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2024 XL (STX) 2.3L coolant intrusion

superj

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dang. my truck is very similar to yours, as far as build date. hopefully it is just a one off issue with a bad hg. i would hate to have this start happening as my son and i both have the old 2.3 in our trucks.

i went through an engine warranty replacement on my previous truck, a 2017 nissan titan. i never had trouble with the replacement v8 they put in but i still don't want to go through that process again since ford is not as friendly about that type of stuff compared to nissan. my wife's 2014 escape needed the engine replaced at 5k miles because the dealer failed to put oil back into the engine after draining it. it took a bunch of emails and calls to get the engine replaced and not rebuilt. they finally gave us a 2015 model to replace the 14 because we caused such a problem online for the dealer.
 

daytoncarter

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There are probably door or code build dates in 2024 with the MPC engines depends on Ford when they started the swap into what they classified as 24 or 25 year and they seem to vary it over the years to some degree. That's why I said the info the aluminum valve cover as a give away. :thumbsup:

MPC.webp
No worries, I was just basing my info off of forum experiences. I've not seen any MY 24 examples, but did see users taking shots of their new MY 25s which arrived with MPC :)
 

superj

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i think mine is october or november. whatever month they did the change to the bed supports so you don't need to the braces, mine was that month.


i guess this is something to keep an eye on now :(
 

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Morningpride

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i think mine is october or november. whatever month they did the change to the bed supports so you don't need to the braces, mine was that month.


i guess this is something to keep an eye on now :(
That’s exactly what I said. The salesman here at the dealer said they had a 25 Escape do the same thing. I don’t believe Ford fixed this problem.
 

daytoncarter

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That’s exactly what I said. The salesman here at the dealer said they had a 25 Escape do the same thing. I don’t believe Ford fixed this problem.
The Escape uses a different engine. You're the first complaining about this issue as far as I'm aware. It's a manufacturing defect - that's why we have warranties. Some bone head in Ohio or wherever they make these engines could've run the drill .2sec too long or short on your head bolt and bam you have a leak.
 

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10/24 build date. Black plastic engine cover. Cleveland engine plant. Just over 30k
Wowsers, that's late in the year to not be a 2025, considering many other model 2025's were already on the lot. I do remember reading a few articles that the 2025 ranger was going to be delayed until possibly January 25 back in 24. I think you just proved that along with superj. :thumbsup:
 

chasc

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My 24 XL (31,500m) has been low on coolant several times. Each time, the dealer checks and can find nothing wrong. Welp, today three days before we are supposed to tow our camper 2,000 miles, I went for an oil change, and to have fluids checked. The found the leak, coolant in cyl#2. Not a lot, but a very small leak visible on a boriscope.
I have the 2.7L engine but I’ve also had coolant consumption without obvious leaking. I’m curious what checks they did before the cylinder inspection that did NOT identify the problem, e.g. did it pass a pressure test?
 
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Morningpride

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Well, they pressure tested and replaced the EGR cooler, claiming that it was leaking. However, I continued to see the coolant level drop below the minimum. Finally, they used a boriscope to look into the cylinders and well, you know the rest.
 

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Jason B

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dang. my truck is very similar to yours, as far as build date. hopefully it is just a one off issue with a bad hg. i would hate to have this start happening as my son and i both have the old 2.3 in our trucks.

i went through an engine warranty replacement on my previous truck, a 2017 nissan titan. i never had trouble with the replacement v8 they put in but i still don't want to go through that process again since ford is not as friendly about that type of stuff compared to nissan. my wife's 2014 escape needed the engine replaced at 5k miles because the dealer failed to put oil back into the engine after draining it. it took a bunch of emails and calls to get the engine replaced and not rebuilt. they finally gave us a 2015 model to replace the 14 because we caused such a problem online for the dealer.
Don't worry about it. The non-MPC 2.3 was used in thousands of Gen5 Rangers. There's only a couple on the 5G that had major engine troubles.
 

AssolMarandy

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That is rough news.

Coolant loss with no outside leak usually means an internal problem. Coolant in a cylinder points to a failed head gasket or a crack. On many new trucks the fix is a full engine replacement.

You did the right thing by having it checked before the trip. Towing with this issue could cause more damage.

The dealer should handle this under warranty. Ask about a loaner or rental since you had a trip planned. Also ask how long the engine replacement will take.

It is frustrating, but it is better to find it now than on the road.
 

MasterCylinder

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Well, they pressure tested and replaced the EGR cooler, claiming that it was leaking. However, I continued to see the coolant level drop below the minimum. Finally, they used a boriscope to look into the cylinders and well, you know the rest.
:crazy: I smell a big ol fish. I think they feed you a line of bull you know what to appease you, as a leaking EGR cooler would've put antifreeze into the intake and therfore all cylinders. Zero logic in that as Spock would say. I doubt they touched the part and I hope they're not the ones replacing the engine for you!
 
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Morningpride

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:crazy: I smell a big ol fish. I think they feed you a line of bull you know what to appease you, as a leaking EGR cooler would've put antifreeze into the intake and therfore all cylinders. Zero logic in that as Spock would say. I doubt they touched the part and I hope they're not the ones replacing the engine for you!
The EGR cooler was actually replaced. Although it made no difference at all.
 

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Just thinking about this and the 3.6l v6 jeep engines that leak coolant into the cylinders and trigger misfire codes. It seems that when those vehicles are driven daily, it takes longer to trigger the codes versus one that is not driven on a regular basis. What happens is the engine-off residual coolant pressure is enough to keep forcing coolant into the cylinders and creating more accumulation that actually could foul the spark, creating the misfires, and triggering codes for those vehicles not driven regularly. Those driven twice daily burn off any amount of pooled coolant and prevent the misfire.
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