Whether you longing to garner your Ford Core running for many dotage to come, it's vital to perform periodic preservation checks. A convenient road to test for cooling method leaks is to inspect the earth you normally grounds the Ford Focal point for fresh coolant. This method, however, is simply a cursory inspection and every 15,000 miles a more thorough inspection is necessary, but not difficult to perform.
Instructions
1. Open the hood of the Ford Focus, grab a flashlight and inspect the radiator for any leaks. Look for any signs of fresh coolant, corrosion or discoloration on the radiator. Be sure to examine the bottom and underside of the radiator for any leaks, as rocks and road debris can damage this area of the radiator.
2. Check the hoses that connect the radiator, engine and heater core for any leaks. The heater core is behind the engine and up near the windshield. Inspect these hoses for bulging, cracking and splitting, which are possible points of leakage.
3. Inspect the water pump and the gasket seal for leaks by checking for fresh coolant, coolant staining or oxidization on these auto parts. The water pump is between the engine and the radiator and connects to the engine block. The gasket seal is the auto part that attaches the water pump securely to the engine block.
Replace any damaged hoses even if they don't currently leak, as they will eventually start to leak. Also, test the places where the hoses connect to the cooling system. They can loosen due to engine vibration.4.
5. Remove the radiator cap and fill the radiator with fresh coolant. Verify that the radiator is cool to the touch before attempting to remove the cap. Opening a radiator is very dangerous, as the internal pressure can cause an eruption and burn anyone in the area. Take off the cap cautiously by twisting the cap one full revolution, stepping away, waiting a minute and then removing the cap entirely.
6. Start the engine of the Ford Focus, set the heater on high and let it run like this for about 15 minutes. Turn off the engine and check the water pump, gasket seal, radiator and the hoses for leaks once again. If you still can't locate the leak, it's probably an internal cooling system problem and you should take the car to a cooling system specialist for further testing.
