Hi All

I have a Ford Focus (07) 1.8 Tdci that has done 150k miles. Its been brilliant as a DIY car but now started to give me major problems. At the moment, I am having serious overheating issues with the coolant dropping to nil every 2 days. The head gasket seems fine based on no white slugde in oil, good pH test of the coolant and no white smoke from exhaust. I also fitted a new thermostat, thermostat housing and header tank cap and replaced all cooling liquid with new QX Ready mix. Two days later driving 3 miles to work the car has overheated again and no coolant in the header tank. No visible leaks or drips from under the engine or in the car under the carpets. Dropped it at the garage last evening and was told they cant find any visible leaks either but without any justifiable reason they say maybe its the head gasket (i can think why!). I refuse to spend on a new head gasket on a car that's probably not worth the effort. The only other thing left to is replace the water pump but I am thinking without any evident leaks could that be at fault? Please suggest what else can be tried or looked at. Many thanks.

17 minutes ago, MoFars said:

Hi All

I have a Ford Focus (07) 1.8 Tdci that has done 150k miles. Its been brilliant as a DIY car but now started to give me major problems. At the moment, I am having serious overheating issues with the coolant dropping to nil every 2 days. The head gasket seems fine based on no white slugde in oil, good pH test of the coolant and no white smoke from exhaust. I also fitted a new thermostat, thermostat housing and header tank cap and replaced all cooling liquid with new QX Ready mix. Two days later driving 3 miles to work the car has overheated again and no coolant in the header tank. No visible leaks or drips from under the engine or in the car under the carpets. Dropped it at the garage last evening and was told they cant find any visible leaks either but without any justifiable reason they say maybe its the head gasket (i can think why!). I refuse to spend on a new head gasket on a car that's probably not worth the effort. The only other thing left to is replace the water pump but I am thinking without any evident leaks could that be at fault? Please suggest what else can be tried or looked at. Many thanks.

Hello MoFars!

I have some questions to ask:

Do you use plain water instead of coolant?

Have you ever checked your air filter if it needs to be changed or a blow with compressed air?

Have you ever cleaned your radiator?

You might have a pipe blocked from rust or a rusty block of the engine and that is not allowing the coolant to run through the engine block.

Do you have an natural air intercooler or a licquid cooled intercooler?

Check that too!

I hope everything to be OK!!!

(Your coolant drops to nill due to high temperatures of your engine.It evaporates the water out of it with the help of the cap of the engine coolant's canister...Also you might have air bubbles inside your coolantsystem and have to be bled off...check the coolant's canister cap too!)

Hey Alexis

thanks for the prompt response. To answer your questions. For the last couple of weeks since I first noticed overheating issues I was topping up with plain water. I changed the air filter over the weekend even though it seemed ok. Did not clean the radiator but now I seem to think this may be a cause. To add a little more context. Went to the garage this afternoon and let the car heat up in idle. After 20 mins of idling, we noticed bubbling of coolant/water in the expansion tank and pressure build up. The radiator fan did not kick in and the temperature of the gauge was still at midway. When we turned the aircon, the fan kicked in straight away and turned of as soon as the aircon was turned of. On revving up the engine and let it to heat up even more, there was sudden drastic dump of coolant from the bottom of the expansion tank. The rubber hose from the radiator to the engine block was also extremely hot. The garage seems to think it could be faulty coolant temperature sensor or a fault with the fan relay not allowing to kick in. I am also thinking the coolant is just not flowing into the engine block. The garage is going to replace the temperature sensor and get the wiring loom checked for the fan tomorrow. Also replace the expansion tank. I am just hoping and praying that this sorts the issue out because if this doesn't then the garage are adamant the only other thing would be a blow head gasket!

Any thoughts?     

there's only four places the coolant it can go

1) on the floor outside

2) on the carpet inside (common, look at left footwell)

3) in the engine and into the oil

4) in the engine out the exhaust

 

if its not 1 2 or 3 then the cyl head and or the head gasket is almost certainly the issue

On 7/19/2022 at 9:39 PM, MoFars said:

Hey Alexis

thanks for the prompt response. To answer your questions. For the last couple of weeks since I first noticed overheating issues I was topping up with plain water. I changed the air filter over the weekend even though it seemed ok. Did not clean the radiator but now I seem to think this may be a cause. To add a little more context. Went to the garage this afternoon and let the car heat up in idle. After 20 mins of idling, we noticed bubbling of coolant/water in the expansion tank and pressure build up. The radiator fan did not kick in and the temperature of the gauge was still at midway. When we turned the aircon, the fan kicked in straight away and turned of as soon as the aircon was turned of. On revving up the engine and let it to heat up even more, there was sudden drastic dump of coolant from the bottom of the expansion tank. The rubber hose from the radiator to the engine block was also extremely hot. The garage seems to think it could be faulty coolant temperature sensor or a fault with the fan relay not allowing to kick in. I am also thinking the coolant is just not flowing into the engine block. The garage is going to replace the temperature sensor and get the wiring loom checked for the fan tomorrow. Also replace the expansion tank. I am just hoping and praying that this sorts the issue out because if this doesn't then the garage are adamant the only other thing would be a blow head gasket!

Any thoughts?     

After your damage update, i think that the thermostat is not corresponding correctly due to malfunction.

You have to check fan sensor,thermostat and remember do never put plain water to the engine coolant in modern diesel engines.

But the result is one and sure...your head gasket is a little damaged due to high temperatures that the engine reaches for days.

I can't think of something else...

I hope you'll manage to get it fixed soon enough so to have your mind relaxed again!!!

Greetings from hot and sunny Greece!!!