Overheated Engine to 401 degrees

[HammaMan]

So my engine did not get that hot maybe?

is it worth changing thermostat at this point?

Possibly not but it's all guessing. When the coolant ran out it was reading steam. If you weren't in it then it's not likely to have gotten that hot. It's all just guessing though as only you witnessed the event and know precisely how it transpired. Could be just fine, could end up with any number of issues. If you put it back together and it's happy then it's happy.

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[Chili]

So my engine did not get that hot maybe?

is it worth changing thermostat at this point?

Hot yes, but once it was dry it's no longer reading what it's supposed to read so it's hard to say. May not be permanent damage but you definitely should have shut it down and coasted ASAP.

If what's cooling your engine is a liquid at 220 degrees, the metal would be a lot hotter as well. But if your coolant was 400 degrees...well that's not realistically possible in an engine / coolant system of a vehicle.

 

[TexasRattler]

I know it’s not possible for the coolant to get that hot. But wasn’t sure how my gauge was reading what it read.

most any while I would in a heart beat shut it down and coast but. 45 on a Saturday night. That’s like playing Russian roulette if you know the area you know. But when you turn the car off it automatically puts it in park. Sooooo am I missing something there?

Also want to say thanks to the wealth of knowledge and contributions to this post. Had no idea this post was gonna end up like this. Wish these conversations were over a beer and a fire lol

 

[Xman]

Good clean oil and a reliable cooling system are critical to a turbo-charged engine. I have had 5 turbos (240, 740, and 940 Volvos). I've had the coolant system fail on two cars. First time the radiator side tank blew out just As I pulled into the driveway after a 1000-mile trip (luck was with me then). The other was doing 70 down the highway and a plastic connector blew just like yours. The pressurized coolant was expelled in no time at all and peg the temp gauge with no coolant. Turned engine off and coasted to the side of the road when realized something was wrong (no bells and whistles back then). The engine was toast with warped head and elongated block. The turbo increased pressure to maintain speed until it couldn't cope. If the temperature gauge read 400 then something had to be hotter than that to transfer that much heat. I hope your situation turns out better than mine. Wish you the best.

 

[dzacco]

#1 thing is you have to figure out "WHY" this happened--its not going to fix itself!!

The coolant lines attached to the bottom or the radiator going to the transmission are known to crack and fail with a sudden release and no warning but I don't remember if that is transmission fluid or engine coolant. I replaced mine on my previous F150 as preventative maintenance just before it got totalled.

 

[TexasRattler]

Replaced lines, thermostat and thermostat housing. Let idle for 30 minutes, no leaks or overheating. Drove it probably 10 miles came back everything checked out. Oil looks good. Will do an oil change tomorrow after driving it more to verify oil isn’t contaminated. I think things are going to be alrite! ?

 

[Dakar09]

The coolant lines attached to the bottom or the radiator going to the transmission are known to crack and fail with a sudden release and no warning but I don't remember if that is transmission fluid or engine coolant. I replaced mine on my previous F150 as preventative maintenance just before it got totalled.

The transmission cooling lines going to the radiator contain transmission fluid. They use a part of the rad for heat exchange (in lieu of an actual transmission oil cooler) to cool the ATF. Unless new-fangled cars do something different that that tried and true method.

@TexasRattler, fingers crossed!

 

[Gord0]

The coolant lines attached to the bottom or the radiator going to the transmission are known to crack and fail with a sudden release and no warning but I don't remember if that is transmission fluid or engine coolant. I replaced mine on my previous F150 as preventative maintenance just before it got totalled.

Those are transmission lines to the radiator, and aux cooler if equipped. Mine blew out on my old 2013 just as I pulled into my neighborhood while pulling my camper.

 

[PatchManager]

Not the same truck or engine, but I had a Dodge Dakota (almost new) overheat to the point where it shut off by the time I was able to pull over. The temperature needle was pegged in the red zone. This was due to the radiator cap not being fully seated. I drove it for another 150K miles.

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