MonopolyMan

2011 3.5 F150 Ecoboost here with possible coolant / oil leak? I cannot seem to be able to determine where it’s coming from but has sprayed everywhere! Any tips? There’s also a coolant loss.

Barry_Vee

Seal for the elbo where the coolant line attaches to the coolant reservior is notorious for leaking. You pretty much have to reach a hand around the backside to locate it. Look up Pegasus kit.

Turbo coolant line jiffy fitting leaks typically present when the engine is cool and seal up when hot. From the amount yours appears to be leaking I think you could find coolant drops on the lines or at the fittings with a close inspection. Fluorescent dye and a good UV flashlight might help.

Another place to look for loss of coolant is from the water pump shaft seal. Look for evidence of coolant running down from behind the water pump pulley.

My 2011 3.5L has had all these problems repaired. They are common with our trucks.

Consider this an opportunity to change out for the new specified Yellow coolant if that has not been done yet.

2011 XLT Screw 4x4 3.5L 3:55LS

MonopolyMan

Thank you for guiding me in the right direction! I should have mentioned that the coolant reservoir line is completely dry, both when vehicle running and not. Water pump was replaced 5000 miles ago as it started making a noise which I thought was part of the notorious timing chain.

I've taken great care of this car since I started owning it and it has given me nothing but problems . Love how it drives and feels but beyond disappointed in the quality.

Coolant was replaced with the yellow motorcraft one when the pump was replaced (atleast that's what I told him to do, cant even tell what color because the reservoir is brown ish .

Is this a sign to sell it and move on, what would happen if it's the turbo lines and keep letting it leak ? Repair costs for this car have been like I'm driving an exotic vehicle.

SD_F1504x4

I know 5.0s get rear main seal leak commonly. They also get coolant leaks from hoses or the reservoir. I don't know about the 3.5s though.

Barry_Vee

I hear you, these are great vehicles sans repair bills. Need to figure out what is leaking first to make an informed choice. How sure are you it is coolant that is leaking? Letting it continue to leak is going to make a bigger mess to clean up and coolant isn’t cheap. You’d get a better price if it is repaired before selling anyway.

Of course running low on coolant can lead to catastrophic damage. My advice is to repair coolant leaks as soon as possible. But …. I suppose you can get away with driving awhile as I did. Mine started leaking when cold only. This after sitting in seven degree F overnight temperatures about 1400 miles from home. Since it didn’t leak hot, I kept a close eye on it and drove home to fix. So yes, I accepted the risk of a destroyed engine and deferred repairs for convenience, (and cost since I could do the work at home).

I am back to being happy with my truck again.
Just turned 191,000 miles.

2011 XLT Screw 4x4 3.5L 3:55LS

SD_F1504x4

If you're leaking coolant, your coolant level is going to drop. I've had 2 different leaks i repaired since owning mine. Last one I had to put in about a gallon a week cause the reservoir would go dry or low. Also when I had my leaks my fans would be blowing high speed often which I knew wasn't right.