Hi, I have noticed that my antifreeze has been draining out. I cant find the leak and I have searched everywhere. Is there any product out there to find a leak or a way to find a leak for the antifreeze? I have looked under the car and cant find nothing from where the antifreeze is droping. The spot where the antifreeze is leaking is just below the belt. Thanks!!!
Leaking Antifreeze
Jonathan21080
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Hi, I have noticed that my antifreeze has been draining out. I cant find the leak and I have searched everywhere. Is there any product out there to find a leak or a way to find a leak for the antifreeze? I have looked under the car and cant find nothing from where the antifreeze is droping. The spot where the antifreeze is leaking is just below the belt. Thanks!!!
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350 Posts
Thanks!
If the Focus uses a similar radiator as the ZX2, then they have the aluminum core with plastic tanks. It is common in the ZX2 for the radiator to leak where the core meets the tank. If this is the case, then you should be able to see a residue along the sides of the readitor where the core meets the tank. The radiator cap could be leaking to.
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Check your thermostat housing. When facing the engine from the front of the car, it's on the right end of the block, it has all the coolant lines going to it. The gaskets have a tendency to go out on them, and unfortunately, you can't always just seal it up with some RTV like some folks have been able to do, and you'll have to replace the entire housing. I had to do this last fall, cost me $47 for the part at the dealer, since no parts stores had it or could get it. Took me about an hour to do the replacement. It as a pain in the ass because my big ass hands had problems getting to all the hoses that connect to the thing in odd places on it.
It could also be the water outlet, which attaches to the thermostat housing. That's the piece the biggest of the coolant lines attaches to. It's like $25 thru the dealer, sometimes they'll crack and leak, and that cannot be fixed any other way than with replacement. It's an easy install, like 4 screws and the hose clamp, should take less than 30 minutes.
Oh, and before you start disassembling any of these components, be sure to drain your coolant or it'll be everywhere. Easiest way to do it is to jack up the passenger front of the car, put it on a jackstand, get a bucket under there, and disconnect the lower radiator hose. It's much quicker than using the drain valve on the bottom of the radiator.
This would be a good excuse to flush your coolant system as well while you've got it drained out.
It could also be the water outlet, which attaches to the thermostat housing. That's the piece the biggest of the coolant lines attaches to. It's like $25 thru the dealer, sometimes they'll crack and leak, and that cannot be fixed any other way than with replacement. It's an easy install, like 4 screws and the hose clamp, should take less than 30 minutes.
Oh, and before you start disassembling any of these components, be sure to drain your coolant or it'll be everywhere. Easiest way to do it is to jack up the passenger front of the car, put it on a jackstand, get a bucket under there, and disconnect the lower radiator hose. It's much quicker than using the drain valve on the bottom of the radiator.
This would be a good excuse to flush your coolant system as well while you've got it drained out.
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I checked my engine and there is a leak from the thermostat housing 
I bought the part from the dealer and cost me $64. So its posible to change the part w/out any special tools?? I wont damage anything if i change it myself or do I have to look for something special?? Thanks for the help!
I bought the part from the dealer and cost me $64. So its posible to change the part w/out any special tools?? I wont damage anything if i change it myself or do I have to look for something special?? Thanks for the help!
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WOW!!! Thanks a lot!!! Ill be changing the thermostat housing this thursday that Im off. Thanks again!
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Called my shot!! That is one of the most common reasons for a coolant leak in the Focus. Only thing that made the job hard for me was my big hands and small spaces around the housing.Jonathan21080 said:I checked my engine and there is a leak from the thermostat housing
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What is a good brand of antifreeze to use?? I have used Pennzoil antifreeze but I would like to have a better antifreeze on my car if there is one.
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I just changed the termostat housing today. It was a pain changing the housing. Theres hardly any space to work around it, but I finished it after 3 hours. The housing was broken and the screws had dirt, does this mean that dirt got inside the engine?? Do i need to add water to the prestone 50/50??
No, you shouldn't need to add water. There's little risk of freezing where you are I asusme, but using 50/50 antifreeze works better to cool an engine than higher concentrations of water (I pretty sure anyways). In Canada it is common to use 70/30 antifreeze/water.
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Does Purple Ice really help on the cooling of the car?? Or will it just damage my cooling system if I add it to it? I live in a hot, humid area and rarely we get freezing temperatures here.
Hot damn, I decided to take a peek at my thermostat housing today and guess what... found it leaking ever so slightly. I'v been noticing what looked like oil residue along the edge of the trans where it meets the engine, and was thinking damn, I might have a leak on my trans gasket. But I have also been noticing the smell of coolant under my hood since I bought the car. The overall coolant level didn't seem to be going down, so I wasn't worried. But today looking up I saw some thick greenish goo along the edge of the housing from below - which sits right above the edge of the trans/motor connection. PLus it appears the coolant level may have gone down slightly.
So, I guess this is my next car project. Man, I just bought the thing! I don't mind if the part is cheap and the work not too bad. A good learning experience.
So, I guess this is my next car project. Man, I just bought the thing! I don't mind if the part is cheap and the work not too bad. A good learning experience.
Just finished putting in a new thermostat housing. Somebody at Ford thought they could save a buck putting that plastic thing in there. The lip that holds the seal/O-ring inplace had just crumbled. Much tougher to get it out than to put the new one back in. If you want any pointers let me know.
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Did you just change the main housing or that front part too? What about hoses?
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Anyone has used Purple Ice??
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Yah but where I'm from it's called "Snake Oil"Jonathan21080 said:
:lol:
Stay away from it. If your car doesn't overheat, you don't need it, and if it does overheat there's something wrong with your car and at best Purple Ice is a band-aid fix for a much more serious problem. So either way you don't need it.
I had 3 people and several hundred pounds of computer equipment and clothes in my ZX3, and I drove to (and around) Las Vegas via Texas. High speeds through the desert heat, idling in the heat for 10 minutes straight with the A/C blowing, and ambient temps close to 115* in the shade sometimes while we were in Vegas. The needle stayed at halfway the whole time. I didn't need any wierd stuff. Just some Prestone coolant mixed 50/50 with water. That's it.
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Thanks!!
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