expired then you won't waste your money by buying the pressure pump. The way the pump works is you remove your radiator cap and screw the pump onto the radiator just as if it were the cap. Then, you pump the hand piston until the attached pressure gauge is around 15 PSI and then look for leaks and also watch to see if the pressure gauge leaks down. If you don't see any leaks but the pressure gauge is not maintaining a constant pressure, then there's a leak somewhere for sure.

For what it's worth, the fluid on your floor looks like anti-freeze but sometimes fluids can be hard to differentiate. Also, don't forget to let your engine cool before you remove the radiator cap as pressure inside the cooling system can cause fluid to slosh out and potentially burn you.

Hope this helps.

I'm sure the dealer will find the problem in a flash but looks like coolant leaking to me but from where is to be determined.

~DM~

 

I agree with the heater hoses. I had a 94 Ranger that had this happen all the time. Freon when it is compressed is a liquid, but once it gets released into the air it becomes a gas, so is not able to leak on the floor. It is anti freeze, and more specifically, from the radiator. Watch your coolant level if you haven't pinpointed the leak yet, as you may very likely have to add more coolant.

 

Well, I took it to the local dealer today so they can take a look at it. I haven't heard back yet. I'll let you know what it turns out to be. It must not be too major (yet) because I didn't see any noticable difference in the coolant level. It does kinda bug me though that there is no direct acces to the radiator. Maybe I'm just used to being able to crank off the cap and look in there. *shrug* I suppose this system is safer or something.

 

No access to the radiator? That's odd. I have the cap on my 2001 and it also helps to look at the level in the overflow container. I think you may be overlooking something.

 

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.

dufunnel, you might be right. The radiator cap might be under something. It didn't see it right there out in the open. The overflow tank has a high pressure cap on it though. It's plastic and has the "don't open hot" warning on it. I was just assuming that was the only access to the fluid in the radiator other than a drain valve underneath somewhere.

 

Okay, I have to let the cat out of the bag....

It's really not antifreeze....I went in your garage and tinkled on the floor....

Why is it green you ask? Well, a couple of reasons... 1. I've been eating a bunch of those green popcicles this summer and, well, umm... they're making a 'encore appearance'.... and 2. I work with hazardous materials on a daily basis here in my line of work and, well, I've been sampling the goodies to see if the chemicals have the potential to contaminate my subject sites (like the lingo to say, 'dirty up the ground and groundwater'?).

I won't do it anymore.... sorry man.

RP

ps. seriously, good luck with the repair. You say it's a 99? Argh, seems quick to develop a leak... only 4 years old...

 

Hmm, interesting about the radiator cap. I didn't even think that the cap I was thinking of may just be the overflow tank. I will have to look out of curiosity. That would be very inconvenient if there isn't any other access. How do you flush the system without that access? We shall see.