Advice Please!
I have a 1yo, 20k miles, Focus Tdi.
After driving about 80m each way today, with the aircon on Full Cold, Fan setting 1 or 2,(ambient temp 25C), I tried to put some heat on tonight.
Within a few mins the water temp went into the red, and would only go down if I fiddled with the heat/fan/aircon controls. Eventually I had to abandon ship, just short of home, and get some cold water to refill the system, which had gone down, but was not completely empty. I have crawled the 100m home, topped up and have now come to you folks!!
Can it be that the aircon has, in some way, 'iced-up' the system - I'm baffled?
(Maybe at daylight tomorrow the problem will be 'visible'!)
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Roger
It won't be anything you've done with the aircon. With the water loss, this sounds like a straightforward cooling system fault - thermostat, blown gasket, hose leak or similar. As you say, may be visible in daylight. I just hope you haven't done any major engine damage by driving it so far, as running in this condition can warp heads or blocks. When major overheating occurs the advice is to stop and ring the AA!
Regards
John
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John
thanks for those words of comfort!!
It appears to be a leak, and I don't THINK I've 'cooked' it, as I did stop when I hit the red sector!!
Anyway it's now in a Ford garage, so we shall see.
Fortunately I have an extended warranty (Motor Warranty Direct) if major surgery is reqd.
To 'cap' it all I managed to drop the rad cap into the undertray when I topped up this am to get it to the garage (which it did without exceeding normal temp, but losing about a litre en route). It allsuggests a split /leaky hose/joint, doesn't it?
Roger
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You may well have found that it actually ran a bit cooler with the a/c on as the fans will run continuously in this mode. Then when you switched the a/c of you were relying on the high water temp sensor which won't come on until really hot.
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Roger
Losing the rad cap was probably a blessing in disguise as it prevented the cooling system pressurising, so reducing leakage rate. As you say, it sounds like a leak. I don't want to depress you, but when the water level gets below the water temperature sensor it can then show an apparently reduced temperature.
Regards
john
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Thanks to all!
It was a heater hose.
I figured that, while I was on A/C Cold, not much water was going thru' the HEATER, but when I turned the Heat ON... Whooosh!
Anyway, as far as we can tell, no damage done - fingers crossed.
Thanks again.
Roger
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