This post could also be titled:" How I turned a simple auto diagnostic session into an insurance claim".

First: We have a 2001 F150 Super-crew (5.4L/2V, auto-transmission, 2 wheel-drive, 225,000+ miles), that has developed a coolant leak. Every morning we see a coolant puddle underneath the passenger side of the truck, below the the firewall area. My son and I have looked at all the usual areas of leaks on this motor (around the intake manifold as best as we can see, the coolant crossover pipe, around the thermostat, the heater hoses as they come through the firewall, and even inside the cab on the carpet and below where the heater core is located & found nothing. There is no coolant in the V8 valley/well behind the alternator, and we don't see any leak at the heater hoses at the back of the engine (off the metal nipple that frequently breaks on the end of the hose that runs underneath the manifold). We have done a pressure test & used mirrors, jumped up on the engine, and even used a borescope, but we are unable to find the exact source location of the leak. All we know is that the leak ends up dripping off a screw that is on the bottom of the truck, behind the front right passenger tire. Obviously the leak it is coming from somewhere else and ending up on the screw. Can't fix it till we know where it is actually coming from. Any advice suggestion on what else to do or where else to look is appreciated!

Now for the funny story, well funny for you guys - not me. In our efforts to locate the leak, my son and I tried to see from below, but my truck doesn't sit up high enough. Couldn't find our floor jack but did have a ramp. Since we needed to get under the truck just behind the left front wheel, where the screw is that is dripping the coolant, I had the bright idea of putting the ramp behind the wheel, with the incline part facing the front of the truck. That way we could back up the truck, & lift the truck up enough to get under the truck right behind the front passenger wheel. Well, I should also tell you that we live on a steep hill so i should have had some blocks or something back there to stop the truck in case of disaster. WHOOPS!

Well, my son was down next to the right front wheel giving directions with his hand. As the truck backed up and started going up the ramp, I had to lean over to the passenger side a bit to see my son's directions. Well, the truck went too far and fell off the ramp, and did so with such a thump it apparently triggered the fuel pump cut-off because the engine died. At the same time, since I was leaning over to the right side of the car, I lost my balance and fell onto the passenger side of the front seat. Needless to say, the truck went backwards, building up speed due to the hill we are on. I was trying to pull myself back up so i could see and then get control of the truck. Since I was basically laying on my side,my foot was no, longer on the brake. And while I was pulling on the steering wheel to get up all I was accomplishing was that the truck rear and careened toward my neighbors yard.

As I went across a little piece of new lawn between our driveway and our neighbors property, I managed to miss a tree and a fence - which is hard to do when you can't see where you are going, and you are going backwards fast down a hill. However, I was able to use the rear end of my neighbors (almost new) car to stop my truck. My first concern was my son since he was down where the truck front wheel was, but I was quickly relieved when I saw him running down our driveway. Of course once he found out I was OK he had to turn his face away to make I didn't see him laugh! My neighbor's wife came out and I told her that i am sorry, & that I did have insurance. She called her husband, who had just left on a motorcycle ride to clear his head, & told him what happened, & to come home. When my neighbor did get home, I came over and apologized, gave him my insurance info. It was then my neighbor told me he would have been home when it happened but that his mom had just died (she lived with him) so he wanted to be alone for a little bit. I felt even lower after hearing that.

In any event, my insurance company is involved and told me they will take care of my neighbor's car. They also told me my rate will probably go up because of the cost to fix my neighbor's car. My neighbor has pretty cool about the whole thing but I feel like crap. Plus, along with my body aching after getting bounced around inside my truck (i'm old and fragile), I still don't know where the darn coolant leak is. So any help and advice folks here could offer, I would greatly appreciate it!

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