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2018 25K 1.5L EB Coolant loss


HotRunrGuy

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Took my daughters 2018 25K miles 1.5L EB in this weekend for a "Works", at check-out they advised me that the coolant was "very low", and to make an appointment right away with the  Service department.  What do you think are my chances this is the dreaded TSB # SSM 48150?  No evidence of a leak that they could find. First slot they have available is this Friday.

 

HRG

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47 minutes ago, YT90SC said:

Pretty good, given the build and miles. But the 1.5 is a huge ball of snakes as far as coolant lines go. There is still the possibility. If it does need a shorty, I wouldn't call it "dreaded" because it was caught on Ford's dime, not hers. 

 

Thanks!  I'm hopeful, since I'm not seeing any evidence of white smoke at a cold start-up.  While I realize that this would be covered by Ford, I'm not sure the dealer will hand over the keys to a loaner, for whatever period of time might be needed.  I could still potentially end up with a substantial cost out of pocket.

 

HRG

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Quick update, even though I was there at 7am Friday when they opened, they were unable to complete the testing protocol, and asked to keep the vehicle to finish-up on Monday. They have provided a loaner for us to use.

 

Stay tuned, HRG

 

side note, they indicated that they have 5 Escapes in their possession awaiting new short blocks/needed parts, and told me expect a roughly 1 month turn-around if block replacement is required.

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On 11/19/2019 at 1:56 PM, HotRunrGuy said:

 I'm not sure the dealer will hand over the keys to a loaner, for whatever period of time might be needed.  I could still potentially end up with a substantial cost out of pocket.

 

21 hours ago, HotRunrGuy said:

...They have provided a loaner for us to use.

 

Seems that your "out of pocket" concerns were unfounded...Ford will "cover" the loaners...you will see those loaners up for sale in about 6-8 months billed as "Ford courtesy vehicles"...my local Ford dealer has several of them on sale now.

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Last update for a while,,,,,,  It's getting a new short block, we get to keep the loaner we've been provided.

 

Honestly, I'm pretty impressed with this dealer, since we did not make the purchase from them.  I know they "should" step-up like this, but I'm happy they are, no questions asked.

 

HRG

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4 hours ago, CLTEcoBoost said:

Thanks.  This is a new one on me.  I, thanks to your excellent response, printed it out in case.  I have lower miles on my '17 Fusion than on your daughters Escape, so you never know.  Thanks again.

 

You're welcome. My advice to you is get used to frequently checking the level of the coolant over-flow tank. Mine never got to the point of throwing an error code, it was caught by the Tech during a Works service.

 

HRG

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On 12/15/2019 at 1:35 PM, Escapism said:

Yep, lots of blocks being replaced.  And there are leaks with the 1.6 and 2.0 as well. 

Just go to Fordescape.org and look up all the folks having their engines replaced. 

Well, first thing is that I own a '17 Fusion with the 1.5L Turbo, not an Escape.  Yesterday, I spent a decent chunk of time researching a half dozen Fusion sites and, other than the awful 1.6L Turbos catching fire (this was a known issue back in'14 - crappy British engine - that caused Ford to go with the 1.5L Turbo), I couldn't find one post anywhere about the coolant loss/block replacement on Fusions.  Glad I know about the TSB and I'll keep an eye on it, but I have to say I'm very relieved.  Is it possible that Ford put the lower quality engines in Escapes?  Being Ford, you never know what tricks they pull (I know from experience with former vehicles).

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1 hour ago, CLTEcoBoost said:

  Is it possible that Ford put the lower quality engines in Escapes? 

 

 I would doubt that. Keep in mind, Ford sold 50% more Escapes than Fusions in 2017 & 2018, so the possibility of problems is that much greater.

 

I'm now at the 1-month point in the repair process, having dropped my '18 off on Nov 22nd. But, we've had the opportunity to have extended "test drives" in both a Fusion and now a '20 Escape, which has given us an opportunity to think about the next vehicle down the road.

 

HRG

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Ford doesn't sell many Fusions with the 2.5L.  In later model years, you can only get it in the base S, which is so underequipped, sure not many are sold.  I've now decided that the issue here has to do with engine bay size.  Since the Fusion is 14 inches longer than the Escape, it could be that the engine is being crammed into the smaller space and this fouls up the works.  The 1.5 was available for several years in the Fusion before the Escape got it.  Sales numbers ARE higher for the Escape, but it's not as dramatic as you'd think.  Happy Holidays.  Out of here for awhile.

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20 hours ago, HotRunrGuy said:

 

 I would doubt that. Keep in mind, Ford sold 50% more Escapes than Fusions in 2017 & 2018, so the possibility of problems is that much greater.

 

I'm now at the 1-month point in the repair process, having dropped my '18 off on Nov 22nd. But, we've had the opportunity to have extended "test drives" in both a Fusion and now a '20 Escape, which has given us an opportunity to think about the next vehicle down the road.

 

HRG

IF I have the issue with my Fusion and decide to stick with a sedan, I'm finally going to be a Toyota convert after MANY years of putting up with Ford and GM issues.  I'm too old to put up with their nonsense any longer.

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On 12/22/2019 at 6:15 AM, CLTEcoBoost said:

Well, first thing is that I own a '17 Fusion with the 1.5L Turbo, not an Escape.  Yesterday, I spent a decent chunk of time researching a half dozen Fusion sites and, other than the awful 1.6L Turbos catching fire (this was a known issue back in'14 - crappy British engine - that caused Ford to go with the 1.5L Turbo), I couldn't find one post anywhere about the coolant loss/block replacement on Fusions.  Glad I know about the TSB and I'll keep an eye on it, but I have to say I'm very relieved.  Is it possible that Ford put the lower quality engines in Escapes?  Being Ford, you never know what tricks they pull (I know from experience with former vehicles).

 

The 1.5 is 95% the same as the 1.6. They changed the head to stop the cracks and installed a water to air intercooler. Still has a timing belt, look identical on the bench once the intake and exhaust have been removed. 

Ford claims most of the issue is powertrain software calibration. There is a program to reprogram Escapes with the hopes that it stops them from popping. I'm not sure how it will, but it is out there. 

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1 hour ago, YT90SC said:

Didn't know that. I just figured it was like the "3.8L" vs "3.9L", which always seemed more to change the name so people wouldn't be so turned off by the 3.8's issues.   


That’s also a big reason most mfrs have a 2.0L turbo engine - 2.0 is the cutoff.

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14 hours ago, akirby said:


That’s also a big reason most mfrs have a 2.0L turbo engine - 2.0 is the cutoff.

 

Which is a shame. Ford has always done 2.3 and 2.5L engines REALLY well. HSC's, LIMAs, Duratecs- all pretty darn reliable and efficient compared to their contemporaries.  

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