4 Vehicles Swapped to MC Yellow, 3 of Them Developed Problems

[mdtaylor86]

I just wanted to share a few interesting anecdotes. By no means am I saying the MC Yellow coolant caused any of these issues, but it's still interesting and figured worth adding to the repertoire on this site.

Within the past couple of years I have switched 4 vehicles over from MC Orange to MC Yellow. 1 '16 Ford Taurus 3.5L NA at 80K miles, 1 '14 Ford Escape 2.0L EB at 160K miles, 1 '18 Ford Explorer 3.5L NA at 65K miles, and 1 '15 Ford Transit 250 (fleet vehicle) 3.7L at 125K miles.

Three of the vehicles experienced problems shortly after the conversion. The Escape's water pump seal went and it dumped most of the coolant out of it during a 5 miles drive (no overheat), the Explorer's internal water pump went bad and started leaking through the weep hole (currently in the shop for 6 weeks getting repaired under warranty), and just today the Transit blew a hole in the upper hose. The Taurus has been running perfectly fine for 15K miles. With the Escape and Transit, I'm chalking it up to basic wear on the parts. Both the water pump and radiator hose were original. With the Explorer, I've heard the internal water pumps seem to have a much lower life expectancy than what is expected from an exterior water pump, and there may be a class action against Ford for these as well, IIRC. That's being handled under warranty but the vehicle is still out of service for 6 weeks while they get the parts and get the time to do the repair.

All of these issues popped up in less than a year's time. I guess it's just a bad run of luck and a couple "aging" vehicles?

 

[Passport1]

Anectodal of course but instructive. I have an '18 Edge with the 3.5 engine which also has the dreaded internal water pump so I'm keen to watch for signs of failure. I recall this from the movie Goldfinger. James Bond issued this admonition;

“Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action.”

Britannica

 

[CKN]

Two of the water pumps had over 100,000 miles on them.
See links-

How Long Does a Water Pump Last? - Getz Automotive

Do you know how long does a water pump last? Getz Automotive in Fuquay-Varina NC is here to keep you informed. If you need a new pump, give us a call.

getzautomotive.com

How Long Do Water Pumps Last in Cars?

Your car’s water pump is the heart of your car’s cooling system. While often unsung and overlooked, it performs the crucial role of maintaining your engine's temperature, preventing it from overheating, and ensuring its optimal performance. But, as with all components within your vehicle, this...

swperformanceparts.com

Sure water pumps can last longer. But the design life appears to be about 100,000 miles. That's why you replace them if you do any work near the water pump.

 

[bullwinkle]

Kind of doubt Yellow caused a hose failure! Water pumps are a different animal, but we have a fleet of Transit 250 3.5s (and have had lots of 3.7s) & I haven't heard of any WP failures, and some of them are up to 150K now. Transmissions... don't ask...

 

[mdtaylor86]

Kind of doubt Yellow caused a hose failure! Water pumps are a different animal, but we have a fleet of Transit 250 3.5s (and have had lots of 3.7s) & I haven't heard of any WP failures, and some of them are up to 150K now. Transmissions... don't ask...

No doubt the coolant had nothing to do with the hose. I've had zero issues with the external water pumps (like what's on the Transits because of the longitudinal configuration). The only internal water pump I've had go bad was the Explorer. Don't get me started on the transmissions in our fleet...

 

[mdtaylor86]

Two of the water pumps had over 100,000 miles on them.
See links-

How Long Does a Water Pump Last? - Getz Automotive

Do you know how long does a water pump last? Getz Automotive in Fuquay-Varina NC is here to keep you informed. If you need a new pump, give us a call.

getzautomotive.com

How Long Do Water Pumps Last in Cars?

Your car’s water pump is the heart of your car’s cooling system. While often unsung and overlooked, it performs the crucial role of maintaining your engine's temperature, preventing it from overheating, and ensuring its optimal performance. But, as with all components within your vehicle, this...

swperformanceparts.com

Sure water pumps can last longer. But the design life appears to be about 100,000 miles. That's why you replace them if you do any work near the water pump.

I have had no issues with the external water pumps. It's the internal water pump that went bad at 65K that's a little annoying. The issue with those is you aren't ever doing work "near" the water pump. It's chain driven and you have to open up the engine to get access to it. IF it lasts long enough to do a chain, then you'd do it then. Usually it's the other way around with these engines and you end up just doing a timing job early because you're already replacing the water pump.

 

[CKN]

I have had no issues with the external water pumps. It's the internal water pump that went bad at 65K that's a little annoying. The issue with those is you aren't ever doing work "near" the water pump. It's chain driven and you have to open up the engine to get access to it. IF it lasts long enough to do a chain, then you'd do it then. Usually it's the other way around with these engines and you end up just doing a timing job early because you're already replacing the water pump.

That's exactly what I meant.