coolant cap left off and engine failed
Asked by TimATL Jul 27, 2015 at 10:55 PM about the 2003 Ford Expedition XLT
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
A local repair shop left off the coolant cap after service. My daughter just drove the car to
school and back, just a couple of miles. A few month later engine light comes on and it
dies. We tow it to AAA and they say no coolant in the truck and coolant cap was wedged
in roof. They fill and check and no leaks. Do block test and it fails. They say cap being
off caused failure. Tow back to repair shop and they are denying claim, say it would have
been impossible to go for a few months and not know cap was off. AAA says it could
definitely happen. Repair shop actually says cap must have been blown off somehow
and got lodged in roof and whatever the issue was was coincidentally there anyway.
Crazy.... Is it probable that car could be driven for a while without the cap then when
coolant is empty/gone a few months later it was the cause (it was only local travel)?
6 Answers
yes..if it never got hot..a cap doesnt blow off if its but on right.. so check engine light came on ...overheated?...you said>A local repair shop left off the coolant cap after service......so, they made a booboo... but there should have been something to tell you all is not right...catch 22 here.
Engine light went on and by the time she pulled off highway it shut down. No one else worked on car or touched it. She drove 2 miles per day so timeframe is not that long in my opinion and definitely not long enough to get too hot. When the truck came back they filled it back up with fluid and there were no leaks found. There was never any fluid in my driveway or and sign of a leak either. If somehow the cap was blown off wouldn't there be a sign or indication of something else wrong, also how does a cap get physically blown off and then wedged perfectly in a slot no where near where it came off?
Jim, they did do pressure test for leaks, no leaks found. If head gasket blew wouldn't it be noticeable (either when it happened or afterwards when they started it back up?)? The original shop said they tested the car and it was fine and head mechanoc said he drive it all over, it wasn't until I asked if they did block test that they went back and did it and it failed. Thanks.
First off coolant systems are pressurized to raise the boiling temperature of the coolant and coolant will expand an contract. With the reservoir left open the coolant will boil and evaporate away. If this vehicle was driven for several months did nobody ever raise the hood and check the oil and the coolant level? I think not. It is possible for a defective pressure cap to be blown off of the reservoir, but I would think the radiator would have split first. In my opinion if this car had quit with in a few days of being in the shop it likely would be the fault of the repair shop leaving the cap off, but several months? I think the OP is stuck with it. Best off luck.
Thanks all.for the feedback. Bob, we did not check oil as even though it was a few months it was still not due for oil changE as she drives short distances. Sounds like we are stuck. 170k miles, worth fixing? I think they said head gasket is the issue but costs almost the same to replace engine as make repair?? Thoughts?
