These are the Tools and Parts needed to complete this job: Thermostat Housing Assy (check fitment guide)- amzn.to/2sZIxOr Vacuum Fill Tool (an absolute must on these engines)- amzn.to/2sZzRYo Alternate Cheaper Vacuum Fill Tool- amzn.to/2t6Lu0b Coolant Burping Funnel- amzn.to/2s327Kn Gold Coolant- amzn.to/2rZBUMS or depending on model year OAT Coolant- amzn.to/2t48mgN How to use the Vacuum Fill Tool- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_WCRcuCZI50.html How to remove stubborn air pockets from your cooling system- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4gk4xb9aOgE.html
FordTechMakuloco A fellow youtuber highly recommended you! I have an 2006 mustang Gt 4.6L coupe hardtop premium edition. I need to know if my transmission is a 5r55w or a 5r55s? I've beat my head against the wall for a week now trying to find this answer. Please help!!!
FordTechMakuloco i got a 2010 ford fusion. 2.5 se my fan turns on on highway speeds. Passing 70 on a 20 min drive. But the. Temp needle stay in place would this be the issue. No code at all
As a former flat rate tech (20+years at Ford & GM, now in fleet maintenance) I really appreciate the sharing of your knowledge. Having this kind of information available is a time and money saver! All your video's are very helpful. Thank you and best of luck with your FordTechMakuloco You Tube Channel.
i paid my buddy $50 bucks to do this for me. he said the same thing, just leave the hose on it swap it over and re install! you can tell great mechanics think outside the box! you sir are a great one!
This is by far the easiest guide for dealing with that sucker of a thermostat. Dropping the fans is a simple and easiest way to get enough room. I've seen others remove the drive belt, engine mount, power steering pump and reservoir, or removed nothing and struggled forever. This takes no time at all and makes it an easy job if you have small hands like me. As for the bleeding technique, that's a little too "official" for me. I just leave my radiator reservoir cap off and let it get to about 90c so it doesn't boil but also circulates that air out of there. Maybe if your water pump is really weak you'd have some issues pushing the air out, but I've Never had any issues doing this with my 06 focus and my previous 2 cars (99 corolla and 04 audi a4).
I just tackled this job on my '08 Focus 2.0 Duratec. Unfortunately I live in New England and one of the thermostat bolts was severely rusted and wouldn't come out (even with a bolt extractor socket). I ended up having to remove the intake manifold so I could weld a nut onto the stripped Bolt to remove it. I give kudos to anyone able to do this job. There is very limited space to work especially if you have large hands like me..
I picked up the AirLift off Amazon, and got the $70 Amazon Visa Card discount.... so it was 1/2 off.... We used it on my 08 Escape this past weekend and it worked great. I have a couple of these Escapes, so I think it's a well worth tool. Thanks for the advice via your Video. You are my 1st stop for For Escape service!
Just replaced the thermostat in my wife's 2009 Ford Focus earlier this week using this video. I used a vacuum refill tool I got from Harbor Freight once done but didn't clamp off the overflow tank when applying the vacuum yet everything seems to be working alright. So far there's no overheating and the heater is blowing great!
As always, excellent work on the video; the detail work is beyond reproach. Replaced thermostat assembly with new hoses and clamps today on a 2008 Focus. Did not remove the fan. Time about 4.5 hours total; tough job for me. If I do another one I believe that the time saved by removing the steering pump would be better than my effort today. But as always and again, thanks truly for your presentations.
I just did this on my 2007 Ford Focus. Some notes: Would recommend a magnetic-type socket for removing and replacing the thermostat bolts. A long jawed and angled needle nose pliers works good for getting the clamps off. The 2007 2.0 Focus doesn't have the hex drain cock and nipple shown here. It only has a slotted plastic plug you loosen to drain the radiator. When removing the shield behind the front bumper and under the radiator, you may want to already have the plastic push pins available. Because it's often impossible to remove them without breakage. Cooling fan electrical connectors on this car are on the top left side (two plugs). Also on this car the cooling fan assembly sits in tabs on the sides and doesn't use bolts. Will need a screwdriver to slightly open the locking tabs on the top. Lift up slightly and then lower. Disconnect the pressure switch connector from the power steering pump, that interferes with access to the thermostat bolts. On my 2007 Focus, the clamp on the short bypass hose that is removed on this video, on my car it didn't have any "ears" to grasp. So I had to unbolt the thermostat (again--a magnetic socket makes this easier), pull the thermostat away from the engine, and then take off the clamp that's closest to the thermostat. On my 2007 Ford Focus, didn't need to use any special procedures to refill the system. The Ford Service Manual just says to fill the recovery reservoir to 1 inch over the "full" mark, and then run the engine until the thermostat opens. And yes---it's a real bear to replace!
Thank you so much! The video I saw before this one was a nightmare! Guy took off power steering pump reservoir and a bunch of other stuff. Much easier, weekend project
That 2.0L is the first Ford engine that I have seen in a VERY LONG TIME that has a coolant fill neck attached directly to the radiator and a true overflow tank. Every other Ford I have encountered (admittedly not that many) has a pressurized remote coolant tank (you called it a de-gas bottle on the second car). I have never had to use a vacuum fill tool on an engine with a pressurized remote coolant tank. Fill it up, run the engine up to operating temp, top off the coolant and your done. Best practice is to check the level after a full drive cool down cycle.
Ford sure likes to pack that engine bay tight, don't they Brian? I recently acquired a 1996 Mercury Mystique with the 2.0L Zetec engine. 243k miles and purrs like new. I know the owner replaced all the coolant hoses and thermostat housing before I got it...the hoses burst one by one, and also the water pump seized up at 230k miles. So several overheating episodes but engine seems to be OK. It definitely has a lot of specialty hoses and pipes and clamps that are a PITA to get to. Wiring insulation under the hood is a little crumbly too lol. But the 5-speed drives so nice and looks cool too so I'm keeping it! :)
The engine or the car? The one I got is pretty mint for a Central PA vehicle...and the oil pan seeps around the gasket so there is some undercoating on the belly as well haha
Excellent video and workmanship as always Brian. This video interested me since I have the 2015 2.0 and have complained to Ford service dept about how slow it is to create heat in the dead of winter. Often times on those sub zero days its 15 miles of highway driving before I can feel heat at my feet. Then I jump in my work Sprinter diesel and have abundant heat within 2 miles ... ya can't make it up. I'm sure it just a matter of time before I'm doing this procedure.
Great video. Idk if some fusions are little different but it was a lot easier for me to take hoses off and slide right back on. Didn’t take off fan shroud. Changed water pump also. Thank you for the video.
I was so sir-prized you didn't replace the hoses while it was out. A few bucks now saves a lot of work later. Also, a very light swipe of silicon grease on the surface of the housing connector or inside of the hose makes a nice seal and keeps it softer and easier to remove later.
The Mazda FSM says that in order to bleed the air out you can hold the RPMs at roughly 3000 for 30 seconds, rest, then repeat. This worked quite well for me. You cool with that Brian? I don't think that many DIYers will have that vacuum bleeder assembly. Thanks!
Yes I have a video on that procedure, but I only use that to remove the last bit of air from the cooling system Here-ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4gk4xb9aOgE.html
I recently changed coolant on my 2010 Fusion. Luckily I was monitoring the temp after refilling. The temp gauge went into the red range. I shut the engine down immediately. Everything was okay, but those pesky air pockets are dangerous if you aren't observing things. I'll invest $100 in a vacuum bleeder system. I bought the brake vacuum bleeder you recommended and love it!
Just did this on my daughter's '09 Fusion 2.3L. Things to note about it: Before pulling the cooling fan up & out, there is a hose support at the bottom that wraps almost all-around the radiator hose... you'll need to push the hose out of it. Second, to help guide your extension and 8mm socket, use a light for the top left bolt which can be seen thru the IM runners. The top-right bolt, look from the PS pump side, but to see the bottom-right, I used a mirror. For the small bypass hose on our car, there was no extension hose near the t-stat housing like on the car in this video, so I also just left it clamped to the housing like the main radiator hose. Once the t-stat housing is unbolted, I had to disconnect the connector at the compressor clutch, which allowed me to manipulate the housing and attached hoses between the a/c lines. At first, you may think it's not possible to get it through there, but if you tilt it a certain way, it actually comes thru easily. Doing so, makes it easy to swap out the t-stat/housing assembly right there at the car. Unlike the car in this video, on my Fusion there were other hoses branching from the main hose, so to me it was more trouble to try to get it to the bench. I easily put the clamps back on hoses where they were. Also, just before refilling the coolant, don't be afraid to loosen the plastic bleed valve cap several turns or even to take it off for that matter. My Haynes manual incorrectly said to only loosen it 1/4 turn but that wasn't nearly enough to allow any air to escape. However, running the engine afterward for 10 minutes at 2500 rpm did seem to do the job. I only had to top the reservoir off a little bit after I drove it about 3 miles afterward.
I fought with getting the fan out of my 2008 Mercury Milan 2.3L for 45 minute before giving up on it. I removed the bottom hose support from the hose, but still couldn't wrestle it out of there. I'm not sure how you managed to do it. I opted instead to remove the power steering pump for access to the thermostat bolts.
My '02 Explorer 4.6l 2V had the same symptom, didn't heat up fully. But I'll admit teh Thermostat replacement was several times easier. The O-rings do a great job of sealing it.
Thank you very much, I just changed mine this weekend, 2008 Ford Focus SE, was not as bad as I thought. I tested the old thermostat in boiling water, it did not open so it was bad. After putting on the new one (no sensor, $23 Advance Auto) the car does not over heat at all anymore! It was overheating all the sudden after only 5-10 mins. of driving, on not even a hot day, lik 78 degrees.
Exact same symptoms here. I HATE overheating even for a moment. I have seen solid cars with low miles turn to DEBT for the owners due to this (new engine). Remember when you shut off, residual heat will cause temp to rise for a few more minutes, and of course your imagination runs wild what's happening inside the engine. My wife was amazed that we use thermostats at all when I explained how they work and what can go wrong. She has a very fair point!
Thanks for a great tutorial. I own a 2015 Jaguar XF and yes wrote Jaguar since the 2.0 shares the same engine as the Ford edge , focus, fusion and Lincoln. I have been looking on RU-vid and I found your video on the same engine on how. I know the XF has the rear wheel drive so I may not have to disassemble the radiator bit it is still a challenge to get to. Thanks for a great video
Just did this repair on my 06 Escape Hybrid and it wasnt too bad. Removed the belt and tensioner which made so much more access to the housing. Took me about 2 hours to do.
Thanks for the video. We just bought a really nice 2011 escape last year. That thermostat doesn't look that bad, a pain but not the worst. My worst t-stat was a 95 lumina with 3.1, the housing was covered by an exhaust pipe. The bolts were rusty and you can guess how bad it got. God I hated that car!
Some thermostats come with a sensor and the one you recommend is without one. I have Ford Focus 2008 SES, how do I know if I need the thermostat with sensor or without? Thanks
Serious question: So there is no way to “burp” or remove the air from the coolant system without using one of those special air pressure bleeders?? That kind of limits any DIYer from doing a thermostat change.
Wasnt sure I was going to learn much from you 1st few moments had no idea where you were on that engine BUT I NEVER used a magnetic tool to thread a bolt in that my fat hands cant reach thank you
Hi, so I have a 2010mercury mariner 2.5 liter with a heater problem, I had it fixed a few months ago and now it doesn’t work again. I think you're videos will work for my mercury pretty much since it's just a ford with a different name right. Thanks again
Got a 07 focus 2,0 duramax. Getting a 1289 code. Any advice would be welcome. I watch all your vids before doing a repair, and also have a 01 f150 with 4.6 . Ford does make you LOCO!
Brian - Awesome Video Bruddah. I learn so much from watching and re-watching your videos. Thanks Bruddah!! Btw, where is the video link you mentioned at 18:45? (procedure to push air out of the heater core and engine)
I had to run out to a few mobile repair jobs right after posting but all the links have been updated at the top of the comments and in the video description as always.
2011 Focus. Thing never reaches operating temp unless I let it idle in park for at least 30 min. Going 80mph on the highway in 60 degree weather though? Thing doesn't even get up to 1/4. No CEL. Just sulfur smell from the CAT burning excess fuel. Considering my wife never says anything and I only check the car periodically, it's been rather reliable at 175k. I recently did the gasket on the top of the engine in an attempt to change the overhead temp sensor... oil all over the plugs and it still kept chugging. At least the wife was good about oil changes as the engine looks pristine inside, no sludge and the lobes look great. The 2.0 really is a strong and reliable engine minus a couple dumb quirks. Mazda really made a solid engine. I can see why Ford has continued to use it and refine it for decades now.
When I did one the other day I just removed the belt and moved the power steering out of the way. And I had access to the thermostat. A little tight but it fine.
My thermostat failed shut on my '07 Focus SE at the 11 year point. When they were repairing it they broke the power steering reservoir and thus I had to have that replaced. I wish I had seen this video before it happened.
I did this two years ago on my 2010 fusion, if you take the air box out you can reach the rad drain from the top, and since it has electric ps I could reach the thermostat from the top no problem, I replaced the factory clamps with screw clamps, no leaks working just fine.
Actually the original spring clamps are superior to the screw clamps. Spring clamps allow for expansion and contraction cycles, while retaining tension. Screw clamps eventually loosen. I also replaced a Ford spring clamps with a screw clamps on a lower rad hose, and wound up with a leak a while later. Now I grab good condition spring clamps whenever I am at the wreckers.
I don't know how he did it! i have an 06 focus(2nd generation focus), same engine as the one in the video(3rd generation focus)2.0 duratech, and I had to remove the power steering pump. fordtechmakloco did a wonderful job. before you condemn the thermostat, check your cylinder head temperature sensor. mine i had to replace before.
The early ford focus 2000 to 2004, the thermostat housings were prone to leaking. The lip that holds the rubber O ring in place will corrode away causing the O ring to collapse in on itself causing the leak. The permanent fix is to install a thermostat housing from a Ford contour, same diameter but different design.
Checking Thermostat without taking the thermostat out was, one hose cool & then hot when open or look in radiator & when open, coolant moves across because Water Pump
I just changed it on 2006 escape hybrid, pain in the but, the radiator drain is on driver side. To bad I did not had the tool to remove the air from the system. The 3 bolts from the termostat were the most difficult to remove and after to install. If you do not have the proper tools, extensions etc. Is better to see a shop to do it for you. Took me 3 hours to replace it.
I have a 2016 and when you start the car up and use the heat it won't go past a quarter on the temp gauge. Heat keeps the engine cool. Suspecting thermostat. Replacing it today.
I had this code pop up in cold January. I took the car to the dealer to replace thermostat and flush/replace the coolant. Everything was working fine afterwards. Few months later, (October-chilly weather) the code has come back. Any suggestions?
@@mistersnapon my scan tool also says it could be a bad Intake Air Temperature sensor. In the case of the panther platform, this sensor is incorporated into the Mass Airflow Sensor. I will have to replace the MAF if this other thermostat doesn't fix the code. Beyond this, I've no clue.
I had the code on my 2009 2.3 Ford Fusion. The thermostat was definitely the culprit. I am not getting an overheat condition and I am getting heat in the cabin;however there is a slight slushing sound at the beginning upon starting the car. That is an indication of air in the system correct? Well I attempted the vacuum method-pulled about -26. Filling it up was easy but once I started it no heat in the cabin and driving it around it started to overheat. I purged it through the service purge valve and it seemed like some air made it’s way out, but I am back to hearing the slushing sound when first starting the vehicle but everything works: heat in the cabin and no overheating. I am curious what the long term effect is if left the way it is now? I will attempt the vacuum tomorrow once again and hopefully it gets rid of the slushing sound, almost sounds like ocean waves 🌊
Great video. I only would disagree with resetting the clamps in the same place. As seen in the vid, the clamps will continue to dig deeper into the hose causing damage...mostly at the pinch-point. If you slightly rotate their alignment upon replacement, the clamps have more "meat" to eat into and will hold beautifully. Also a little silicone glue helps prevent any leaks. Who wants to do a job like this twice? Lol. Great video though. Thanks!
That vacuum procedure is completely useless. Just put the coolant in, let the engine run with the cap off, put the heater on max heat and revv the engine abit now and then until you feel that it starts blowing warm. Then shut it off top off the coolant to the level and youre good.
Question: can you bleed the air by using bleeder valve? I don't have the vacuum set up. I used bleeder valve until all the air was gone and only fluid was coming out in a steady stream.
I’m told it’s better to remove the steel bolts from the thermostat housing when the car is warm but never cold or you risk having the bolts snap on you leaving some in the aluminum because of that steel-alum type of corrosion. Anyone know if this is true?? I know for examples spark plugs you want the engine cold but for the three bolts several have told me best to break them free with car still somewhat warm! Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks so much attempting this on Monday 🙏🏻
@FordTechMakloco could you please do a video on pinging/knock on these engines? i have an 06 focus that the engine knock in the summer months. especially audiable when you're stopped at a street going uphill and want to initate speed from a stand still!! i changed the knock sensor, spark lugs, used premium gas, to no avail!
If you're talking about a kind of a "grunt" sound when you first accelerate, I think it might be related to some butterfly valves in the intake manifold that are supposed to cause intake air turbulence at lower RPMs. The flaps are plastic and the rod that actuates them is metal. I think the metal rounds out the plastic a bit and then it begins to rattle, especially when accelerating from a stand still.
I have a 2005 Ford Focus ST with the 2.3L engine, and I will be undertaking the same repair/replacement this weekend. I am having trouble finding the bleeder nipple on my engine. Do you have a diagram or picture of where it is? I looked where you showed in the video with no luck.
Great VIDEO I have a 2.3l in a 2011 Ranger that seems to be running cool (175deg.). What would be the proper operating temperature for this engine. I've found a RT1193 and a RT1194 thermostat but the don't give any temperature settings. Thanks
I know this is an old video but had some questions.i have a 2011 fusion with the 2.5. Manual says specialty green anti freeze. Ford said it's been replaced with yellow. I don't think I should mix these. Also I bought the vaccum fill tool. My car doesn't have a radiator cap. Can this tool be used on the degass tank or can this tool not be used on this car?
Where is the coolant temperature sensor located? 2006 mercury milan 2.3! At idle my temperature gauge keeps shooting to cold. Only thing I can think of is the sensor. Just change thermostat about a month ago
My 2013 Fusion Titanium (93k miles) is leaking coolant. Seems like from the thermostat housing area. I'm guessing the gasket wore out. Can I just replace the gasket (part # 3M4Z8255A) or should I replace the whole thermostat housing with a new thermostat? Thank you
Brian I replaced both the thermostat and the ECT sensor on my 2.3L Focus and cleared the P0128 code but the code still keeps coming back. I used Motorcraft parts. The coolant level is good. What now?
Did you ever figure out what the problem was with yours? My fiancé's son's 2008 Ford Focus had this code pop up last year and we had a shop replace the thermostat with a Motorcraft replacement. The CEL came back on the other day and it was the PO128 again. I can't imagine the thermostat is bad again so it may be the ECT sensor or the wiring to it. I'm not even sure where the ECT sensor is on this car which is the 2.0.
@@Mr2004MCSS I had replaced both parts and still get the code popping back up. I even took the car to the dealer for a complete refresh and update of the PCM and that still didn't work. Don't know what else to do now. You can try to replace the ECT sensor, it MIGHT fix the problem. It actually doesn't have an engine coolant temperature sensor like many cars, it has a cylinder head temperature sensor (CHTS). FordTechMakuloco has a video just on this subject. It is located on top of the motor between the 2nd and 3rd coil packs. You need a 19mm deep socket to remove and replace the sensor. You will also need a new pigtail to splice into the wiring. Please watch FordTechMakuloco's video on this very thing.
@@LA_Commander Thanks for the additional information. I remember that sensor from when I replaced the valve cover gasket on it. Next time he is here I will take a look at the connector and wiring to the sensor and see if I see anything obvious.
Any idea what a hissing sound coming from the driver side of the engine is, plus I see bubbles. I thought it was the thermostat but I see that the thermostat is on the opposite side .It does this specially on Summer. I have a 2010 Ford Focus BTW-Thanks
Please tell me something, there is an o-ring inside the thermostat, how to place it in its place? not talking about the around seal, but about the circle ring
