steveo3002 Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 mk1 focus petty 1600 , was on the motorway this morning , dash lights up and it felt like it was slowing , managed to dive down a exit almost straight away got out and the header tank was full to the cap and spilling over , fan not on , no obvious coolant in oil or vice versa ive let it cool down and its lost about an inch of coolant , starts and sounds fine no misfires or rattles from the pump any ideas im thinking maybe water pump or stat ?? can the stat close up after driving for 2 hrs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbenn Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Believe it or not, these do something clever whereby they drop to two cylinders when overheating in a bid to cool themselves down somehow. Sounds like that could have happened here, hence the slowing down. Any warning lights? What was the temperature gauge showing? BorniteIdentity 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo3002 Posted March 10, 2017 Author Share Posted March 10, 2017 temp gauge was straight up normal yes haynes suggests what you mention...i guess thats the slowing down was lights ....yellow wheel shaped one manual says overheat and then the check engine one came on , now once cooled its just the check engine **what movement should i see in the header tank?? at the side of the road when still warm there was none and i just started it from cold and again no movement over a few mins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 If it's a Ford Stat they usually fail safe I.e open, I'd doubt it's that. Unlikely to be a seized water pump as that would whip the drivebelt clean off, could well be a failed impeller on the pump. As you say I'd doubt it's the head gasket, they very rarely go on these. Simple answer might be a failed cap on the header tank, in a way these are meant to be a service item, if you look on the service book it says you ought to replace it at Xxx miles. Doubt f it makes a difference. Could be that the pressure relied on yours has failed. Cheap to replace I'd give it a go, then check the water pump if the impeller has failed on it, then go down the route of compression testing etc. Hot to cold should be about an inch on the header tank, maybe a bit less. egg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo3002 Posted March 10, 2017 Author Share Posted March 10, 2017 thanks ...header tank i mean would you expect to see flow from the smaller tube , theres nothing that i can see( but darent run it too long ) pump isnt seized and no major noises from it so you think first idea is pull the pump? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 No, I'd spend £3-4 on a new cap, I think the cooling system could be overpressuring. I'd see how you get on with that first. The pump is a bit involved, taking timing belt off to get behind it. If it was the bearings on it you'd hear it, plus it'd leak from the weep hole underneath. Could be the impeller has come off internally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo3002 Posted March 10, 2017 Author Share Posted March 10, 2017 thats what i was thinking the impeeler has come off ...but surley would rattle a bit? would running it up with no cap be okay...im kinda stranded theyve towed me home and cant get out for parts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo3002 Posted March 10, 2017 Author Share Posted March 10, 2017 cap doesnt explain no coolant flow in the tank tho?? off to warm it up again ...brb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo3002 Posted March 10, 2017 Author Share Posted March 10, 2017 ok ran it again temp gauge shot up to normal within a minute , ran it for around 10 mins the oil filter was hot but neither of the rad hoses were even warm ? again no flow /movement in the header tank... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 As a temp measure if the cap is overpressurising you could drill an 1/8 hole in the top. Wouldn't run it with no cap, there'll be coolant everywhere otherwise. The temp gauge is fed from the cyl head temp sensor as opposed to an actual coolant feed for the gauge on some modern Fords. If the stat was jammed open the gauge though wouldn't get past about 1/3 even after a while. If it's an aftermarket stat it's possible it could jam closed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parky Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Mrs P's Bini did a similar thing and that was traced to some sort of relay in the radiator fan assembly failing and the fan not working. The fact you mentioned the car boiling up and the fan not kicking in might mean something similar? If it was hot enough to boil over I would expect the fan to be running constantly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Bypass the fan switch and see if the fans seized. I'd doubt the fans would be running at 70mph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbenn Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Put the a/c on, fans should come on straight away if they're working. Banger Kenny and BorniteIdentity 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo3002 Posted March 10, 2017 Author Share Posted March 10, 2017 Bypass the fan switch and see if the fans seized. I'd doubt the fans would be running at 70mph. no shouldnt expect the fans to be needed at 70 so far ive pulled the stat and it checks out in the saucepan of hot water , then started on water pump removal but got stuck so will carry on tommorow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo3002 Posted March 11, 2017 Author Share Posted March 11, 2017 water pump all good...stat all good fml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Like I say I'd look at the expansion cap. If the system is over pressurising, it'll cause it to overheat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egg Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Even OEM caps aren't expensive. I've changed them on both my Fords as a precaution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo3002 Posted March 11, 2017 Author Share Posted March 11, 2017 will look at a cap on monday cheers ran it up again....seemed fairly normal heater started to work after 5-8 mins , gauge crept up to the middle but the rad hoses stayed cold took it for a 2mile run to circulate things and this is where it gets wierd , the rad hose on the passenger side was hot , other side near the stat stone cold header tank and hoses cold ..at that point that rad fan came on and ran until i decided to turn off *****so engine hot /pipework not ***** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairymel Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 run it without the thermostat if you can? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo3002 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 right if anyone is still looking in rad all flushed out , new coolant , new cap from the engine bay all appears normal , warms up as it should , isnt stupidly hot after hours driving around town- never appears too hot the most random thing is now happening , if you get to 70mph for a few mins then back off to 50 or below the gauge will shoot from normal to red and back again in about 10 secs , only seems to do it under those circumstances and never around town or prelonged idling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Water pump not pumping very effectively and so on overrun it struggles to cool things? A mates Focarse mk1 had a coolant temperature (or was it the wiring?) fail when driving in the rain. That caused the temp gauge to go to the max and wouldn't let the engine accelerate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo3002 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 happens so fast i dont believe its really overheating and then back to normal so quick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Split_Pin Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 It's normal for the gauge to rise slightly after being on the motorway but it should rise only a small amount any then return to normal. Obvs yours rises much more than that which suggests that something is either not pumping or restricting the flow. What makes you think the waterpump and stat are ok? My Corsa stat stuck shut from cold which was a bit scary temp wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy18s Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Is the rad warm all over?May have a partial blockage/collapse inside..... SiC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo3002 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 What makes you think the waterpump and stat are ok? My Corsa stat stuck shut from cold which was a bit scary temp wise. took the pump off , impeller like new and not spinning on shaft , stat checked in a pan okay and then replaced with new one out of desperation rad..yeah feels normal- thing is i can do 40 mins at 75 and no issues as long as i never back off or brake , as soon as i brake its flicked over to red for a few seconds ,drive off again at 70 and its fine for ever until i slow again , i feel if the rad was blocked /fucked it woulnt stick motorway speeds for long at all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Split_Pin Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 Still sounds like a flow issue to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Reverend Bluejeans Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 took the pump off , impeller like new and not spinning on shaft Even when it's good and hot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbenn Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 You know what, it had completely slipped my mind but there was a chap on a now defunct Focus forum that had a 53 plate 1.6 Zetec which had exactly this issue. The full two cylinders/engine lights thing. My memory is hazy but I'm fairly sure it came down to the water pump on his car, even though it looked ok at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo3002 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Share Posted March 20, 2017 well no it had cooled off by the time id removed it , had the pulley in the vice and no movment on impeller , no marks to suggests its slipping or otherwise cant in my mind see how it would cool fine for miles at motorway speeds or idling ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainagain Posted March 21, 2017 Share Posted March 21, 2017 Is it a plastic impeller? To me it sounds like the impeller is becoming loose at high temperatures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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