Ford Focus Estate 1.8 Petrol - Coolant temperature

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Sun 2 Jun 2013 22:45
Ford Focus Estate 1.8 Petrol - Coolant temperature - Doobleshaft

I drove the wife's car today for the first time in many months and noticed a characteristic smell upon stopping that suggesting it was running hot.

There are no other indications so far of a problem but it is overdue for a service.

According to the ECU the coolant temperature was 106C. If these engines run hot as I get the impression that they were designed to do then I guess this isn't a problem.

So first question to ask is should a 1.8 Zetec Petrol (2002) be running at 106C after 30 minutes of driving?

I may upon inspection find a small leak that explains the smell and a raise in temperature but as it didn't overheat in stop start traffic this doesn't seem anything to panic over.


Second question is as the service is overdue (no panic here as the car is driven less in 1 month than I normally do in a day in my car), what cooling system parts should we replace after 100,000 miles?

I don't intend to replace the thermostat or its housing as both appear to be working, or the radiator as there is no sign of leaking but do plan to flush it as part of the service and check condition of pipes.

Coincidence I would hope but the air conditioning appears to also have failed. I'm not sure how the compressor is powered but am aware that it's been near the end of its life.

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Sun 2 Jun 2013 23:26
Ford Focus Estate 1.8 Petrol - Coolant temperature - Cyd

If it's never had it's coolant changed in 11 years then it is likely there is corrosion in the cooling system. A partial blockage somewhere in the system would give the symptoms you describe.

Do you happen to know if these cars have a plastic impellor in the water pump? If so, these are prone to corrosion wearing the vanes and rendering the pump useless eventually as a result of the abrasive effect of the corrosion particles. Inspect the pump.

Give it a thorough flush through with a garden hose. Flush the block, heater and rad seperately. Refill with tap water and a dose of this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140951891638?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_583wt_721
Flush again with the hose.
Refill with OAT coolant and de-ionised water (35 to 50% antifreeze).

Collect your old coolant and flush down the toilet. Do not tip down rain water drains.

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Mon 3 Jun 2013 11:16
Ford Focus Estate 1.8 Petrol - Coolant temperature - Peter D

106 Degrees, it should be 90 or so. Pump failure, stat, or a blown head gasket. Regards Peter

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Mon 3 Jun 2013 11:38
Ford Focus Estate 1.8 Petrol - Coolant temperature - jc2

Is that the temperature with the engine running?

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Mon 3 Jun 2013 15:58
Ford Focus Estate 1.8 Petrol - Coolant temperature - unthrottled

106 Degrees, it should be 90 or so

The thermostat sets the minimum operating temperature. Above that, the coolant temp is down to the efficiency of the cooling system. 106C isn't anything to worry about on a hot day, but it probably is time to change the coolant and give it a good flush through.

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Mon 3 Jun 2013 14:05
Ford Focus Estate 1.8 Petrol - Coolant temperature - Chris M

But isn't the original Ford coolant mix supposed to last 10 years, so not that long overdue? Mine is nine years old and still looks pretty clean.

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Mon 3 Jun 2013 15:29
Ford Focus Estate 1.8 Petrol - Coolant temperature - bathtub tom

Obvious questions.

Have you checked the coolant level?

Has it had any new parts fitted lately, like the exhaust?

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Mon 3 Jun 2013 20:56
Ford Focus Estate 1.8 Petrol - Coolant temperature - Cyd

But isn't the original Ford coolant mix supposed to last 10 years, so not that long overdue? Mine is nine years old and still looks pretty clean.

The last time I had any conversation with a powertrain engineer about coolant was 7 years ago, just before I left the auto industry. I undestood at that time that the best OAT coolants had a service life of 5 years.

Also knowing how Ford purchasing work, there is no way Ford would be prepared to pay any kind of premium for anything exotic, if it even existed.

So I would say it is highly unlikley your coolant is designed to last any more than 5 years. Even if the expansion bottle looks clean there could still be corrosion deposits elsewhere in the system. You cannot see how well the anti corrosion package is holding up. I would recommend a clean and flush.

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Mon 3 Jun 2013 21:29
Ford Focus Estate 1.8 Petrol - Coolant temperature - elekie&a/c doctor

"drain ,flush and refill with purple super plus a/freeze,50/50 mix,every 10 years".Taken from the Ford service schedule handbook.hth

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Mon 3 Jun 2013 22:47
Ford Focus Estate 1.8 Petrol - Coolant temperature - Cyd

Thanks for that. Is that a recent development?

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Fri 7 Jun 2013 13:24
Ford Focus Estate 1.8 Petrol - Coolant temperature - Chris M

"Is that a recent development?"

Well it's been around for a least nine years!

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Tue 4 Jun 2013 22:23
Ford Focus Estate 1.8 Petrol - Coolant temperature - John F

I don't buy the advice to change the coolant fluid in a sealed system. The days of flushing out an orange suspension of iron oxide from inferior cast iron blocks are long gone.

Corrosion needs oxygen. Once the oxygen in the water [and I don't mean the O in the H2O] diluting the antifreeze is used up, there's none left for more corrosion, so why introduce more?

When I had to replace the water pump in my 1980 TR7 in 2002, I deliberately saved the coolant and reused it. It is now 33yrs old, never overheats, the head has never been off, and all the hoses and heater matrix are original and continent. Needless to say our much younger cars up to the age of 15 or so never had coolant problems either.

This advice is yet another example [like changing the oil every year] of moneymaking and polluting dogma from the motor industry.

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Fri 7 Jun 2013 16:59
Ford Focus Estate 1.8 Petrol - Coolant temperature - dadbif
And how many miles per annum do you do in your TR7?
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