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Coolant question

Featured Replies

On mk2 focus thought do few maintenance level checks and I've opened my coolant and it's right to top and overflowed as soon took cap off, looks like runny chocolate as I know before I've used kseal maybe hence the colour. But why is level so high att the brim and over flowed as soon as coolant cap removed.

Thanks guys

 



55 minutes ago, madman said:

 But why is level so high att the brim and over flowed as soon as coolant cap removed.

 

I'm assuming you let it totally cool down before removing the cap?

  • Author

The car was cold from night before not even started it.

Top up washer jets checked coolant and found this pouring over top was up to brim look like runny chocolate. 

Is this symptoms of head gasket?

 

32 minutes ago, madman said:

Is this symptoms of head gasket?

 

Main symptom I was always taught was a mayonnaise like substance on the inside of your oil cap. Have you checked this? If your coolant has shot out, my assumption is that it would be under pressure (which it shouldn't be when cold) - someone else here may suggest why..

  • Author

Just checked the oil level and it was empty.

Any ideas.

 

1 minute ago, madman said:

Just checked the oil level and it was empty.

Any ideas.

 

Empty?? Your car has NO oil whatsoever?? 🤨

  • Author

Nothing showing on dipstick.  Just put oil in 2 bring it halfway between 2 lines. 

Just now, madman said:

Nothing showing on dipstick.  Just put oil in 2 bring it halfway between 2 lines. 

No oil?

Chocolate liquid shooting out a cold coolant reservoir?

When you stand at the front of the car, do you see a continuous stream of clowns exiting via the passenger door? 🤣

I'm out buddy, hopefully someone else will be along shortly...

  • Author

Haha no.

I had kseal in car already from before and that is a what is making the water go beige colour. 

I opened the coolant cap and it overflowed everywhere was right up to brim. Call garage for help they said head gasket.

Then I checked the oil and found none in it, the car always has regular yearly oil/filter changes I changed oil in may. 

I topped oil up between half way and full marks.

Tonight the car made noise and I've lost all coolant water gone in instant this time over car park, now as soon as fill it up within 1/2 mile it's gone again but where don't know.

Where is oil and water going. 

Thanks so much

 

Is there an oil cooler on your engine?  It does sound like headgasket for that much, that quickly though.  The HG separates oil, water and cylinders (exhaust gas) so those 3 things can mix in various combinations when the HG fails, depending on where the break is in the gasket. 

3 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Is there an oil cooler on your engine?  It does sound like headgasket for that much, that quickly though.  The HG separates oil, water and cylinders (exhaust gas) so those 3 things can mix in various combinations when the HG fails, depending on where the break is in the gasket. 

Tom, years ago I had a HG failure. If it was losing oil in that volume, and water as well, shouldn't his engine be covered in the stuff? (Maybe the clowns cleaned it all up LOL)

5 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

Tom, years ago I had a HG failure. If it was losing oil in that volume, and water as well, shouldn't his engine be covered in the stuff? (Maybe the clowns cleaned it all up LOL)

Judging by the above post, it's all over the car park... :unsure:   

Oil is under higher pressure than coolant, but there's less of it.  It often gets forced into the water system and mixes with coolant to form a fairly thin chocolate milkshake that no longer makes the mess that oil would.  I suspect it's all been blowing out of the reservoir overflow for some time without creating anything more than a 'dirty' mark, rather than an oil slick.

  • Author

Had few quotes today for head gasket over phone as most garages saying don't drive the car from 600 to 780 pounds. 

What's a oil cooler how do I know if I have one or not?

 

 

5 minutes ago, madman said:

Had few quotes today for head gasket over phone as most garages saying don't drive the car from 600 to 780 pounds. 

 

That sounds steep for replacing a gasket, I'm guessing they are including the price of a re-skim of the whole head as potentially it may have warped, still, an expensive repair!

59 minutes ago, madman said:

Had few quotes today for head gasket over phone as most garages saying don't drive the car from 600 to 780 pounds. 

What's a oil cooler how do I know if I have one or not?

The oil cooler does what you'd expect lol.  It's a heat exchanger that uses coolant to take heat out of the oil.  When they break internally, oil and coolant mix and it looks like a headgasket failure.  On high performance cars they're like a small radiator, but on normal cars they're really small and fit just behind the oil filter in most cases.

The square part here is the oil cooler for a 1.6 TDCi.

650128910_Screenshot_20211019-1944102.thumb.png.add8c9e3fd28e65988568cae33b7606c.png

 

Which engine do you have?  That quote does sound high for a headgasket replacement.  And probably not worth it on a car of that age.

 

  • Author

1.6 ti vct.  83,000 on clock

Don't know if I got oil cooler or not. 

The 780 pound garage for HG also said or oil cooler for 400. 

On 10/18/2021 at 8:09 PM, madman said:

Then I checked the oil and found none in it

So you have been driving around with the "Oil" warning light on ?

If there was no oil (or even just a little bit) there would be no oil pressure, and the warning light would be on.

I'm not normally a betting man, but in this case I would bet the engine is scrap

  • Author
5 minutes ago, unofix said:

So you have been driving around with the "Oil" warning light on ?

If there was no oil (or even just a little bit) there would be no oil pressure, and the warning light would be on.

I'm not normally a betting man, but in this case I would bet the engine is scrap

 

Nope had no oil warning light come on dashboard.  

10 hours ago, madman said:

The 780 pound garage for HG also said or oil cooler for 400. 

With respect, your car isn't worth that - if you can't drive it, time to seek new wheels...

On 10/18/2021 at 5:43 PM, StephenFord said:

do you see a continuous stream of clowns exiting via the passenger door? 🤣

You only get that with the optional "entertainment pack" 🤣

11 hours ago, madman said:

1.6 ti vct.  83,000 on clock

Don't know if I got oil cooler or not. 

The 780 pound garage for HG also said or oil cooler for 400. 

I'm pretty sure the 1.6 Ti-VCT does have a cooler in the Mk2.  There's no way it's a £400 job though.  It's literally a couple of hose clamps, one massive nut and a new oil filter.  Instructions here for a Mondeo but it should all be the same.

Ford Workshop Manuals > Mondeo 2007.5 (02.2007-) > Mechanical Repairs > 3 Powertrain > 303 Engine > 303-01A Engine - 1.6L Duratec-16V Ti-VCT (Sigma) > Description and Operation > General Procedures > Removal and Installation > Oil Cooler (workshop-manuals.com)

I think we've probably come as far as we can online though, I'd recommend having a mobile mechanic or at least a friend/relative with some technical knowledge to have a look over it before you make any further decisions.  If it's the oil cooler, it's a cheap & easy fix.  If it's the headgasket, it's really not worth fixing. 

  • Author

Hi.

Been ringing around garages for prices and been told by garage could be 2 things oil cooler or head gasket. 

I asked how much he charge oil cooler 200-300 and head gasket about 500. 

But said there is some tests that can be done a sniff test and a compression test think he said. 

What you advise get tests done first and go from there?. 

And the prices oil cooler 200-300 and head gasket 500, would you pay this price for focus MK2 with 83,000 on clock or get newer car.

Thanks everyone

1 hour ago, madman said:

get newer car

nothing more to add

On 10/20/2021 at 9:38 AM, unofix said:

You only get that with the optional "entertainment pack" 🤣

But because it's Ford, you still have to pay extra for electric rear windows! 😁

I let my 19 year old go because it wasn't worth it anymore. Cut your losses mate and get another car.

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