2002 Ford Focus Coolant coming in through the air vent.

KEVWON33

MEMBER
2002 FORD FOCUS
4 CYL
2WD
MANUAL
127,000 MILES

Driving home one evening, the heat stopped working and the engine started to heat up. I let drove the car to work the next day (2 miles away), and got there as the temp hit the red mark. I called my wife to follow me and attempted to drive the car home that evening from work. Half a mile from home the inside of the car started smoking and the smell of antifreeze was strong. I found out the next morning that the upper hose had raptured.

A few days later I replaced the hose and thermostat. I have not had the opportunity to do a proper flush which appears to be long over due. I took the car for a spin to see if the problem was fixed. No such luck. The temparature guage rose again and by the time I got home coolant was splattering in through the ait vent. From what I have read on here, it appears to be a heater core problem. Is there something else going on? Help!

I looked in the antifreeze reservoir and there is some oil in there, not much, but it's there. Should I bother doing a flush at this point?

2 Replies

MERLIN2021

MECHANIC
17,250 POSTS

I can tell the worst thing you can do is drive with no coolant(overheating) or no oil, both can and usually do ruin the engine. This one will need pressure testing, or block testing for crack or warped heads, and yes the heater core is leaking too. Cheaper to tow when any sign of overheating appears.