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Had a 2018 Ford F-150 with a coolant leak that two shops missed
They both just kept topping it off. I finally got it on my lift and did a pressure test, found the leak was from the plastic thermostat housing, a common failure point. Replaced it with an aluminum Dorman unit and it's been solid for 8 months now. How many of you guys trust a visual check over a proper pressure test for cooling system issues?
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kaimiller2d ago
Totally agree with shane_moore87, a visual check is step one for a reason. I had a blown head gasket on my old Mustang that would've been caught way earlier if I'd just looked for the trail of coolant dripping down the block instead of trusting the pressure test alone. A quick eyeball saved me from replacing a radiator that was actually fine, the real issue was a cracked hose right at the clamp that was barely visible without pulling the air box.
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david1761mo ago
Why even bother with a visual check?
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shane_moore871mo ago
Look at it this way, a visual check is the fastest way to catch the obvious stuff before you waste more time. Machines and sensors can miss simple things like a loose wire or a cracked housing. It adds a basic human layer of safety that costs nothing but a few seconds. Skipping it because it seems pointless is how small problems turn into big failures. You can't fully trust a system to check itself.
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