No Coolant? But Where Did It Go? 

Pull the dip stick!

We've been praying for both Meg and yourself! May God bless you both with complete recoveries! Part 2 please!

Check the oil for water

So 2 things I would like to add since we have no idea yet where this coolant went. Kenny first said that the customer said passenger compartment filled up with smoke, that is usually a pretty good indication that the heater core has taken a crap. Also I am surprised that the basic (IMO) checks weren't done, like check under oil fill cap for cream or milk, check dipstick for same or coolant, back off oil drain plug slowly to check for coolant coming out before engine oil, etc.. Maybe those checks were done off camera? Anyway, I hope we get to see the diagnosis.

Pull the dip stick and see if its foamy

Just a suggestion when using water to look for cooling system leaks. Add some food coloring to the water, makes it easier to see. Also thermostat and heater valves need to be open in order to pressurize the entire system. Finally after adding two gallons of water if that head gasket is blown or anything is cracked be careful you don't get hydrolock from water in cylinder when you start it again. Hopefully we'll see a part two and see where this goes.

@WrenchingWithKenny 5 months ago I left everyone hangin' on this one! The cooling system was tight - no leaks. Found the coolant to have boiled out from intense overheat. It turned out to be the cooling fan module and fan assembly. The fans built up resistance and burned out the attached module. Glad to say the post repair test drive went well and there are no signs of internal damage at this time. For the sake of the customer's time my colleague did the repair. I have a long list of diagnostics that I still have to knock out and the customer's time is important to me. Sorry for the lack of a video. I appreciate you for watching!

3.5 are known for water pump failures leaking directly into the crank case

Also check the heater core in the dash as the customer stated "cabin filled with like a smoke" as it may be leaking under pressure.

Trigger the fans and check for power and ground after the module

Look for a coolant stain behind the alternator. The water pump is chain driven and is behind the timing cover. It has a weep hole with an external passage to prevent coolant from getting into the oil, but once it starts to weep, you need to address it asap. Also, these engines have a failsafe cooling system like the modular V8s, the PCM will disable fuel injectors on half of the cylinders. The air pumping through prevents severe overheating. Given the timing codes, I'd be doing water pump and a chain/phaser/tensioner kit from Cloyes. It will be pricey, so the customer may balk at it. From personal experience, drop the powertrain out the bottom, much easier to work on, especially for cleaning the sealing surfaces (timing cover is sealed with permatex grey RTV) and timing the chains.

I've had a few cars that had a sensor in the reservoir/expansion tank that would alert on the dash for low coolant. I have a '90 Toyota that has one. It would be a good thing for the manufactures to include for people that are oblivious and never check anything under the hood.

Fantastic work 👏 with pure heart ❤️ that is a real mechanism attitude

Hey Kenny, another informative chapter.

This sounds like a classic example of losing cooling system pressure on these era systems. They are very sensitive to pressure loss. Whatever they state (on the cap) as the pressure of your system (16psi or whatever) -- they really mean that. The system will operate right at that pressure when at temp. If it is rated for 16 psi, holding 15 psi is not good enough. Be sure to carefully pressure test the cap on that expansion tank too, as they are often the reason. But you may have a leak or crack somewhere else in the lines. I have seen leaks that don't show up in a cool pressure test. They only open up when hot enough. They can be really hard to find. Check the water pump too. Either way, as soon as system pressure is lost, that reservoir will boil and push out a gallon of fluid faster than you can imagine. When that happens, the CHT sensor is suddenly in air instead of water (any remaining coolant around the sensor also boils in the head, causing similar bad readings), and it starts reading incorrectly instantly, often reading much higher than actual. So I am not really concerned about the CHT code here. My guess is they stopped running it in sufficient time to avoid ruining the head. I think sequence of events is that pressure was lost somewhere, boiling off the coolant and setting a false CHT reading. The coolant that boils off gets all over the hot manifold and produces a lot of steam. The "smoke" inside the car was steam being pulled in through the vents. Fix the leak (maybe just the pressure cap -- don't use aftermarket), vacuum fill the coolant, and it will likely be fine. I don't think the fan failure is related. The codes weren't necessarily set at the same time. And, as you pointed out, the cooling failure happened at highway speed with plenty of cooling. That is an unrelated fix. Also note that if the CHT reads overtemp, the PCM will shut down cylinders to cool the engine. So a misfire during the event is likely due to the shutdown and not due to damage from overheating. These engines protect themselves pretty well.

I learn something from each of your videos. Thank you

Also, check the coolant system pressure with the engine running. It could be a blown head gasket between the cylinder and a water jacket. Which would explain the loss of coolant.

Hopefully there will be a part 2. Where did that coolant actually go?

For cooling systems I get distilled water only cost $1 at most stores. And I love my Airvac system, especially on big leaks

Put power on the fan leads to see they even work, had some that blades turned and the motor was bad. Hate to see a module gets replaced and the fans still not running.

I try to save used antifreeze of different types (if it isn't contaminated) and label them, keeping the various types in the correct container. Came in handy recently when a friend had a leak on his Ford Ranger that I couldn't get to. Couldn't use water, as it was way below freezing. I topped him off and gave him an extra gallon until he could get it repaired. Also comes in handy when a customer doesn't have the funds to repair a problem and the car is still drivable.

I wonder if people think of taking videos of the problem as it's happening. Not a driver while driving of course but a passenger or in this case of the smoke/steam under the hood. I was thinking heater core when I heard cabin filled with smoke/steam or vapours. Looking forward to part deux!

Same pressure tester I bought at Harbor Freight and it leaks around the quick connect fitting so you could stand there and pump it all day and it wouldn't build any pressure and you really wouldn't notice that it's leaking since it doesn't give the hiss sound

My 06 Ford's coolant reservoir cap has a built in pressure release valve, I found this out because my car overheated, and spewed coolant all over. It was also due to a faulty fan control module. Replaced the fan, and topped off the coolant, and it's still running today. This happened back in 2017 (for reference)

Check the oil level, also pull the oil pan drain plug and take a sample, look for antifreeze/water in the oil. Had a 2001 Malibu that had bad engine timing chain cover coolant o-rings in and it was leaking coolant past timing chain cover seals from engine block and water pump seals. It wound up in the oil pan with the oil. No leaks showed up externally on the engine. The oil level will also show a high reading on dip stick as more coolant leaks into oil pan.

Cloyes seems to be pretty good, we used their parts on a Ecotec and no problems yet. If its obvious the chain is loose or there are no cam sprocket rattles or known sprocket issues i would leave them alone. We did change ours but in hindsight it wasn't needed. On the ecotec it actually was not too bad.

Hotwire one of the fans to a fuse that gets power only when the ignition is on. Did this on an older Toyota Corolla.

Congratulations on passing 75K!

Let us know Kenny, I hate mysteries.

Interesting, please do a follow up, we want to know where the coolant went😅, check cylinder head with a boroscope, see if it is washed out, i love you videos men, please keep at it, thank you

Had an E36 BMW that had the water boil over all the time. Was constantly filling it with coolant. Changed the radiator clutch fan and it was brilliant after that.

Waiting for part 2‼️

Check oil level and feel passenger side carpet for wetness from heater core.

Definitely could be the water pump leaking under there weep hole is behind alternator. Pull the dipstick it’s most likely milky. You didn’t do any kind of block test. And you didn’t check the duty cycle circuit to the module.

Check live data for a fans on signal from the ECM.

I don't have that fancy scan tool to diagnose the cooling fan.

Is it in the oil sump or in transmission? You can tell its a Ford they don't feel the need to identify fuses/relays in the panel. Another driveway mechanic deterrent. Thanks again Ford.

I'm surprised you didn't pull the dipstick and look for signs of MILKSHAKE! Great VIDEO like all you do! Thank you!

Got 07 Lincoln mkz in my shop today. Same issue. It's the water pump. It comes out weep hole behind the alternator. It's a engine out deal on the mkz. I think edge can be done with engine in. Ford parts and id do the timing chain when your in there.

Just a quick note, my Mopar FSMs state the compressor will not run in any position below "about 30*F".

Better than what you have evidently lol

Thermostat is fail safe, sticks in open position. My guess is high resistance in connector before the fan control module. Place your bets !

Yes,like the other guy said. Pull the dip stick. See if you've got water in the crank case.

I have a regular, constant leak that puddles on top of my engine, but I "cure" that by just adding 50/50 coolant. Its doesn't go into the oil. Its my old, ugly '86 F150 garbage/hauling truck. I only drive it 200-300 mies/yr. I'm not worried about it, but I will buy a new radiator hose this spring - it doesn't appear to be coming from any hose plus the rad hose is below where the coolant puddles.

Isn't this a model that uses the timing chain driven internal water pump? I'd be looking there as well and checking the crankcase.

Turn on the A/C the fan should come on

Does that have the internal water pump?

The very first thing you do is verify ALL FLUIDS BEFORE cranking, installing any scanners, anything!! Especially since it was towed in, Geeze! Mechanics 101!!

Afternoon Mr Kenny hope things are going well for you and your wife, Happy Friday and hope you enjoy your weekend

You mentioned that it is a 3.5 v6, isn't the waterpump of the style that fails internally into the engine? Pull the drain plug from the engine, see what you get. If it transferred all the coolant into the oilpan, the overheat would have boiled what coolant was in the heads, turning it into steam, which would have vented to the radiator and the degas bottle. The engine would have drawn in whatever it could from the reserve in the degas bottle as the steam may have been blasting it out of the overflow.

That is why I do not like the base model on any brand as they do not have a temperature gauge in the dash only a warning light & by the time that has ilumnated generally the damage is done.Cheers mate I hope your wife & yourself are recovering quickly.

I kno you already pulled the dipstick. First thing you do. Yr just keeping us in suspense😂

Since the fans are not working, the cooling got out from.a vent vavle under a lot of pressure caused by the high cooling heat (the cooling system build like that) and i guess there was slow moving traffic on the highway, that the only explanation.

an other module bites the dust Kenny

So, how did it turn out?

Ford edge put where it belongs from the assembly line nearest junkyard is it the water pump we had one of these at my job leak in same area

Don't overlook the pressure cap. If it overheated and blew coolant/water out, the cap may be bad now.

I'm old,my dang dipstick is stuck😅😂

No mystery. There are coolant stains and remnants all over under the expansion jug--like Old Faithful geyser. With all that gushing of coolant when it overheated, it would have been spectacular.

Heater core?

Is the coolant going into the oil pan?

Kenny is to good not to have checked the oil dipstick??

Good luck Kenny! If U ant the Best! U Certainly One of the Best!

It may not have broke any thing but it could have weakened some things

I would guess the fan control module died causing the engine to run hot and eventually a misfire developed from the temperature? Maybe?

Great stuff Kenny However the first two things u would have checked was water in the oil milky when cold.filled the empty expansion tank then ran bypassed the thermostat directly to the fans with 12 volts Started the engine and monitored results If all other items are working then you know it's the fan modulator or stuck thermostat

heater core?

Part 2

Just saw your newest video with the water pump on the Ford Ecoboost, haven't seen a follow up to this video, you pretty much just left us hanging here. What ever happened eith this car?

What's with the split/damaged hose where it connects with the hardline? It's visible @ 5:22. Looks like that could be a problem area.

I would change the oil since it got cooked that bad

When hear ford, 3.5, and coolant loss, all i can think of is the water pump failed

5:25 that zip tie isnt OEM😂

That code is the "I drove it to my destination with the hot light on" indicator.

Hey Kenny what was the first launch you talked about that was in the 400 dollar range on Amazon thanks

turn the A/C on while running and fans should energize and come on - oh, he just said that

Internal water pump failure My daughter 08 Taurus had that problem cost us 2 k to fix it Same engine

The driver said they were driving on the highway and cabin started to fill with smoke and when they pulled over there was smoke coming out from under the hood (assuming it's coolant in both cases). While the fan circuit/module may be bad, I can't see how this addresses the vehicle's primary issue. The vehicle appears to be leaking coolant (2gal missing) inside the cabin and in the engine compartment, why is Kenny concerning himself with the bad fan circuits? Kind of a strange video from Kenny.

Wait to finish this video until You finish the job.

Cooling fan temperature sensor

The cap leaks. Just my guess about halfway thru.

Leaking water pump?

Hey Kenny. I hope everything is alright with Meg. I have a question for you. Is it worth it to purchase a used vehicle from the south and ship it to southern ontario, Canada?

Made me nervous seeing you touch the fan like that

Kenny, I was wondering if setting the timing marks TDC by looking inside the Number 1 cylinder and seeing the distributor rotor printing to the Number 1 spark plug is the only correct way to find TDC on compression stroke? I ask because of something known as timing hunting which I don't understand. Could you please explain this because I will soon need to replace my timing belt (first time) my self. Thank you for your content I have learned a lot!

that is a harbor fright kit

Remove a simple inexpensive relay and replace ot with a expensive module, way to over think it engineer's.

I hate the smell of hot coolant in a car when the heater core goes.

It's thirsty, needed a cool drink of coolant. 😅 Nothing to see here folks

That is messed up that ford only sells the module with the fan assembly.

Maybe it threw a code at lower speeds prior to being at highway speed.

For smoke there has to be fire.. I mean a leak.. Stuck thermostat , engine overheats and pop goes the weasel.Hope its not the head.

Buffering ?

Thermostat stuck closed?

Heater core inside car

Aluminum will warp and flex, pig iron does not it cracks.

I hate transverse mounted engines.

Likely thermostat stuck closed.

Man I’m looking at those shop ceiling fans!!! Then need a good clean

Kenny, people troll your videos?