How to: Ford Mondeo & Focus (Duratec HE) coolant change 

The pump needs to run and circulate liquid a bit before all the air will make its way to the top. The Ford cooling system is supposed to be self-bleeding. Just run the engine for a while, drive the car even (but keep a close eye on temp gauge), and see if the level drops. If it doesn't and the engine remains properly cooled then the system is probably full. It's possible you didn't drain enough; check you removed the expansion tank cap while draining for instance.

The fact is that using the demonstrated method, you drain the antifreeze only from the radiator, expansion tank, but not from the cylinder block. There is a drain hole on the cylinder block itself, but it will not allow the block to be completely drained. The video shows that when washing with water, the engine is not warmed up until the thermostat opens. This prevents the newly filled water from mixing with the antifreeze of the closed small circuit. In my opinion this is not the right approach. It is necessary to warm up the engine and let it run with the thermostat open, and flush it using this method several times - then there will be clean water in the entire system. Then, on a cold engine, drain 4 liters from the system (which is essentially water) and add 4 liters of concentrate.

Well the Ford spec is to replace every 10 years, and coolant manufacturers tend to rate their own product for less than that e.g. 7 or 8 years. More usually you will have no choice because in that period a water pump or hose or something else will fail and need replacing.

+Stephane Vincent It's a "vgate" from eBay, about $20. I use it with Android app "Forscan" for Ford & Mazda. I will do a review on it sometime.

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KdvnPC204zU.html

The pipe is one of the aircon valves. If you have no heat it's probably a stuck-open thermostat, they're bad designs and tend to break physically. Assuming your radiator was hooked up correctly of course. Here's about the stat if you're interested: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vooZyEI2Il4.html

Great! Thanks Craig!

It's Forscan (Android).

It's hydraulic, the pump & container is at the front top of the engine with the yellow steering wheel icon. See here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YW08WT8GyNU.html - although it sounds like you have a major problem, pump failure maybe, or loss of fluid.

Tnx friend

I have a vid on the stat: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vooZyEI2Il4.html | However, cooling fan not turning off may not be the stat. They usually fail open not closed. 1stly is your air-con off, as fan will stay on always with AC. 2ndly check your coolant temp to check the temperature (not going over 105 deg C) and that's it's a sensible figure from the sensor.

Do you mean during or after. Have you bled it (run the engine long enough?) What temperature is the CHT getting up to and how quickly.

@@CraigsDIY After I've added coolant. The temp gauge is getting to operating temp in about 10 minutes or so. Even after running for 15 mins it's still blowing cold.

@@CraigsDIY unless I've bled it wrong? I assumed my car was self bleeding like this one

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KdvnPC204zU.html

make a video on how to wash this engine Duratec HE . Great videos, have a nice one ..

Air con.

Because if you've flushed the system with water beforehand, you don't know exactly how much water is in there. But you do control how much concentrate you put in.

That's cold - but 50/50 is still good down to at least -35 deg C. You actually get maximum anti-freeze effect at about 66% coolant, which will supposedly manage down to under -50 C. The effectiveness actually decreases at higher concentrations - your bottle of 100% coolant concentrate will apparently start to freeze at about -15 C! Additionally Ford, for one, specify concentrate to remain between 40 and 60%. So by all means go to 60% if you like but no higher.

Thx for ur reply craig, i was just wondering if distilled water can not freeze under certain temperature.

Can you flush coolant tank with regular water ?

@@bernhardszarins6625 no you shouldn't

It might be hard to see, check the lower RH corner, look for the indented cross. If there's really nothing you'd have to take off the lower hose, pair of vice grips on the clip and a hot air gun to warm the rubber up.

There is no radiator cap on these systems. If you mean the coolant tank cap, maybe, but you're more likely to end up needing to replace the entire tank as they tend to crack with age.

But surely you can appreciate that vehicle technology isn't the same as 47 years ago?! I've been in the trade 20 years and 90% of the practices/procedures I would have followed THEN would be outdated now... You are reference procedures carried out on cars made in the late 60s early 70s and, by your implication, following the same processes - that just seems ridiculous to me. Some people enjoy carrying out DIY maintenance and like to do this type of job when required to hopefully avoid potential damage to other components. For you to just dismiss that as 'cars aren't worth the expense after 10 years' is nonsense.