Motor Coolant Over Temperature Warning – NOT Just A Software Glitch

[FirstF150InCasco]

On a 50 degree day, I was five miles into a planned 250-mile foliage tour through sparsely populated northwest Maine, I got the error message, “Motor Coolant Over Temperature”. There was the red symbol in the bottom right of the dash. And at the top of the dash, the temperature gage went from green “normal” to “yellow” instantly (not gradually.) I checked the motor coolant reservoir and it was below the “low” line. Luckily, there was a tiny Ford dealer 5 miles away. They provided me with a gallon of Ford Motorcraft Yellow Antifreeze / Coolant. I filled the reservoir to half way between “low” and “high” and the problem instantly went away. Drove 250 more miles in the next 6 hours and it’s fine. So, I my mind, the fix wasn’t a software fix, but a coolant fix. Lariat, 10,300 miles, June 2022 delivery.

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[Silenze]

Did you have to purchase the coolant?

 

[FirstF150InCasco]

Did you have to purchase the coolant?

Yes. I would not expect the tiny dealer to foot this bill. The staff was great. The service folks walked me up a flight of stairs to the parts department. And the parts department walked to another level to get a clean container for me to mix the coolant with distilled water.

 

[kbuicker]

YEP, there are a few of us that had low coolant from the factory. Filled it, and it's been fine ever since.

 

[Silenze]

Mine is at the low line. I wonder if the temperature change causes it to fluctuate. Currently 3k miles. It was full at delivery

 

[Gimme_my_MME]

@FirstF150InCasco didn't you recently have a battery module replaced? They have to drain the coolant for that repair

 

[FirstF150InCasco]

@FirstF150InCasco didn't you recently have a battery module replaced? They have to drain the coolant for that repair

Amazing that you remember that. Yes I did. But is that the same coolant? Is the coolant associated with the battery the same coolant for the motors? I'm ignorant!!

 

[Lytning]

Amazing that you remember that. Yes I did. But is that the same coolant? Is the coolant associated with the battery the same coolant for the motors? I'm ignorant!!

Another owner has reported high motor temperature due to air in the coolant system after a battery module replacement. I specifically pointed out coolant air purge as a line item when I delivered my truck to the dealership for replacement of 2 battery modules. The EV Tech reported that he had to perform the air purge multiple times to remove all air from the coolant system. It appears there is an issue with Ford's service instructions for coolant air purge.

 

[Gimme_my_MME]

It appears there is an issue with Ford's service instructions for coolant air purge.

No, it clearly states it needs to be done. The issue is not doing it

 

[Randall Stephens]

Amazing that you remember that. Yes I did. But is that the same coolant? Is the coolant associated with the battery the same coolant for the motors? I'm ignorant!!

The cooling lines run into the pack, so to remove the pack your coolant was likely drained

 

[Lytning]

No, it clearly states it needs to be done. The issue is not doing it

The EV Tech told me that the published air purge procedure did not successfully remove all air, and that he had to repeat it multiple times. I doubt it would have been repeated multiple times if I had not identified it as a line item. I do not have access to the procedure, though.

 

[Grumpy2]

Watch Weber Auto video at 27:12 for how to purge the air after a module replacement of a Mach E.



Excellent discussion about purging the air from that two bottle system. For a single bottle system the process would be different, but Its takes a long time if done correctly, I imagine a few shops rush the process.

 

[Lytning]

Watch Weber Auto video at 27:12 for how to purge the air after a module replacement of a Mach E.



Excellent discussion about purging the air from that two bottle system. For a single bottle system the process would be different, but Its takes a long time if done correctly, I imagine a few shops rush the process.

Great video! I wonder if the degassing is involved in many of us receiving our Lightnings from the factory with low / minimum coolant levels.

 

[FirstF150InCasco]

The cooling lines run into the pack, so to remove the pack your coolant was likely drained

Thank you for educating me on this.

Great video! I wonder if the degassing is involved in many of us receiving our Lightnings from the factory with low / minimum coolant levels.

Great video. Thank you for telling us to go to 27:12 to get to the purge info. And you raise a good question about if this could be the cause of why so many of us are getting Lightnings with low coolant levels. I’m hoping someone can answer this new QUESTION: Are there two coolant containers on the F150? The only container I found was in front of the driver, beside the strut that holds up the frunk cover. Is there a second one?

 

[Amps]

Mine is at the low line. I wonder if the temperature change causes it to fluctuate. Currently 3k miles. It was full at delivery

It's an expansion tank, the level fluctuates.

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