MY high mileage '99 F150 V6 overheats (after getting new water pump).
The mechanic says his secret fix is to add a jar of instant coffee to the coolant.
No obvious coolant leaks are seen. The mech says the thermostat is good.
BTW- He was an auto shop teacher for years, and is highly regarded here.
Has anyone else done this, or do you have comments that may support this idea?

 

Find a new Mechanic.

 

Out of all the possible fixes, coffee grounds would be near the bottom of my list. Why does he think that will fix the over heating issue? What is the actual cause of the issue? Any "Extras" you add in there to hide the issue are only temporary.

If it's not your Daily Driver and you don't rely heavily on it, there are other cheap band-aids you could use made specifically for certain problems. Don't waste perfectly good coffee.

New mechanic is in order if he didn't want to troubleshoot and actually did suggest grounds.

 

Does he prefer folgers or maxwell house?

I agree with the above

 

Brilliant.

 

I would make sure your fan and radiator are in good condition. Make sure the fan is pulling air through the condenser and radiator and back out at the enginge. Check to make sure the radiator and condenser fins arent all bent in. Also check the fan-side of the radiator to make sure no debris is in the way(aka mud or leaves).

Stay away from the coffee.

 

Being a 4.2L, I'd also bet a dollar to donuts that your headgasket(s) are toast.

Pretty common issue on them, sadly.

 

+1

 

You should ask him a simple "Why?"
Whenever someone makes an outlandish claim, it's only right that they at least explain the method to their madness.
If for nothing else, for the entertainment factor of why he'd rather dump coffee into your radiator than try and diagnose the real problem

 

Thanks guys--- I won't go into my personal hard luck story here. But its not coffee *grounds* in question, its dissolved instant coffee. He says it breaks down the effects of using treated water instead of distilled. I am too old to have a job, so i dont use the truck every day, but its important to me when I need it.
Looks like time to start gathering money.
And PLEASE dont let it be head gaskets!!