I have a 1998 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer Edition with a V8 engine. I have a coolant leakage from behind the engine. I’m thinking heater hose, but can’t really tell since it’s very tight and hard to see back there, along with few other hoses running around back there. Is this a Relatively expensive (more then $300) and time to get rid of it or is it fairly reasonable to price wise to get fixed and keep it (Runs good otherwise).
It’s time to find a good mechanic at a non-dealer non-chain shop to look at it and find where it’s leaking.
I agree with Circuitsmith. Access to the heater core and hoses can be near impossible on some of these setups. The cost will be in the labor.
But I could be mistaken. Actually looking at the vehicle is the only real way to tell. Expect probably a $90 to $100 diagnosis charge if you choose to do the work yourself.
Most likely:
Could be heater hose
Could be nipple that connects the heater hose to the plastic intake, but I think that later ones have more problem here than the '98
There is a hose that runs in the valley under intake manifold from the water pump. This could be leaking.
Does this beast have the original intake manifold?