*********Motors Chat - Round 9 *********

Pov06 wrote: »

Well lads, she's leaking coolant again, this time from a hose that's going from the block to the EGR valve. The thing sprays once you hit 2.5k RPM!

Complete PITA. Second time I've caught it without running completely out.

When mine was leaking I would never leave the house without at least 4 liters in the car.
The first time I completely ran out (cloud of smoke, warning message and red warning lights on), I parked on the hard shoulder and rang the recovery crowd, might as well get something out of my breakdown cover.
They said it would take 2 hours to arrive, so being bored of waiting I scouted around the greenstrip behind the crash barrier and found a few empty bottles. Then I walked up and down the motorway till I found a trough with drinking water for cattle in a field and it had a waterfeed that worked. So I took the 2-3 bottles I had, filled them up with water and kept going back and forth till the expansion vessel was at full again.
Started the car, waited a few mins, all was well, coolant stayed at full (after a bit of refilling due to air coming out), so decided to cancel the tow truck and went on my way to work. Due to laziness and incompetence on my part it took me months to fix the leaks, I had to check the water before every trip and always had a supply in the car. It was (as I mentioned earlier) a leaky thermostat housing and a pipe rubbing off the alternator belt due to Xmas tree damage.
Don't let a small leak get you down, after a while you will get used to it! :P:D

Mine hasn't lost a drop since then.
BTW:
As long as your Focus doesn't leak, you're good. i had a MKI Focus 1.8 TDI, the passenger footwell always had standing water in it. I spend months stripping the entire interior and having a hose pointed at the car looking for a leak. Couldn't find it. Sold the car in the end. Just could not fix the dam leak.

Owning a high mileage car has it's own "rewards". I already know the three next projects. Starter (sometimes sticking or not engaging, any hints anyone?). rear wheel bearing groaning and turbo (that will be well into next year).
Sigh.