Low Coolant, Overheating, Engine Tapping. What's Going on Here!? 2018 F150 EcoBoost

[@kellismith4329]

Look at the spark plugs for evidence of coolant burn - also the carpet under the heater box

[@haneyoakie14]

Merry Christmas to the Wrenching family. May your 2025 be much healthier, wealthier and wiser!

[@campermike8879]

Please do a follow up. Gotta love the mystery leaks. Had a few myself sent out to find a leak. Coolant way low Wouldn't drip a drop And I wanna know if that engine quiets down after your trick

[@michaelrodriguez9785]

Automatic Trans. I have discovered that some of the lexan plastic radiators develop internal cracks The coolant then goes into the trans. It may be worth looking into.

[@n1umj]

Reminds me of a friend of mine who had noises from the engine and called me on the side of the road. I asked if the gauges looked OK. They said "yeah in fact it was running cooler than usual according to the gauge". My response "that's not good at all". Sure enough, a line had let go and it ran out of coolant. Luckily they didn't kill the engine, new line, new coolant, and an oil change to be safe as hot as it got and it ran fine. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

[@garysgarage.2841]

I had that kit years ago. 90% of the time no adapter for so I was forced to use the expansion bladder. Eventually the bladders failed and I tossed it waist of space. I went on Amazon and got adapters separately for several manufacturers the cheapest ones made out of metal. Then I modified an older cylinder leak down tester to pressurize the coolant system. Works awesome I can adjust the pressure to exactly what I want and watch if it's holding pressure. Tons easier than pumping by hand.

[@TxGuitarPlayer]

I want to know more about the atf type f in the oil. My dad did that 40 years ago to unstick lifters. It worked too. Merry Christmas 🎄

[@donshields4470]

For an impossible cap that won't screw on...get some aluminum foil, make a folded strip and wrap around the threads. Then screw on the pressure tester fitting....worth a try....

[@William-v9i]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and the misses! Might I add that your videos are priceless to this 80 year old slow poke "retired mechanic". Keep on wrenching my friend.

[@greggc8088]

I've got one of those coolant pressure testers with the universal fit air bladder that expands to seal the outlet and I love it. Everyone told me they were junk and wouldn't last but a few times but that was 8 years and a lot of pressure tests ago. The heck with all those dang adapters to keep up with because that gets expensive.

[@elcheapo5302]

Those are fine...until some decrepit old plastic radiator comes in and you split or crack it.

[@ken763E]

I don't understand? My Dad taught me anytime you opened the hood, check fluid levels, basic visual inspection and it's even easier now with the coolant recovery tanks. I've avoided bigger problems over the years by noticing things early.

[@rickdecastro4584]

I have a 2015 Ecoboost - no problems mostly, but have the missing coolant issue from time to time. Not in the crank case, not in the trans cooler, not on the ground. Engine runs fine.

[@Davidnichols-p7w]

Merry Christmas Mr and Mrs Kenny! Love your videos.

[@kwgm8578]

Howdy, Kenny. That was my Dad's name. I just got rid of my 1999 Rodeo 6 cyl in October. It needed brakes, valve cover gasket, and it was due for a timing belt. I'm too old and disabled to work on it anymore, and mechanics are making close to $100 an hour these days, so Nissan, President Biden, and the State of Colorado made me an offer I can't refuse -- I turned it in and bought a 2025 Nissan Leaf for under $10K. I'm fully electric now. I can travel 170 miles on a change, but don't drive much anymore. I can't remember the last time I paid under $10k for a new car. I bought a 1984 Honda Accord new 40 years ago, and I can't remember the price but I think it was around $12K It was the LX model with a cassette tape player. I bought a maintenance plan that covers all except consumables -- brakes and tires on this thing, and the braking is regenerative, so maybe not brakes. This is likely the last car I'll own, as here in my 70's, I know my reflexes aren't what they used to be. About the heater -- it saved my engine once. I was driving a Toyota Camry that belonged to my wife when the water pump broke, going up an exit ramp but still 2-3 miles from home. I drove with the heater blasting on a hot summer day, and pulled into the driveway with an angry car. But I had my left eye glued to the temp gauge all the way home -- it was high but never went in the red. I opened the hood and let it sit all day and night, and changed the pump and hoses on the weekend. Everything was fine, but I took it to have an oil change just in case. The car ran for years -- one of our sons inherited it. Keep on wrenching -- I've retired. 🇺🇸🧙🏽‍♂️💙

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

Wow! Thanks for sharing your experience. Do we ever retire from wrenching? Merry Christmas 🔧 Kenny

[@guygordon2780]

In 2018 I bought my wife a 3yo off-lease Nissan Leaf, and kept our Acura MDX as my drive. Since then, never ending problems with the MDX, and not ONE from the Leaf. This month I'm in my new (well, 1yo) Tesla model Y, and I'm getting rid of the MDX.

[@kwgm8578]

@guygordon2780 Sorry to hear that. But it's good to spread the news. I live 4 blocks from a Kia dealership but have heard nothing but trouble. Last summer they closed for good. They've been there for 15 years, but closed this year. The Leaf has been fine, so far. Thanks for the good news. That Tesla Sport looks fast when parked!

[@kwgm8578]

@@WrenchingWithKenny -- if the surgeon make it possible, maybe not. But I'm 72, Kenny. The idea of work leaves a sour taste in one's mouth. Who knows, if they steal my Social Security, I may have to wrench again. Happy Christmas. 🇺🇲🧙🏼‍♂️🎄

[@lowbudgetbob1155]

Merry Christmas to you and the Mrs. and Happy New Year!

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

@lowbudgetbob1155 Thank you! Merry Christmas to you and yours! Keep wrenching 🔧 Kenny

[@johneverett3947]

Been there before with no adapter. What I used to do is take the small return hose off put a T in it and then put the pressure tester on the t leaving the original Reservoir cap on. Works most times. Anyway, to pressurize a sealed system will usually work.😊

[@jimkalfakis9893]

Good man John, that’s how you get it done. 👊

[@BillyMorris-i7e]

I just paid for transmission inter cooler replacement it also put oil in the water had 2 bad hoses etc.

[@milofd1]

It's probably a cold leak and won't leak when running. Let it sit overnight cool down then check the radiator I have replaced a bunch of this Ford radiators that leak around the tank when cold

[@harveypaxton1232]

Merry Christmas, Kenny and family!

[@TedHill-97]

Merry Christmas to you and your family. God bless you.

[@skinnymac6375]

Had the same issue with my Yukon 5.3 and never found a leak.

[@MarkEye-r5d]

Kenny Hope that you and your familky have a very Merry Christmas And Happy new Year

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

@MarkEye-r5d Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you & your family. Keep wrenching 🔧 Kenny

[@dugie5246]

My 4.6 f150 losses a little coolant when outside temperature at or below 30. Also a lot of vapor out of exhaust until reaches operating temperature. I put a 1/2 tube barrel stop leak a year ago and no more loss of coolant and excessive vapor. My guess is minor leaking head gasket. In summer didn't have issues.

[@MichaelBEarl]

I had a Ford Escape that had a slow leak from the water jacket to the exhaust in the intake. It would only leak while the thermostat was open so it took forever to find it with a pressure tester as every time I tested the thing the thermostat was closed. It took weeks to lose enough coolant to be a problem unless I was on a really long trip. I could have probably just kept a bottle of coolant in the back and never fixed it and the car would have been fine. If the exhaust is not horribly rusted on that truck, I would recommend you disconnect at the front-most flange you can find and let the truck idle until the thermostat cycles a few times to see if you get any coolant dripping out of the exhaust. A slow leak into the exhaust can simply evaporate.

[@brianmurphy7809]

I enjoy your youtube channel how you explain things so simple and how to check different stuff if something is going on with different trucks and cars to bad I wasn't living in your area you would be my go to mechanic you know your stuff and a honest person it hard find people like you around these days that won't rip off people and stuff and keep on milk people for more money etc.

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

@brianmurphy7809 thank you for your kind words. Keep wrenching 🔧 Kenny

[@Servant927]

I use pond water. 🎉 Merry Christmas and have a wonderful New Year.

[@sheerwillsurvival2064]

I love the built ford tough comes up on the dash to convince you that you didn’t make a bad choice 🤭

[@williamwhite9767]

Water pumps are common failures on those engines from what I understand. And it just might need some new phasers to quieten it down. And somebody needs an ass kicking for letting the oil go so long without changing it.

[@EvzenKovar-i5p]

I use a fleet ‘17 Ford Transit 150 at work. Absolutely love the rig. Only 33K on the clock but it has huge idle hours on it. Company won’t let me have the oil changed before 7.5K miles. So frustrating because I’m sure this is going to kill the engine prematurely due to fuel wash.

[@robertgriffin7569]

​@@EvzenKovar-i5p You're right..

[@conservativeguy9329]

I agree. I have a 2016 Ford F150 with the 5.0 liter coyote engine . My water pump went at 70,000 miles.

[@mikejerrett7354]

Merry Christmas to you and Mrs wrenching, can't wait to see what's up with that truck. 😊

[@Karrpilot]

Overdue on the sticker and the driver never checked the fluids. That driver needs a new job. Part of being in a fleet is a pre trip inspection. A check of the fluids is Paramount before driving off. And a look at the sticker? Another DUH!

[@scottcastillo7936]

Great video. Measuring temp of metal is a good advance at relatively low cost.

[@pedroequis9396]

Radiator cap ?

[@jcwindevillose]

That’s a weird one. Did check out the links. Have a blessed merry Christmas Mr Kenny and your family

[@andrewharrison8880]

Trouble is people don't think about maintaining their car/truck, they only care when it costs them money to fix it. Problem is common sense is not common any more. You have to regularly open the bonnet(hood) and check all of your levels. Cheers from Australia.

[@goodcitizen64]

Thanks Kenny! Merry Christmas to you and your family and God bless y'all

[@sheerwillsurvival2064]

Astro kit has it all

[@joemuncie9187]

I know of people who never check oil or water. Once it overheats they find the cooling system empty, and wonder why. If you don't open your hood for years, it may all evaporate, even without a leak. Don't do that.

[@82_KID]

MERRY CHRISTMAS MR. KENNY!! 🎄

[@BigTex8319]

The same thing happened to my friends 2014 f150 3.5 ecoboost, it was a blown head gasket, leaking coolant into 2 cylinders

[@donames6941]

My old c10 over 3 months will lose half gallon of coolant been doing that for years, and i never see a leak. I even got a new cap and rad i think the coolant evaporates out of the overflow jug

[@ChrisCreech-uf2ty]

Merry Christmas to you and your family 😊

[@donniee1934]

Merry Christmas to you and the Mrs. Kenny

[@donnataylor4168]

Hi Kenneth Hope all is well with you and your family. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and New Year. Dozydoodle DJ

[@walsakaluk1584]

Water is also a coolant. Enough OCD talk. Now.... I use mercury as a coolant in my ute. Shreds water pump belts but man does it keep the engine really cool. Never boils. It's so good I'm considering using it in the battery cooling system of my Tesla. What could possibly go wrong? Merry Christmas Kenny.

[@daleschmitt2919]

Thank you

[@bigbill709]

Yeah it sorta sounds like a diesel

[@EvzenKovar-i5p]

Merry Christmas all

[@johnnyszot]

Merry Christmas to you and your family have a blessed holiday

[@65deh]

I would take out the spark plugs and if one or more are very clean that’s where your coolant is going.

[@notyou6950]

All it takes is one time to overheat a motor and it is worthless. Just one time. Sometimes they leak only when cold.

[@JimLambier]

My wife had borrowed my truck to drive to work. While on the highway, a hose burst and quickly lost all of the coolant. She didn't want to stop on the highway so she kept driving. Fortunately, the truck has software smart enough to disagree with her and gradually dropped power and then shut itself down. Replaced a cheap hose and good to go.

[@notyou6950]

@JimLambier I blew top radiator hose in a Kia Spectra one night. Ironically, the new hose was in the back seat waiting for me to change it. I had to do a head job to get it going again $400.00 in parts alone plus a week to get the machining done. I was a lazy dumb ass for procrastinating this.

[@walterboard-sf6tb]

Merry Christmas

[@robertrpenny]

That thing sounds like a diesel so needs new oil fast, and probably should have 5w40 or heavier. Then coolant leak fixed and see what happens. It could also need roller followers which the Ford tech changes all the time on those junkie motors. Then sell and buy a gm or Toyota before something else breaks. Merry Christmas to the Wrenchings from all fans in Cda. Comrade Bob.

[@shauneco]

Probably a slightly cracked cylinder. Maybe only lose a bit of coolant under certain load conditions.

[@emmettrobinson9708]

Hey, Kenny, I have an 02 GMC Sierra 15 hungry Z. Save me 15.3 I have put 3 new IA C vials in the throttle and had to put the oven back in. So it would run with the new ones. It would crank fine and then when I put it in gear. It would go dead, then I would restart and then it would go in beer in drive but it would idle high. 4 about 10 miles when I came to stops.Did you get a chance?Please do a video on tyes.Thank you very much, love you shows.Be careful take care of yourself

[@brianmiller-iz6vf]

What the hell are you talking about? Don’t use voice to text, it never makes any sense.

[@waynar3899]

The heads warp when they overheat.

[@jthonn]

Gremlins, I hate mysteries, but what can you do. Merry Christmas to you and family.

[@ricanderson5717]

Coolant does deplete over time; no system is totally "closed". If no regular maintenance is done, then maybe no one noticed the low coolant happening slowly over time?

[@kellismith4329]

No, if it is low it went somewhere

[@scottcastillo7936]

Once again, Great video!

[@DAVEFZEK]

Sounds most likely a cam faiser issue common problem with the 3.5 ecoboost.

[@grumpy2.0]

I almost never have the right adapter.

[@Jay388]

The tapping sounds like cam phasers. Needs a full timing job on top of coolant leak repair.

[@SammyKurts-ku2ht]

Taste the tailpipe of its sweet it’s burning coolant .. headgasket

[@bobby9195]

YAY! Here comes Santa Claus 😅 Hello Mrs Meg and Mr Kenny hope y'all have a wonderful Christmas 😅

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

@bobby9195 Merry Christmas brother. Meg says hello. Keep wrenching 🔧 Kenny

[@awesomusmaximus3766]

I use distilled water

[@renj6531]

It doesn’t surprise me ford probably has some oddball size that they monopolize on because your forced to buy only one patented from them

[@needhelp2453]

I'm going to guess that you have a leaking head gasket that only leaks when the engine is cold.

[@kellismith4329]

Or when it is hot, into the comb chamber

[@donmunro144]

I once blew-up a ford 390 because of no coolant and the gauges read normal.

[@haneyoakie14]

Lack of maintenance. No oil change, never check coolant, year later, it’s misbehaving.

[@FreedomInc]

Assume tbey left the cap off.

[@RobertYonng]

Put gas in and drive we need not open the hood. 😉😂🤣

[@robertgriffin7569]

Change the oil...

[@XPFTP]

what we have here folks is............ working quit and left the truck there sayin something wrong with it. to make the owner pay

[@Taillighttim26]

It will over heat with no coolant i don't know whoever was driving it when It was overheating maybe that is the issue and didn't check..

[@chadpyett6441]

Sounds like a disel

[@brmelectric]

Sounds like a diesel

[@marshall1157]

Economy boost for ford

[@OneLeggedStormChaser]

Neglect 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@oldbiker9739]

that man that drives that truck is like my wife never checks nothing , so I have to baby sit her car , the man needs a car sitter ,

[@johnmadow5331]

If either of your tools or radiator reservoir tank was manufactured in cheap labor country with "3rd world gauge standard" called "at wills" Quality control. That what you will get!

[@RobertYonng]

It’s a ford I’ll believe anything.

[@cheeseburger3547]

FORD= Found On Road Dead

[@markraymond1196]

I got a almost 30 yr old 5.8 ford that sounds better than that engine