My car currently has 17,000 miles on it, from the very beginning it had this built up of something inside the coolant reservoir along the edge of the coolant, don't know what the stuff is but it feels like sand and dirt. Normal or not normal? I've yet to see the same thing in other vehicles (I work at a quick lube shop so I see a lot cars)

Anyone else have this same little issue?

This is the best picture I could get of it.

 

mine had that stuff 2. there was a good bit in the bottom of it when i drained the reservoir to change the water pump. not really sure what it is but i looked at one new on the lot at the dealership and it had it too so i figured it was normal.

 

So it's normal after all, it seems. Good to know, I was thinking of taking it to the dealer soon to have it looked at but it'd probably be a waste of time. The car still runs as it should so I won't fret over it until it's time to change the coolant.

 

Not sure how the blocks are cast but I know in old cast iron blocks that were sand cast it was normal to have excess sand still in the cooling passages from the casting process.

 

Sometimes Stop Leak looks like that. Lots of Manufactures install it from the factory. Not sure about Ford though...

 

if it is stop leak then it sure didnt stop my leak. haha

 

Could be totally wrong but to reduce Warranty claims lots of Manufactures do this. Chevrolet had a TSB back in the day to add Stop Leak tabs to the cooling system when the Intake started leaking...

 

My 2011 doesn't have this stuff. I don't think its normal. Might be why waterpumps are going out on 'some' v6's at low miles?

 

Glad I found this! I have a 2013 5.0 with the same issue. 24k miles.

I am also extremely low on coolant, is anyone else seeing this as a symptom?

 

Here's a picture.

 

Minerals from the water used in it. It cooks out of the water and leaves a crust. If you top off your coolant system with hard tap water you will get this. Always try and use deionized water in your coolant system. It's cheap and will keep your coolant system in better shape.

 

yep that was the symptom when my water pump went out. i didnt notice any other symptoms but i lifted up my car and under it was damp and it was coolant. i figured out it was the pump by putting dye in it and sure enough it was coming from behind the pulley on the water pump. luckly it only takes about a hour to replace the water pump on these cars well at least thats all it took on my 3.7.

 

As per my Technical Specialist, this is normal, guys. If you don’t feel comfortable, or are experiencing any concerns, please bring it in to your Ford Dealer. Keep me posted.

Welcome to the forum, Bluedude5.0. My name is Deysha with Ford Service and I’d like to get this escalated for you. Please, PM me with your VIN, dealer, mileage, full name, and best daytime number.

Deysha

 

Thanks for chiming in Deysha. I was on the way to the garage. I'm glad I don't have to, it's cold and raining outside.......

 

It’s best not use deionized water in a cooling system. Because it’s devoid of anything but hydrogen and oxygen it is very hungry (Corrosive) and will actively pick up ions from the metals (Corrodes them) until it’s reionized (Neutralized). Tap water with a high mineral content should be avoided as well. Distilled water is the best choice.

John

 

I typically use distilled water in vehicle applications, especially here in SA, where the water comes from the aquifer so hard you can cut it with a knife.

 

Interesting. I had always heard distilled as well.

 

To add to this discussion, pure water is pH-neutral: 7.0. It's virtually impossible to reach that pH, and most water is slightly acidic (<7.0). Deionized water isn't "hungry." It's relatively inert, which is why it's so stable around most elements/compounds. Deionized water has the ions removed from it, which are mostly the calcium, potassium and iron ions people have in their regular tap water. It's not going to hurt the interior of your cooling system any more than distilled water will, and it won't prevent the water molecules from interacting with the iron in the cooling system, either. The coolants that are used along with the water have additives that help protect against corrosion; excessively hard water is really the only water that can cause problems, and it's the build-up that's been seen in the tanks that is the result.

 

This^^^
We deionize water here at work. Just a process of stripping minerals from the water. Primarily sodium, silica, and iron. Deionized with a 7 ph is neutral and pure. 50/50 mix with antifreeze so it's not pure anymore anyways. Distilled water will be fine in a cars cooling system and much better than tap water. Just the purer the better.

 

Doesn't distilling do the same thing - leave the minerals behind - through the evaporative process?