Coolant disappearing on new 2020???????

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

OP
OP
Oldfart

Oldfart

FRF Addict
Joined
Oct 21, 2017
Posts
6,012
Reaction score
14,922
Location
Saggy Balls Division of PA Trump Army
You would smell it if dripping on hot surface. it could simply be poor bleeding from factory and air has worked its way out. Did it come with the yellow factory fill?

So I had this issue with my 2018. I could faintly smell coolant once the engine was warm. When I took it to the dealership they did a pressure test and said everything was fine. I continue to smell coolant and saw my coolant level slowly dropping. After digging around I saw some drops of coolant weeping from the water pump. I took it backTo the dealership and they found that there was a casting issue from the manufacture of the water pump and of the thermostat housing. I had them both replaced under warranty no issue sense. I would highly suggest taking it in and have it fixed under warranty.

Yes, it has the light yellow coolant. I thought it was odd I wasn't smelling it too.

I was under it yesterday and now that it's got 400 miles on it you can see fluid on the skid plates. I think there is a very small oil leak and a slow coolant leak. What I found feels & looks like coolant with maybe a touch of oil. Maybe it's picking up crap on it's way down. It's hard to tell with the plates and it's a slow leak that's blowing around and misting so it's hard to tell the source. I'm taking it in Friday. I have it up on stands and took the wheels to the powdercoater. Hopefully have them back in a few days and get it to the dealer.

Thanks for the responses.
 

Ruger

FRF Addict
Joined
May 16, 2011
Posts
9,555
Reaction score
8,514
Location
Northern Nevada
So I had this issue with my 2018. I could faintly smell coolant once the engine was warm. When I took it to the dealership they did a pressure test and said everything was fine. I continue to smell coolant and saw my coolant level slowly dropping. After digging around I saw some drops of coolant weeping from the water pump. I took it backTo the dealership and they found that there was a casting issue from the manufacture of the water pump and of the thermostat housing. I had them both replaced under warranty no issue sense. I would highly suggest taking it in and have it fixed under warranty.

Interesting! This is the first corroboration I have on a problem with the gooseneck. My truck was out of warranty when my problem occurred, so I simply burnished the surface of the gooseneck where is seals with the radiator hose with very fine grit wet/dry sandpaper and used the factory spring hose clamp augmented with a screw-type hose clamp.
 

Fastback89

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2018
Posts
160
Reaction score
76
Location
Philidelphia
So I had this issue with my 2018. I could faintly smell coolant once the engine was warm. When I took it to the dealership they did a pressure test and said everything was fine. I continue to smell coolant and saw my coolant level slowly dropping. After digging around I saw some drops of coolant weeping from the water pump. I took it backTo the dealership and they found that there was a casting issue from the manufacture of the water pump and of the thermostat housing. I had them both replaced under warranty no issue sense. I would highly suggest taking it in and have it fixed under warranty.
I have definitely had go around with seeping water pumps that will just drive you nuts. Sometimes they leak only at certain temps. I'm sure they'll find it just be persistent.
 
OP
OP
Oldfart

Oldfart

FRF Addict
Joined
Oct 21, 2017
Posts
6,012
Reaction score
14,922
Location
Saggy Balls Division of PA Trump Army
I forgot to update this thread. The dealer checked it and said it had a cracked timing cover. Picked it up Friday. Put 175 miles on it over the weekend, it ran great, and I had an awesome time with it.

Went under the truck last night and there is some oily feeling coolant underneath around the middle black skid plate again. Took it back to the dealer again today. I hope this is not the start of a giant pile of ********. :emotions122:
 

Donmatteo

FRF Addict
Joined
Jul 5, 2018
Posts
1,568
Reaction score
1,566
Location
Santa Clarita / Coronado
I forgot to update this thread. The dealer checked it and said it had a cracked timing cover. Picked it up Friday. Put 175 miles on it over the weekend, it ran great, and I had an awesome time with it.

Went under the truck last night and there is some oily feeling coolant underneath around the middle black skid plate again. Took it back to the dealer again today. I hope this is not the start of a giant pile of ********. :emotions122:
Was it clean after you picked it up?
 
OP
OP
Oldfart

Oldfart

FRF Addict
Joined
Oct 21, 2017
Posts
6,012
Reaction score
14,922
Location
Saggy Balls Division of PA Trump Army
Was it clean after you picked it up?
Yup. It could be an incorrect or improper repair but I think it more likely that it’s residual from before or during the repair
that's what I was thinking.

It was pretty clean. Not like I would have cleaned it if I worked on it myself, but it was pretty clean. But, you also can't see well up underneath without removing panels, so, who knows. I wiped the areas I could reach with the panels in place. I asked the service department before I made the appointment to take it back if it had been cleaned after the repair, and the service advisor claims the tech cleaned it as well as he possibly could. The service order says it got an "engine shampoo" whatever the hell that entails. I wiped down what I could reach after I brought it home from the dealer.

What surprised me was that when I rechecked after driving it on the weekend was that you could actually see whole drops of fluid hanging in a few spots. It feels/looks like coolant with a bit of oil in it. I wouldn't think there would be that much residual fluids, unless the tech was a real ass and didn't clean anything at all and it was literally dripping when he put it back together. I sure hope you guys are right and that there was a ridiculous amount of fluids left everywhere after the repair.
 
Last edited:

Donmatteo

FRF Addict
Joined
Jul 5, 2018
Posts
1,568
Reaction score
1,566
Location
Santa Clarita / Coronado
It was pretty clean. Not like I would have cleaned it if I worked on it myself, but it was pretty clean. But, you also can't see well up underneath without removing panels, so, who knows. I wiped the areas I could reach with the panels in place. I asked the service department before I made the appointment to take it back if it had been cleaned after the repair, and the service advisor claims the tech cleaned it as well as he possibly could. The service order says it got an "engine shampoo" whatever the hell that entails. I wiped down what I could reach after I brought it home from the dealer.

What surprised me was that when I rechecked after driving it on the weekend was that you could actually see whole drops of fluid hanging in a few spots. It feels/looks like coolant with a bit of oil in it. I wouldn't think there would be that much residual fluids, unless the tech was a real ass and didn't clean anything at all and it was literally dripping when he put it back together. I sure hope you guys are right and that there was a ridiculous amount of fluids left everywhere after the repair.

Timing covers are effectively the whole front of the engine. If it was leaking for sometime, fluid got everywhere. A engine clean is relative to who does it. You get a $10 an hour porter do it, it will be half ass and will look like a crime scene over time as the engine cycles from hot to cold to hot. If you get someone that cleaned it with everything still apart, you might have a crappy repair job. I'm leaning to residual. Sorry youre having these issues with a new rig but rest assured, it's worth it.

Maybe try a different dealer? I pass two to get to the one I use.
 
OP
OP
Oldfart

Oldfart

FRF Addict
Joined
Oct 21, 2017
Posts
6,012
Reaction score
14,922
Location
Saggy Balls Division of PA Trump Army
Update to thread, I got the truck back yesterday. Service says everything looks good, and that there were a lot of residual fluids that "can't be cleaned up" after the repair was done. I think either something wasn't tightened properly and they aren't going to admit it, or the tech that did the original repair cleaned nothing and just put it back together, or maybe a little of both.

Either way it's back and running great and I hope it's clear sailing from here on!
 
Last edited:
Top