• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

The curious case of the disappearing coolant - 11/7/13 update...down again

Page 4 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
The only thing that happened recently was Ford Customer Service called to "Follow up" on things and only succeeded in further infuriating me.

Fords official stance is that "some coolant loss is normal through evaporation".

I'm taking pictures weekly of the levels and once it starts creeping down again I'll take it back in for service. Hopefully it does it two more times before the end of next June so I can sell it back to them.
 
It's probably just a simple issue of osmosis. Movement of a liquid from an area of high concentration to low concentration through a semi permeable membrane, aka, your engine block.
 
I might just drive it until it overheats again, take video of the overheating indications and the coolant reservoir, and then have it towed back to the dealer.
 
While I know it'd cost you money, you can get a free oil analysis test kit sent to you from here: Blackstone Labs free test kit.

Get your car hot, drain the oil after it has 1500 miles or so on it, and take the sample. Send it in. You'll have to pay simple mail postage ($1.52 or whatever it is), plus, the $25 for the analysis. However, this should show via the specto results of the elements in your oil if coolant is present or not.

If the coolant isn't getting in your oil, that's a great thing. At least then it should just be an external leak.

If the coolant is getting in your oil, then you'll have the evidence needed for you stealership to escalate the case to Ford to get fixed under warranty, as it should be.

Chuck
 
Yeah I could try that. I loathe the thought of changing the oil in the thing though. There's a liner on the bottom of the car that has about 50 push-pin clips holding it in place.

{edit}

It's my Totota that has the special filter, not the Focus.
 
Last edited:
Interesting, did not know that Blackstone sold a vacuum pump. You could always do it the cheap way and get a large syringe at Walmart and some plastic tubing, stick it down the oil dipstick tube. For your purposes that'd work just as well, and your car wouldn't miss the small amount of oil needed for the sample.
 
tracerbullet said:
My last car (Eclipse) had a quirk with the overflow tank... I can only describe that car, but I have a feeling they are all similar:

That system burped out a little coolant when the engine got hot and the system was under pressure. That coolant went into a reservoir tank and pulled it back out after things had cooled down. There was a tube leading from the radiator near the cap on that reservoir tank. At the tank itself was of course another cap, a cap that had a tube coming down from it into the depths of the reservoir tank and into the extra coolant, so that it could be sucked back out into the main system as needed when things cooled down.

The problem that would happen is that hose would kink if you pulled the reservoir cap off and put it back on. You had to be extra careful that the tube routed down and into the coolant. If it didn't, it would get bound up near the top. What would happen then is that a little coolant would burp into the reservoir, but instead of being pulled back in later, air would get pulled in instead. Do a bunch of drive cycles and now you have coolant missing from the system, bubbles, gurgling noise, temperature swings, etc.

So if cars are cars and yours is anything like that one - check your overflow tank, specifically the cap on it and any tubing coming off of that cap. Make darn sure it's down into the rest of the coolant and not either missing, coiled up going the wrong way.

Worked for me and other owners of that car I've mentioned it to on that forum coming in with bubbles in their systems.
Click to expand...

I'm assuming you had a 3rd generation 2000-2005 Eclipse? My friend had one (sold recently) and I discovered that peculiarity as well when I saw that his car was overheating for no apparent reason yet had sufficient coolant levels, had a new radiator cap, etc. I was surprise that nobody had really been discussing that issue on some Mitsubishi message boards. OP could check for that but this could be any number of issues.
 
Do a quick crackle test to see if there's water in your oil.

Pull the dipstick, which will have oil on it, and hold a lighter under it...if it starts bubbling, or even makes a crackling sound, it has coolant in it. That's a quickie test before you do anything more difficult.
 
Hello new here was wondering if there was any update on this .I have a 2012 focus with 55000 miles and I have Almost the same problem mysterious leak that the dealer can't find . funny thing is they gave me a loaner same year and model and it has almost no coolant in it as well seems like ford has a problem
 
Nothing new really. After the 2nd service it has remained fairly steady. There's been some changes in my routine and the weather though. I've drove about 1/3 of what I normally would due to holidays/vacations/ect so my miles are way down the last few months.

The other change is that since November we've gone into a deep freeze. Most days the car is barely warmed up before I get to work and is sitting in below freezing temps for hours when I come out. When I had the problems initially it was very hot (90+ degrees).

I don't know what to make of it.
 
It would seem to eliminate a head gasket problem and a coolant leak. Those would not go away in the cold or with short trips.

You are left with overheating and boil off of some coolant in hot weather, I think.

I still like the idea of intermittently sticking front shutters.
 
Check your oil, make sure it's not overfilled.......in case your head gasket is shot and coolant is getting into oil......

I would get the car on the ramps and really have a good look under there.

Coolant has to go somewhere, it doesn't just disappear.
 
Just got my car back from dealer they replaces small hose that goes from resivour to thermostat housing and to the other side of the engine they said it was just bairly wet .we will see what happends
 
Hello, have you made any progress with this problem? A friend is having the same issue on the same car (not sure about the year, definitely newer though), where she has to fill the tank every month or two because the fluid level is scraping the bottom, as it were... Mostly city miles, but don't know how many on the odo.
 
Never did get an answer for it. Ended up selling the car because of a job relocation to an area that was very hilly and had high traffic congestion. Got a C-Max hybrid instead. Didn't want to jockey a clutch for an hour+ in that stuff.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top