Water pump or radiator

Tiny
ROCKY MESICK
  • MEMBER
  • 2009 FORD FOCUS
  • 1.6L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • MANUAL
  • 107,000 MILES
All coolant leaked out. No heat at all. Temperature gauge does not decrease when driving. Radiator fan works. Is my radiator clogged or my water pump inoperable?
Friday, January 19th, 2018 AT 10:28 AM

11 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
Why did your coolant leak out? Because it was over heating? Also, I have seen a lot of thermostats stick closed on those cars making them overheat. Is the coolant full now?
Did the heat work before you lost all the coolant? Air in the cooling system can also cause overheating and no heat.
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Friday, January 19th, 2018 AT 1:52 PM
Tiny
ROCKY MESICK
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I do not know why the coolant leaked out. It drove fine no issues. I went out to leave and noticed the snow was discolored by front pass side but did not realize it was coolant until I got a mile down the road. The temperature gauge was pegged and car started bucking because it was overheating. Came home and after it cooled down. Filled the overflow tank. Went a few miles and the temperature gauge pegged again but fluid remained in overflow tank.
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Friday, January 19th, 2018 AT 5:57 PM
Tiny
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Yes, the heat worked great before I noticed the loss of coolant.
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Friday, January 19th, 2018 AT 6:02 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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So when you check the coolant now is it low? The first thing I would be concerned with is why did it leak the coolant in the first place. Is it still leaking coolant? They rent coolant pressure testers at AutoZone. You can use that to check for leaks also hopefully you did not blow a head gasket.
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Friday, January 19th, 2018 AT 7:06 PM
Tiny
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The coolant in the overflow tank has not leaked out since. I am baffled. Could the system be clogged? I had to take it to the garage because I need the vehicle to get to work. Thank you 2Carpros. I will let you know what it was. I like to repair myself but it has been a cold winter and I do not have the facilities. Thank you.
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Saturday, January 20th, 2018 AT 9:24 AM
Tiny
ROCKY MESICK
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The coolant in the overflow tank has not leaked out since. I’m baffled. Could the system be clogged? I had to take it to the garage bc I need the vehicle to get to work. Thank you 2Carpros. I will let u know what it was. I like to repair myself but it’s been a cold winter and I don’t have the facilities. Thank you.
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Saturday, January 20th, 2018 AT 9:24 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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It probably boiled over the cap. Please keep us posted on what they find.
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Sunday, January 21st, 2018 AT 4:06 PM
Tiny
ROCKY MESICK
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Will do. You guys are great and I thank you. I was hoping to diagnose and repair myself but time ran out and it is frigid out.
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Sunday, January 21st, 2018 AT 4:23 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Yeah, the winter has been brutal.
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Sunday, January 21st, 2018 AT 5:59 PM
Tiny
ROCKY MESICK
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  • 7 POSTS
OK gentlemen. Ru ready for this? The clamp to the hose at the base of the radiator rusted away. The hose hadnt completely come loose so it wasn't obvious, however, the fluid leaked out completely.I took a $200 hit for a HOSE CLAMP. Pump, thermostat, radiator all fine. Moral of the story. Check all things simple FIRST. Don't assume the worst. It's just hard to do on a wet icy driveway when ambient temps are below freezing. Thank you for hanging in there with me. Id recommend you in a New York minute.
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Monday, January 22nd, 2018 AT 5:08 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Glad to hear it was fixed that's a expensive for a hose clamp. That's why I suggested a coolant pressure test. They really show you what's going on most of the time.
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Monday, January 22nd, 2018 AT 7:56 PM

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