So for anyone wondering, I just got my water pump replaced along with timing chain, valve cover gaskets, oil pump, spark plugs, cam phasers, timing chain guides, coolant, refrigerant, and basically everything under the timing cover. Cost me $3,750.53. Only fluids they didn’t change were the transaxle and brake fluid, but I had the transaxle done at 60,000 miles.
Noticed a water leak around 90,000 miles when I saw the coolant reservoir was nearly empty and there was some green gunk on the bottom of the AC compressor. Got it to the shop under 500 miles later.
Now I’m just hoping nothing else goes wrong with my 2017 Explorer 3.5L. It took them three days to finish everything. Anything else I should keep an eye on?
Sounds like you covered all the major issues for this model. Hopefully, they used either OEM or high-quality aftermarket parts.
There are other things that could come up eventually (like suspension, steering, alternator, AC compressor, and sensors), but those can be handled if and when they happen. You did a thorough job on the repairs.
@Zuri
They used parts from Cloyes, and I have a lifetime warranty on parts and a 12,000-mile warranty on labor. I usually do my own work, but I don’t have a lift or the patience to do this in my driveway.
Be aware that some Cloyes parts are made in China, so stay vigilant. Critical parts should ideally be OEM. But since you have a warranty and trust the shop, you’re covered.
Zuri said:
Anytime! Let us know how it holds up over time.
I’m thinking of trading it in a year or two for an F-150, maybe something with a belt-driven water pump. We put around 10k miles on this per year, so it should last a while… hopefully!
Zuri said:
You made some solid choices with those repairs. I’d probably have done the same.
Well, I didn’t even get two miles from the shop before the check engine light came on. Mechanic checked things, cleared the codes, and they haven’t come back, thankfully.
Now, after driving 70 miles, I’m noticing an antifreeze smell and a little loss in the reservoir. Guess I’m going back to the shop Monday.
@Jael
Could be air trapped in the cooling system. It sometimes takes a few miles to self-level and might need topping off. You shouldn’t really smell antifreeze, though—might be a spill residue burning off.
Jael said: @Harlem
Yeah, but I’d think that over 70 miles, it would’ve burned off or self-bled already.
They replaced the coolant with the water pump, right? Sometimes it takes a bit for the system to stabilize. I had similar work done once and needed a top-off after a couple of weeks.
@Harlem
Yep, they did. I’ve driven about 120 miles now and lost around 6 ounces of coolant. Still smell it outside the car but not in the cabin or engine bay. Keeping an eye on it.
Thanks for the detailed update! You might want to keep an eye on your brake fluid since you didn’t change it this time. Some people do it every two years, but every five or six should be fine.
When you mentioned transaxle, did you mean PTU? Did you replace the fluid in it at 60,000 miles? Ford doesn’t specify an interval, but a lot of people change it around every 30,000 miles, especially if it’s in a hot climate or if you’re towing.
Assuming you’ve got fresh transmission fluid, you’re mostly set. Just check your washer fluid as well—if you’re somewhere that gets cold, it might not be winter-ready if it’s been topped off with summer fluid.
You’re almost at 100,000 miles, so maybe think about changing the differential fluid, too.