EF XR6 water/coolent level problem - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

salty · 05-22-2003, 18:39

OK...first of all let me get my "why the hell dont you have coolant in your car" sheild up and ready.

My EF XR6 is loosing water, yes...it has water in it. Now...I am topping up the water every couple of days however I can never see any water under the car after I have been driving it, or after it has been sitting for a day or so.

I plan on getting it flushed and cleaned out and the water replaced with coolant soon, but is it worth first taking it somewhere to get it checked out and see if anything is leaking? Or just getting it flushed and coolant put in?

By the way I am a mechanical retard, so I will most likley get a mechanic to check out problems...but thought I would check with you guys first.

Any ideas or theories on what could be the problem would be great.

Cheers guys,

salty

Dellboy999 · 05-22-2003, 19:05

Head gasket, and the water goes out the exhaust? or worse into your oil, check that is it not going white (it is ohuh get it looked at ASAP).

A pressure test of the cooling system will find the prob otherwise, if it doesnt show immediately, pull out the spark plugs and see if that causes the pressure drop.

Should be cheap to have a mechanic or a radiator place do the test, the bascially just pump alot of air into the system to cause a pressure load, and then watch the needle to see if it moves.

Dellboy999

salty · 05-22-2003, 19:12

The oil isnt turning white. i check the oil pretty regularly. That is what caused the fate of my first car.

I will check again though to be sure.

I should be able to get it into a mechanics next week to get looked at.

How big of a job is it to get the head gasket changed? Like I said...mechanically retarded.

salty · 05-22-2003, 19:14

Also is there any outwardly way I could just look at the engine and see if the head gasket is busted?

SiX_iN_a_RoW · 05-22-2003, 19:17

it sound slike the head gasket is gone, does the car idle rough or blow white smoke?

salty · 05-22-2003, 19:19

Nope it runs fine. Idles fine. No smoke.

SiX_iN_a_RoW · 05-22-2003, 19:27

Well then i'd be getting a pressure test to be sure, but you may just have a weeping welsh plug or a leak somewhere thats hard to see

salty · 05-22-2003, 19:29

Ill take it in somewhere next week then if cash permits it.

Thanks for the info and ideas guys.

Is there any specific type of coolant that I should get them to put in it? Or will whatever they use suffice?

Dellboy999 · 05-22-2003, 20:53

Most of the coolants these days wont damage alloy heads or alloy parts, as nearly all cars have alloy engine parts now, so pretty much they are all the same, about the only thing they say is dont mix them, but if you have none, not much chance of that LOL.

Dellboy999

salty · 05-22-2003, 21:10

I was thinking about trying to drain and flush it myself, but its a bit too daunting a task for me...I can change tyres...add oil...thats about it.

Anyone able to give me an estimate on what mechanics would charge if its the head gasket? Im guessing thats my worst case scenario.

Also, I dunno if I should have mentioned before...whenever i take the cap off to put water in there is a bunch of red gunky crap on the underside of the radiator cap and around the mouth of the opening.