I have a 2013 Ford Escape SE 1.6L GTDI. I have taken my car in to the dealership 3 different times for coolant loss. Ford customer service has been contacted and the dealership has tried all of the recommendations at this point. Ford is now telling me that they can see the coolant levels drop but, they can not find where it is going. Since they can't find where it is going then there isn't any issue with the car and it is "safe" to drive. The car has about 20,000 mile on it currently. I have had the vehicle in the shop for about 32 days now. This last time was 7 days in the shop with no solution. I was told that since Ford has can't find the leak there is no issue. I am wondering if anyone else is having the same issue with their Escape or am I just special. Thanks for any help.
2013-2015 1.6 Coolant leak
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what is the build date on your 1.6?
This latest round of recalls is the third related to the 2013 Escape powered by the 1.6-liter engine. Last September 7600 units were recalled due to a cup plug within the cylinder head that could become dislodged, causing coolant to leak and possibly catch on fire.
This latest round of recalls is the third related to the 2013 Escape powered by the 1.6-liter engine. Last September 7600 units were recalled due to a cup plug within the cylinder head that could become dislodged, causing coolant to leak and possibly catch on fire.
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Ford Produces Fix in Voluntary Safety Recall of 2013 Escapes, 2013 Fusions with 1.6-liter Engines
- Ford today announced a corrective action to address potential engine overheating that could result in engine fires in 2013 Ford Escape SE and SEL models with the 1.6-liter engine and 2013 Ford Fusion SE and SEL models with the 1.6-liter engine
- Ford will make updates to the cooling system software to better manage engine temperatures during a unique overheating condition. Original cooling system design was not able to address a loss of coolant system pressure under certain operating conditions. The new software will resolve this issue
- Escapes equipped with the 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter engines are unaffected as are Fusions equipped with 2.5-liter and hybrid engines
- Ford remains absolutely committed to continuously improving and providing the highest-quality vehicles to its customers. When a potential issue is identified, Ford acts promptly on behalf of customers
The build date is January 17, 2013. It is under the current recall which Ford has told me they hope to have a solution by the end of June 2014. They told me I just need to keep taking it to the dealership and have them add coolant when it is low.
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duke594,
I want to take a look at your customer service case and see what's going on with your Escape. Will you please PM me your VIN or case number?
Thanks!
Ashley
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My bet is on micro cracks in the cylinder head. A small amount of coolant is being burned off and out the exhaust.
Is this a design flaw, or just caused from cooling issues? I'm sure we will never be told fully.
I remember back when the 1st generation Dodge Neon came out. A cheap head gasket was used which caused coolant leaks. Chrysler never did a full scale recall, and most repairs where left up to the customer.
Is this a design flaw, or just caused from cooling issues? I'm sure we will never be told fully.
I remember back when the 1st generation Dodge Neon came out. A cheap head gasket was used which caused coolant leaks. Chrysler never did a full scale recall, and most repairs where left up to the customer.
That is what I think is happening. However, Ford said they have checked that. I don't believe them. They never pulled/ disassembled the engine. How can they check the cylinder head for cracks?
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There are compression tests, and, other visual cues, along with a big one if coolant is getting into your cylinders, like the sweet coolant smell and white opaque color of smoke coming from your exhaust which is thicker than normal.
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If these are micro cracks, there will only be a very tiny amount of coolant being burned, probably not enough to even be noticed in the exhaust.
This is why the coolant level only drops slightly in the 1.6 Ecoboost (the engines under the recall anyways). I really hope this is not an issue with all the 1.6L Ecoboost engines.
Now if it was a major head gasket leak like the Dodge Neon had then you would see a milk shake in your engine oil, and see lots of white smoke out the exhaust pipe.
This is why the coolant level only drops slightly in the 1.6 Ecoboost (the engines under the recall anyways). I really hope this is not an issue with all the 1.6L Ecoboost engines.
Now if it was a major head gasket leak like the Dodge Neon had then you would see a milk shake in your engine oil, and see lots of white smoke out the exhaust pipe.
It isn't a big leak. I have had to fill the coolant twice since the beginning of February. It was almost empty both times. I can smell the coolant every time I turn the car off and get out. It is definitely burning coolant in the engine but a little at a time.
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That is quite a bit of coolant. A new vehicle should not use up any coolant.
This is very concerning for a new vehicle. Makes me wish I would have bought a 2.0 FWD instead of the 1.6
This is very concerning for a new vehicle. Makes me wish I would have bought a 2.0 FWD instead of the 1.6
According to the Ford engineering support line, "this is normal and there is no issue at this time". I have a 4 year old Nissan and I have never had to add coolant to it. I talked to the dealership today and they did not look at the cylinder head. all they did was remove the spark plugs and look for coolant in the cylinders. I tried to explain that they wouldn't see coolant there because it is only a small amount at a time and is being fully burned off.
Their is a simple hydrocarbon test that any shop can do that will show a coolant leak from the combustion chamber. Its cheap and it works every time. The only thing is getting it up to operating temperature with the fill cap off. The way it works is their is a test tube that comes in a kit along with a blue chemical, you put the chemical in the tube and it then goes over the fill where it filters the fumes coming out, if the chemical turns light green or yellow their are hydrocarbons in the cooling system where their should be none. I have used this hundreds of times with great sucess. The only thing is on small leaks it takes some time, some heat, and some cylinder pressure (ie; revving the engine) to get the leak to show. The only reasion a dealership would not be able to find a leak, would be not doing the test, not taking enough time doing the test, or not wanting to find the problem...
Here is a vidio of the test I found on utube, as you can see its not rocket science. How to test head gasket failure using an antifree…: How to test head gasket failure using an antifreeze HC Tester - YouTube.
Mark
Here is a vidio of the test I found on utube, as you can see its not rocket science. How to test head gasket failure using an antifree…: How to test head gasket failure using an antifreeze HC Tester - YouTube.Mark
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If you can smell coolant, you probably have an actual leak, rather than burning it off.
I'd bet the plastic coolant tank or its pressure cap is leaking.
Why does Ford allow this tank to be pressurized up to 20 psig? Seems dumb to me!
Ford has already pressured tested it twice for an external leak. No leaks were found. The dealership called me back today and said they had just received a 52 page document on how to correct the over heating problem and they will let me know what they find out.
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another early build one leaking antifreeze along with the smell of it burning off, we had it 2 months when the first recall hit and had it taken away and off the road, now even with the repairs done under the latest recall it still is using coolant,
I have been a loyal ford owner since 1964, and had after the 21 day trip ford give us a 75 k extend warranty but we still don't feel safe not when you smell burning antifreeze
I have been a loyal ford owner since 1964, and had after the 21 day trip ford give us a 75 k extend warranty but we still don't feel safe not when you smell burning antifreeze
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Almost empty both times...wow, that's not good at all. I can see maybe an ounce or so ever so often, then top it off. but if you drive it for a while and it's almost empty, that's not good. Hopefully something does give and you vapor lock that motor. After you feel it up and drive it, have you noticed any discoloration in the coolant or an oil smell? No bubbles in the coolant while it's running? No white sludge when you do an oil change? Any white smoke with a good amount of water droplets?
It definitely has a issue that is not normal and I would def be concerned with. Sorry to hear.
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