hi folks,i've got a water leak from the engine in my 2000 1.8 zetec,water temp is ok and the loss is not too great,(just driven 500 miles and put two pints in )i can see where its leaking from.. the black box on the rhs of engine block...got no idea what this bit is ???...tightened all the nuts /circlips etc in sight but still leaking...any ideas anybody..thks in advance

hi folks,i've got a water leak from the engine in my 2000 1.8 zetec,water temp is ok and the loss is not too great,(just driven 500 miles and put two pints in )i can see where its leaking from.. the black box on the rhs of engine block...got no idea what this bit is ???...tightened all the nuts /circlips etc in sight but still leaking...any ideas anybody..thks in advance

You did not mention the age of your car but I would say that it was the thermostat housing seals

which are a common fault on all Focus models.

I am not sure when you say the right side of the engine does that mean when you are looking at it from the front of the car or from the drivers seat ?

If it is from the belt end of the engine then it's the water pump going or the thermostat housing on early models.

If you replace these seals do buy a genuine Ford seal as other replacement parts will start to leak again very soon.

[hi yes looking at engine from front .so its the thermostat housing..is this any easy job ?looks fairly basic to me and its a w reg 2000 model

[hi yes looking at engine from front .so its the thermostat housing..is this any easy job ?looks fairly basic to me and its a w reg 2000 model

They always seem to leak where the plastic box fits against the metal engine face on this model and will require a new rubber seal bought at main dealer Ford about £4.

Best to fit a new thermostat and seal as well but do not overtighten any of the bolts on the housing as they will crack the plastic or pull the treads out of the soft engine metal.

As I said before do buy the bits at main dealer Ford as I have fitted other parts like Halfords thermostats which do not have the right thickness rubber seals which start to leak again after a couple of months.

DO inspect the plastic housing for any hairline cracks as these are a problem.

Easy job but remember when refilling the system again with the saved antifreeze summer coolant to remove the heater hose from the back of the engine and fill the hose with the coolant until it runs out of the engine refit hose and then refill expansion tank slowly until full,this will ensure you do not get any air locks in the system.

Make sure that the heater is on before filling and leave on a bit after refilling and running engine.

Good luck with it hope this helps.