I have a 56 plate Focus 1.8 TDCi Ghia with 139,000 miles on the clock and I am at the end of my tether!

Apologies for this being a long post, but I have spent an awful lot of money and do not seem to have achieved any form of result.

Had a few issues with water leaks resulting in replacing a few hoses.

Also replaced the thermostat housing twice - first time was a DIY, second time was by a garage.

Still seemed to be using a lot of water/coolant so took it back to the garage again. According to them, it was the head gasket, plus brake switch and clutch switch.

Collected from garage and Engine System Fault Light displayed - had never shown up before. Garage took it back and reset the system.

The light continued to display, various faults were registering but never consistently. They evenutually took it to a Ford Main Dealer who also could not diagnose the problem. They replaced the ECU and said if that did not resolve the problem, a new Instrument Panel would be required.

Strangely, the light continues to come on, mostly at traffic lights and goes off as soon as you slow down again and press the brake and clutch!

At idle, the car has been known to shake quite a bit. Fly wheel maybe?

A while after having the head gasket replaced, I got back to it one day and there was a puddle of coolant underneath, garage replaced the water pump.

Collected from garage, drove from Reading to London and when I returned to the car, massive pool of coolant underneath once again! Recovered from London back to the garage and they claimed the kit was at fault and the screws didn't hold!

Grrrrr

It has been backwards and forwards to my garage ever since. It no longer leaks water/coolant, but it does use a lot of it, especially if I do a motorway journey.

The expansion tank has been replaced and the cap has been replaced twice as the new one disintegrated within two days.

Obviously I check the water on a regular basis. The expansion tank will often show as empty, but when you unscrew the cap, you will get a loud hissing noise and the expansion tank will start to fill. Normally after a motorway journey, you will be lucky if it refills to minimum.

So there surely cannot be a leak as the system is pressurising, but where does the water go?

The garage have supposedly done another pressure test for the head gasket and say it is ok?

Please help. I am about to get a new car and need to sell my Focus, but how can I do this with the water/coolant problem and the Intermittent Engine System Fault?

This has been ongoing since October 2013 and I have got to the point now where I just check the water every day!