Ford Fiesta MK5 1.25 Zetec Overheating advice.

[Burnside]

My Dad has allowed for the last two year's his 2001 Ford Fiesta 1.25 LX with only 50,000 miles to languish due to a overheating issue.

 

I've decided that enough is enough, as he has now piled timber for his fire all around the car. Which is in danger of toppling over and damaging it.

 

I know there the common problem with the heater valve which has been replaced 3 times in the last 5 years, X2 2nd hand and one pattern part. 

 

The problem was this time that instead of the heating being permanently cold, which is the usual sign of the heater valve failing. It is permanently hot.

 

The coolant is disappearing from the expansion bottle too without an obvious trace once cooled down again. 

 

The temp gauge is sitting just over halfway from what my Dad told me after say being run for 20-30 mins at idle. 

 

My other big concern is that I know for a fact this Fiesta is still on its original water pump and cambelt since 2001! Which my dad seams quite proud of for some reason.

 

I've read that this car may have a plastic impeller waterpump which can fail, though there no sign of any leaks or noises from the pump while the engine is running.

 

I've also read online that you can buy a modified heater valve, as there was faulty one's being sold? 

 

My dad has no money or any real enthusiasm to fix the Fiesta which is a shame as it's a tidy car with a genuine low mileage.

 

So if I can, I would like to try and get it working again and hopefully get a Mot on it. Then hopefully sell it to someone who can get the use out of it, instead of going to waste on his drive.

 

I'm in two minds if I should bother trying to change the heater valve myself first, or just get the car recovered to a garage. Then let them try and work it out but can't afford a big bill or omg headgasket replacement though I not convinced it needs a new gasket. 

 

Views / Advice.

[doubleyeller]

'01 Fiesta that's been sat 2 years, no cambelt or waterpump change, and with probable big bill coming up. Hmm

It's worth 50p realistically, nobody is in the market for an old Fiesta with problems. 

You can't afford to repair it if it's OMG HGF

Even if you do get it running satisfactorily, you'd have the expense of the cambelt and waterpump unless you want to play Russian Roulette on that front.

Not my judgement, to make, but you don't express any sentimental attachment to the car

 

If it's condition belies it's low mileage (ie bloody good) then I'd stow it away and await scene tax kicking in

You would be quite entitled to sell it as a sold as seen barn find after 20 years without any need to mention these faults.

 

If not, I'd scrap it tbh. 

[Ghosty]

Scrap it is fairly reasonable advice. 1.25s eat thermostats as it is, and whatever's wrong with it, there's potential for rot and all sorts past that. It's clearly due a cambelt etc too.

Besides I really can't see a sad face Fiesta that's not a Zetec-S ever being worth anything, even in running condition it's sub-£500.

There's no sad faces left for a reason - they're awful.

[AlabamaShrimp]

01 isn't a 'sad face' it's a mk5. My advice would be if the parts are chap and you want to have a mess with it then do. If not weigh up how much you think a garage will charge and go from there.

 

Right now, as mentioned, they are worth* sod all but what's that got to do with it?

[Ghosty]

Mk5 is a New Edge facelift sadface though, they weren't completely re-engineered until mk6. 4 and 5 are identical from the bulkhead back iirc. Hence why facelift Mazda 121s exist in very low numbers and as late as 52 plate.

In any case the Yamaha Zetec 1.25 lived on into the mk6 in various guises (puting out more power though) so that's a moot point.

[Guest Hooli]

If it's like the '58 plate my ex had the temp guage lies. They always stay at half until they actually boil, her's told her so late that it was getting warm it suffered OMG HGF at 25k...

 

Oh & cause on her's was a pin hole in the top heater hose as it rubbed on the bloody sharp fan bracket.

[jonathan_dyane]

I would try bypassing the heater first and if this fails if you don't fancy doing the water pump and cambelt just leave it in the woodpile.

[sierraman]

Could be the water pump but you’d see where it was pissing out round the seal or the vent if the bearings have gone. Could also be head gasket trouble which isn’t completely unknown.

 

Realistically assuming it was something easily sorted for the overheating you are still looking at the MOT, which even being an optimist will probably involve expense in the following areas:

 

Rot at the end or centre of the sills

 

Corrosion of the brake pipes particularly where they go over the tank

 

Perished wishbone bushes

 

Rear trailing arm bushes

 

Likely trouble in passing the emissions

 

Droplinks

 

Need I go on? I’d just take anything worth having off it then weigh it in. You can get a decent Mk4/5 Fiesta for £2-400 anyway.

[The Moog]

On flip side it is on a drive so you can work on it easily without having to rush getting back on the road.

 

It would be worth looking at the other bits to see if it has likelihood of welding etc.

 

If you are doing it to sell then that would inform the economics of it all. If it is to keep/hobby then have a go as there are worse ways to spend your time.

[BeEP]

I thought this was Autoshite.  Maybe I've logged in somewhere else by mistake?

[Bren]

The plastic thermostat housing is a weak point on these - one the seal goes you lose coolant at quite a rate.

[greengartside]

The heater valves on these are absolute swines for going. They also don't seem to like anything but genuine Ford ones fitted for some reason. Maybe change it again for a genuine FoMoCo one and see what happens? I'd also check the expansion tank cap is doing it's thing properly too.

[fordperv]

Buy a rotten 1.7 puma and pop the engine in

[320touring]

Buy a rotten 1.7 puma and pop the engine in

Sound, simple advice!

[Felly Magic]

Check the expansion tank hasn't got tiny star cracks in anywhere too, but tbh, these aren't worth a lot, add in the cost of the cambelt & pump and other sundries it will need, and you are at the price of one with plenty of ticket, so perhaps James Brown time is the sensible option

[John F]

I really struggled to sell a mate's low mileage 1998 1.25 Zetec Fiesta (which had a recent cambelt) in here for £80 recently.

 

They're really not worth anything.

[BeEP]

Ok. I'm convinced.  The OP has a car which currently owes him nothing.  He should scrap it for say £50, then spend £400 on a replacement.  Which will probably need just as many things doing as the original one (even if not the same things).  He will then be in the same postion car-wise but will be £350 worse off.  Throw-away society maths at its best

[AlabamaShrimp]

^^I agree

 

This is getting similar to the recent Ka thread where it ended up in the scrap.

 

We've seen people on here fix and save* stuff no-one would ever give a crap about but recently most of the comments seem to be 'it's not worth it' or 'you'll get X amount by scrapping it'. Or of course the things with the invicars of 'why not put this or that engine in it' when the original is good enough.

 

What's wrong with just fixing stuff and using it? Isn't this one of the things Autoshite is all about?

[Felly Magic]

Some of us are actually looking at the bigger picture here, because it will cost far more to actually make this a usable car than actually buying one in better over all condition with full ticket. The lack of any form of cambelt change in it's lifetime shows neglect, so we wonder what else has been 'overlooked' over the years? This engine needs oil changes with decent semi synthetic 5w30 every 6k max for a reasonable life, makes you wonder what the actual servicing has been like on this car. The constant cooling woes over the life of the car could be a warning of something serious like impending kettleness. If it needs any form of sparky action, it is time to bin the thing, because it becomes a constant yearly battle to weld more metal in with each fail. It is a 16 year old shopping car, that really was designed to last 6-8 years, and think about the cost of the parts it needs now, belt kit, tensioner, pump, stat, hoses, plugs, leads, filters, oil, coolant etc and that is just the tip of the iceberg

[John F]

Yep. We're only being realistic.

 

It's a worthless car that's fucked, it doesn't seem sensible to spend time & money on it.

[AlabamaShrimp]

I understand what you're all saying but heres my worthless shopping car designed only to last a few years. It's needed things worth more than it in the past changed and been welded. Should I have scrapped it?

 

 

Tbh it's all. About prospective. You as an owner or a car have to make a decision as to what and when any work gets done and how much it costs in both time and labour.

 

Yes it can be a never ending circle of repairs. Might be the same on the car you potentially replace it with might not be. At the end of the day no matter what anyone says only one person can decide.

[John F]

It's different if you've bonded with a vehicle, but the OP's dad doesn't sound like he particularly cares about this car.

 

So in his case it makes little sense to throw money at it.

[sierraman]

Ok. I'm convinced. The OP has a car which currently owes him nothing. He should scrap it for say £50, then spend £400 on a replacement. Which will probably need just as many things doing as the original one (even if not the same things). He will then be in the same postion car-wise but will be £350 worse off. Throw-away society maths at its best

What people are saying is that it’s yet to pass an MOT, if you spent £400 on a car you’d be buying a going concern, I’m not saying this would be s conclusive verdict on its condition. If in doubt spend £45 on a test and you’ll know then.

[sierraman]

I really struggled to sell a mate's low mileage 1998 1.25 Zetec Fiesta (which had a recent cambelt) in here for £80 recently.

 

 

It was quite a tidy one as well IIRC.

They're really not worth anything.

[John F]

Yep, it was tidy.

[Burnside]

To be honest I was expecting a mixed reaction to my post about my Dads Fiesta, as it a forum and everybody entitled to there own opinions. But I have to say it really disappointing that so many people on a car forum, especially one about older / undervalued cars are so quick to dismiss it as a old worthless crock. 

 

Guess that's were we at now in modern society, and I don't just mean with car's either.   

 

Anyway back to the Fiesta, my Dad has had the car around 8 years and has barley done a 1,000 miles some years and others 2-3,000. It has been serviced bar the cambelt change admittedly i.e, oil + filter and antifreeze when needed. 

 

The bodywork on this car is really good for a 16 year old car and the Mot tester has always said how solid this Fiesta is underneath. It not a show car it had some paint in the past, but for it age it's a clean and tidy. I know that everything bar the issues I've mentioned is good to go for a Mot etc. 

 

My Dad does like the Fiesta far from not caring about it, it just he work's long hour's and doesn't have alot of spare time, cash or enthusiasm to get it sorted at present. An most garages he spoke to locally weren't interested in looking at as it just a old Fiesta mate etc. So it been parked up since then. 

 

I've looked online at the heater valve and could buy a new aftermarket item that's the improved version for £19.99 all in. Or a Genuine Ford for just over £50. 

 

I think that's my first port of call, or if not then a thermostat and expansion cap might be worth a try. 

 

My theory being that if one of these cheaper fixes sort's the issues, then I can see about getting the Fiesta Mot'd and getting the Cambelt and pump changed and then we have a decent working car again.

 

As at the end of the day my Dad has this Fiesta sitting here already, so It doesn't really owe him anything . if I have a go and it still overheating. Well at least I've ruled some things out and then maybe I'll have to seek a garage who can give us a 2nd opinion.

 

If the Fiesta cost say £300-£400 to fix and if my Dad decided to sell it. I'd be happy with £450+ and least I can say I've give the Fiesta a new lease of life. Plus I've sold a honest and decent car to someone who get the use out of it. 

 

There again, if my Dad decided to keep it. I'm sure this Fiesta would easily manage another 8 years without too much trouble. 

 

If the Car needs more than that spending. I will have to have a good think about it as at the end of the day, there only so much we can afford etc. But I'm certainly not prepared to throw in the towel at the first hurdle.

 

This is Autoshite after all! 

[Bren]

I dont think people on here are dismissing the car - they are just pointing out that potentially by the time the car is sorted you could have purchased one and saved yourself money and grief. But it's up to you.

 

If the body is good then it is probably worth having a stab at saving it.

 

I sold one for £550 18 months ago - a 51 plate ghia zetec. It only had around 55K on the clock. I checked to see if it was still around - it was but it needed a fucktonne of welding to get through it's last MOT.

[doubleyeller]

But I have to say it really disappointing that so many people on a car forum, especially one about older / undervalued cars are so quick to dismiss it as a old worthless crock. 

 

 

Mate, I don't think anyone will hold anything but admiration for you if you do decide to get the car going again at 10 x the cost of what it's actually worth. Few if any of the projects on here have made economic sense. The same goes for the guy with the Alpine SE, if he asked me beforehand if it was sensible, then hell no! That's not to say that I'm disapproving of his efforts - I think it's fantastic

 

In conclusion, you're completely barking mad, but it takes one to know one, after all I'm trying  to restore a rotten R30 on a driveway, like you say this is Autoshite!

[sierraman]

I’d say if it’s a pastime for you and you enjoy mending cars then I’d say do it. If you are anticipating doing it up to sell it on then forget it, you’ll be lucky to see £450 for one. On the other hand if it keeps you out of trouble and then subsequently gives you a year or twos motoring then fair do. I don’t know what your skills are but if it’s going to involve paying a garage to do jobs then it’s going to get costly. I suppose though you could have a crack at the jobs on it you’ve nothing to lose.

 

Before you spend anything on it I’d see what an MOT throws up. Then go from there.

[Burnside]

Appreciate that the Fiesta isn't worth a fortune in good nick and I certainly don't have pot of gold to fix it.

 

As I said if the car needs mega money spending, then of course I'd likely not bother trying in the first place as people have pointed out. You can buy a tidy Mot'd Fiesta like this for £400+

 

My point was about people dismissing it from the off, it wasn't just in this case with the Fiesta. It seams that's become more of the norm which I find disappointing when It suppose to be a about people being who are car enthusiast's helping one another.

 

Maybe that's why I've lost alot of my Car mojo because people only want to see a negative, rather than try and give a positive whenever It's a old car that not considered worthy.

 

I'll try the cheap fixes first as I've mentioned already. If it is the headgasket well I've got some more thinking to do, but certainly don't see the point in binning a otherwise perfectly decent car from the off without trying.