Any auto mechanics on the forum

[Gundog]

Just yesterday I had a problem with my 2014 Ford Focus. I was driving to work and it started to overheat. I pulled over, turned off the engine, waited 5 minutes and started up again and got 2 miles before it started to overheat again. I pulled over, popped the hood and saw I had no coolant in the overflow tank. Also I saw some coolant on the engine block. I unscrewed the lid and all of the coolant rushed back into the overflow tank. After that it hasn't overheated but when I got to work I noticed the overflow tank was low again and unscrewed the lid and the coolant flowed back into the tank again. I topped the tank off before heading home tonight so I did lose some coolant. I've never had that happen on any of my cars before. I'm hoping its just a thermostat but I'm not sure. I have an appointment at the dealership Friday. Any idea what is happening???

[deaknh03]

Not a mechanic by any means but sounds like a pressure issue. 

[david in va]

if yu have no leaks , it is most likely the thermostat

[Boomstick]

Not a mechanic by any means but I have a decent idea how things work. First and most importantly it sounds like your coolant overflow tank likely boiled over and will need to be refilled -- if you didn't already refill it to the proper level.

 

I had a similar issue happen once after buying a fairly new used car and driving it home because someone replaced the thermostat, drained the coolant out and didn't refill it and the dealer never checked the coolant level. I was fine when the car was moving, but sitting in traffic at a red light the car overheated but it never boiled over because it wasn't full enough.

 

Because you saw coolant on the block, it does make me think you may be lucky and it may simply be the thermostat malfunctining. If it happens again, crank the heat and see if that lets you keep driving.

[J Francho]

10 hours ago, Gundog said:

Ford

There's your problem.

 

Definitely take it to a mechanic.  Thermostat issues can lead to particularly bad problems. 

[Gundog]

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

There's your problem.

 

 

I knew someone would knock Fords. 

[Dwight Hottle]

7 minutes ago, Gundog said:

I knew someone would knock Fords. 

Found on the road dead.

Fkd on race day.

[slonezp]

24 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

Found on the road dead.

Fkd on race day.

F'd Over Rebuilt Dodge

[12poundbass]

Ford backwards

 

Driver

Returns

On

Foot

[DogBone_384]

Take the thermostat out and put it on the stove in a saucepan of water and boil her up. You should see the thermostat open slowly when the water boils.  If not, it’s your thermostat for sure.

 

Good luck with it.

[Gundog]

Update on the situation. Well I haven't started the engine today but did notice that it is leaking pretty good from somewhere. Its too close to work time to put it up on ramps. Tomorrow I'll put it up and look underneath to hopefully see where its leaking from. 

[12poundbass]

Water pump?

[DogBone_384]

Water pump would be second on the list if the thermostat opens.  The backfilling pressure tells me the thermostat isn’t opening.

[Jtrout]

Im a bodyman for a ford dealership but dont do all the mechanical work but id say water pump...but its a fairly new car. Did u run anything over recently that might have busted the radiator?

[Subaqua Adinterim]

Could be a number of things.  Hose, clamp, thermostat, water pump, radiator.  Have the system tested under pressure.  Radiators are mostly made of plastic these days - over the last 20 years or so of driving I have replaced the radiator twice on my vehicles. Your radiator could have gotten dinged and experienced a hairline crack.

 

As far as Ford bashing goes; I have driven Ford Ranger trucks exclusively since 1993.  One of those had 250K miles on it before I sold it to my neighbor who put over 60K more miles on it.  I will be getting another new Ranger in a few years as they are bringing them back in 2018.  I have no complaints with Ford, and can say nothing but good about my experience with this brand.  I will not bash any other brand, as I have no experience there and don't wish to make any comments based on ignorance or in an attempt to be a wise guy.

 

Best of luck in solving your problem.

[12poundbass]

32 minutes ago, RichPenNY said:

Could be a number of things.  Hose, clamp, thermostat, water pump, radiator.  Have the system tested under pressure.  Radiators are mostly made of plastic these days - over the last 20 years or so of driving I have replaced the radiator twice on my vehicles. Your radiator could have gotten dinged and experienced a hairline crack.

 

As far as Ford bashing goes; I have driven Ford Ranger trucks exclusively since 1993.  One of those had 250K miles on it before I sold it to my neighbor who put over 60K more miles on it.  I will be getting another new Ranger in a few years as they are bringing them back in 2018.  I have no complaints with Ford, and can say nothing but good about my experience with this brand.  I will not bash any other brand, as I have no experience there and don't wish to make any comments based on ignorance or in an attempt to be a wise guy.

 

Best of luck in solving your problem.

Easy Rich. I imagine everyone is just joking and having fun. I know I was. Ford vs Chevy has been an on going thing forever. They both produce quality products. 

 

You have to admit though the new Super Dutys aren't as tough looking as the previous model years. ?

[bigbill]

My sons 2000 ranger 4x4 truck had 140k miles on it. She still ran good but that new salt there using on the icy roads ate the frame. She looked new on the outside.

 

While we were too busy with ford vs Chevy the Japanese snuck in a whole bunch of cars. But with the increase in mass production they are having quality problems too. I knew they would once the production increased.

 

sounds like your thermostat.

[dwh4784]

Any time you are having issues with overheating I would recommend turning your heater on FULL blast. If your car is overheating and you have cold air through the vents, your water pump is dead, not circulating anything. If you have heat, your thermostat is stuck, so you still get circulation through the heater core but that's it. Either repair is fairly simple and (especially the thermostat) cheap before anything else gets ruined. Don't keep driving it though. A head gasket or warped head is not going to be cheap.

[Gundog]

Well the leak stopped and hasn't come back. Not sure what to make of it but I'm gonna postpone the dealership appointment and flush the coolant on the weekend. I flushed it last year at this time and the coolant is looking darker than normal.  The radiator is fine. I didn't hit anything. The coolant is at a normal level and I haven't overheated since those first 2 times on Monday. I've got heat when I turn on the heater. Its still a mystery to me. 

[James Pondscum]

  Check your radiator for cooling fins for dirt dust cottonwood etc?  Check hoses for high spots [air pockets].  Were you at a stop ?  Did the cooling fan engage?  A C on condenser plugged?  If the  overflow tank was empty the coolant was probably low?  When you released the cap you relieved the pressure allowing it to return to the overflow tank. Some systems are hard to purge of air if recently filled?

[dwh4784]

Leaks don't just go away. Something is causing a buildup of pressure and overwhelming a gasket in the chain. It will happen again if left alone.

 

Does the thermostat in that car have a jiggle valve? If not, drill a tiny hole in it (like 1/16") on the side that faces up (assuming it sits horizontally. If vertical it doesn't matter where the hole is). This will keep air buildup from causing any problems, and it won't let much through so the car will still warm up properly.

 

 Cars especially that modern should never overheat.

[Gundog]

Found out the "leak" isn't actually a leak. The coolant was coming from the overflow tank. The way it came out of the tank, down the tube and hit the front bumper and ran from there was what was confusing me. Didn't find that out till I put it up on ramps. Found out from a friend at work that he had a similar situation with the coolant rushing back into the overflow tank. Still gonna do the flush this weekend and watch it. I did check the hoses, fan and radiator. All are fine. Not sure if it has a jiggle valve. 

 

[Ratherbfishing]

I could be wrong but isn't the overflow tank designed to receive coolant as it heats and expands (i.e., isn't supposed to be filled by the user)?  I would think Overpressure can contribute to problems.

[Gundog]

23 hours ago, Ratherbfishing said:

I could be wrong but isn't the overflow tank designed to receive coolant as it heats and expands (i.e., isn't supposed to be filled by the user)?  I would think Overpressure can contribute to problems.

The name "overflow tank" is the term I use for it because I'm old and remember a time when radiators had caps so that is the term I've used in the past. This car doesn't have a radiator cap. The tank is the only place to add coolant. But you are right about the term. Overflow tanks were used for catching excess coolant. The proper term I should have used is coolant reservoir.