Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Webby the Bear]

Hi guys.

Tried to start car after it sitting overnight (cold engine) but wouldnt start and message came up on dash ''check coolant level'' and ''engine overheat''. coolant was between max and min. car. topped it up to max. message gone and car starts fine LOL

Anyone ever heard of this not being able to start the car cos of low coolant?? 

[Webby the Bear]

ps i suppose its a good thing but odd nonetheless

[cem_devecioglu]

its good thing and will save owners from unnecessry mess and headache

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

ps i suppose its a good thing but odd nonetheless

Nanny computer knows best. ........or should that be? 

[Webby the Bear]

spoke to mum and she said as she tried to start the car it literally wouldn't even turn over. red light came up and message on dash saying ''engine overheat'' even though it had been stood for a day and was stone cold 

she topped up with coolant. started straight away and light out.

has anyone ever heard of this on cars?

[Webby the Bear]

Right just checked with mum and the coolant was on the minimum hence why it bought the warning on 

I quite like the fact it wont let you start the car if your on or below the minimum...... must keep some water in the boot though just in case.

how much coolant loss is expected? we bought car in march and it had full coolant. and today it was on the minimum. so max to min in 5-6 months. is that about right?

[Shackeng]

Certainly not, but monitor its use closely now, in case it had had work done and had air locks.

[Webby the Bear]

Certainly not, but monitor its use closely now, in case it had had work done and had air locks.

so you think that amount of coolant loss is bad?

I think ill bleed the system at the weekend and keep eye on it. if it drops drastically pressure test it to find the leak 

[Webby the Bear]

will also check the cap and that's on tight 

[Paddy Flannery]

Water pump on the way out ? Ford have a coolant fail safe system whereby if not enough coolant or coolant not being circulated properly causes the multi function orange light to come on followed by the engine management light. The system will then cut out two cylinders to try and cool the engine and finally the system will warn you by flashing the engine management light for 30secs before cutting all power to the engine and stopping to prevent damage.

Forgive me if you know all this already, this happened to me last week in my wife's mark1 Focus.
Clever system. New water pump and all is well again. The pumped had worked for 201,000 miles so no complaints !

[Webby the Bear]

Water pump on the way out ? Ford have a coolant fail safe system whereby if not enough coolant or coolant not being circulated properly causes the multi function orange light to come on followed by the engine management light. The system will then cut out two cylinders to try and cool the engine and finally the system will warn you by flashing the engine management light for 30secs before cutting all power to the engine and stopping to prevent damage.

Forgive me if you know all this already, this happened to me last week in my wife's mark1 Focus.
Clever system. New water pump and all is well again. The pumped had worked for 201,000 miles so no complaints !

Mate, any info is useful as I don't know much about these and it really surprised me 

cheers paddy.... im presuming the water pumps leak then? taking in to consideration the coolant loss. no overheating problems so I presume its functioning ok 

going to get under it and get my eye balls on for some leaks too 

[Shackeng]

Certainly not, but monitor its use closely now, in case it had had work done and had air locks.

so you think that amount of coolant loss is bad?

I think ill bleed the system at the weekend and keep eye on it. if it drops drastically pressure test it to find the leak 

I would not expect a sealed coolant system IN GOOD CONDITION to lose any!

[Paddy Flannery]

Webby,

I can only refer to our Focus. It wasn't losing any coolant, the pump finally gave up after nearly 14 years service. That's not to say that the pumps don't leak, but it sounds like your Fusion's systems were working properly and didn't allow it to start to prevent damage due to low coolant. I'm certainly no expert in any of this.

[Webby the Bear]

Thanks Paddy 

Had an ''interesting'' day 

Firstly, got my eye balls underneath looking for leaks, especially round the water pump area.... bone dry so that was pleasing.

Did a coolant change. undid the drain plug no probs. used the bleeder plug at the top of the rad correctly during refill procedure and all was going well.

Haynes says to bleed for 3 mins at 3k rpm. I simply did what I did when at school and cranked it to 2500 rpm and waited for the cooling fan to kick in. car got up to temp and I was waiting for the fan and I must have lost concentration cos I turned round and most of the new coolant i'd put in had just come out covering the aux belt area and my drive  anyway, mopped it all up and repeated. all good. took it for a good run, no over heats and nice hot air through the vents.

came home and rechecked for leaks to find the drain plug leaking slightly. I felt it had already bottomed out. didn't panic. undid it a bit and it was moving fine, redid it up and it weren't leaking. took it for another spin and came home.... leaking again 

got the vice grips out and tightened it as tight as I dare, took it out again..... all dry 

out of pure interest, if it does start leaking again from the drain plug would it be a new rad?  the drain plug DOES come all the way out and of course i'd try a new drain plug first.... but im thinking if it was leaking and a new plug didn't solve it it would have to be a new rad??? that would be disappointing! but hey, these things happen some times. I tend not toget stressed with it anymore..... it is what it is 

ps, used Triple QX red coolant concentrate. 50/50 mix.