I think it is oil idk for sure but it leaks out a lot when it does. It is coolant mixed in the leak tho it has a green tint to it. It's not a constant leak all the time but after I shut the car off it puddles out. it has never over heated yet and/or ran poor. I have only had the car since good Friday and didn't notice the leak till Saturday evening. I drove over two hours home and no trouble.
2002 lse leaking mix of oil and coolant behind driver side front tire
- Thread starter ReginaldS
- Start date
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
Very common. It is just coolant (your coolant may be dirty and past due for changing).
Your degas bottle is leaking. The aftermarket replacement for it is cheap, but only works for a few months. Get the Motorcraft factory part. Sadly (and you probably won't listen), all the rest of the cooling system plastic needs to be replaced too. It all fails at about the same time. Costs and parts depends on if you have a V8 or V6, and if it is 1st or 2nd generation.
Your degas bottle is leaking. The aftermarket replacement for it is cheap, but only works for a few months. Get the Motorcraft factory part. Sadly (and you probably won't listen), all the rest of the cooling system plastic needs to be replaced too. It all fails at about the same time. Costs and parts depends on if you have a V8 or V6, and if it is 1st or 2nd generation.
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
Means the coolant has been it there too long. The brown is also a warning sign that the plastics are "rotting" away.
What year and which engine?
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
On the plus side, you have a little less plastic than the 2nd gen has. Also, one of the parts has a metal replacement part made for Jaguar that fits. Do it all now, or have a new leak every few days until you do.
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
It will cost you way more if you do it a part at a time, and there is the danger that the part attached to the part that you change will fall to pieces when you disturb it changing the part next to it.
If you really have a 2002, then you do not have an electric fan. You have a hydraulic fan.
The engine has failsafe cooling, so it can overheat some for a short time, without doing serious damage.
Note that "overheating" starts before the temperature gauge ever moves past the half way mark.
If you really have a 2002, then you do not have an electric fan. You have a hydraulic fan.
The engine has failsafe cooling, so it can overheat some for a short time, without doing serious damage.
Note that "overheating" starts before the temperature gauge ever moves past the half way mark.
joegr
Dedicated LVC Member
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grizzlyls
Dedicated LVC Member
Hmm that makes for an interesting situation for you. Obviously the previous owner had issue and worked on the cooling. That said, you may be able to get by on less than a total replace IF (that's a big if) some of the stuff is new. I pulled a new upper radiator pipe off a junkyard special that still had the unsoiled motorcraft paper tags on it lol.
Obviously the degas needs to go, probably because 1) it was an aftermarket Dorman and its months of service are gone or 2) That being the most expensive of the lot, the PO didn't replace.
I have gen 1 too, and priorities are IMO replace plastic Tstat housing with jag aluminum, replace that upper radiator pipe, then check all the hose lines and see if they look new or old. Replace the old/worn and if the others seems solid they may hold.
This is assuming you can do this yourself, if not, to save labor it may be better to do it all at once since shop minimums on these easier jobs would be over a one and done.
Obviously the degas needs to go, probably because 1) it was an aftermarket Dorman and its months of service are gone or 2) That being the most expensive of the lot, the PO didn't replace.
I have gen 1 too, and priorities are IMO replace plastic Tstat housing with jag aluminum, replace that upper radiator pipe, then check all the hose lines and see if they look new or old. Replace the old/worn and if the others seems solid they may hold.
This is assuming you can do this yourself, if not, to save labor it may be better to do it all at once since shop minimums on these easier jobs would be over a one and done.