I've done a bit of searching around this, however I've not really found the answer. Sorry for a bit of a noob question.

I found a puddle of water under the car today when I had parked up for an hour or so and then went to use it again. I'm fairly certain it's coming from the Air Conditioning, however I (for no real reason at all) thought that it was common for the AC to drip on the front off-side (drivers side) bumper (I get drips there too!), this puddle is in the middle of the car just behind the engine, slightly in front of the bulkhead. My question is, where should I see water dripping from the AC?

I also have the exhaust heat shield rattle which is due to be fixed as soon as I can be bothered to book it in, so if there is an issue it'd be good to get that seen to at the same time.

TIA

 

pretty sure thats where the drain hole for the a/c should be. if its defo water and the a/c is working i wouldnt woory about it

 

Yup, the drain for the a/c is back there so thats probably what it is.

 

coolio, yeah it looks like water just seemed to be quite a lot of it, but it is quite humid around here at the moment.

I guess the next question is where is my coolant going I'll keep an eye on the level for the time being before posting another stupid question. Water/engine temp is fine and no mayo in the oil.

Thanks all

 

Check the heater matrix hoses and the metal pipe found beside the sump on the offside has a habit of corroding. AC shouldn't be leaking

 

I had a look this morning. It's definitely leaking coolant from around where the gearbox bell housing meets the engine, I think it's also leaking refrigerant from the condenser. I'll be taking a closer look tomorrow to see if I can see why it's leaking. The heat shield rattle is also making me .

Should have bought a boring golf...

 

Is it coming from underneath the thermostat housing then running on to and running down the front of the gearbox? If so its the thermostat plug, very common on the st170, just requires a new seal

 

Mine is doing the exact same thing after a whole week of ownership
Leaking from the thermostat housing...

The stat housing is two piece.. Mine seems to be leaking from that join ...
Ford only replaced that 3 months ago on mine!


Is this join where they usually leak from? Or do they usually go where the thermostat housing mounts to the head/take off plate?

Thanks!

 

Think on the FRS you can fit a housing off an early zetec (mk1 mondeo etc) as its metal and will last a lot longer.

On the st170 there's a metal plug in the bottom of the housing, its that that leaks.

 

well mine is a bit odd... seems to leak a little bit sometimes and not others. lol

IF its gonna leak it seems to do it while the engine is switched off and everything is cooling down lol .

 

thermostat housing is a common prob on the mk1 focus, it can crack and break the seal where it mounts to the block and piss out all your coolant in just a few secs, easy job to replace it though. the st170 is a bit different though as it has a plug in the bottom that can leak from time to time, again an easy fix

 

If you've just got the car, also check the housing where the HVAC lives (big black box behind the dash in front of the gearstick). This is the source of the water you see under the car, but on some Foci (mine included) not all of it gets out, the remainder ending up on your passenger footwell carpet! To avoid confusion with the windscreen scuttle leak which also ends up with water in the same place, make sure you look for it on a really hot day, when you know the car is dry and peel back the floor carpet for a better view.

 

pee_vee: To be honest I've not looked where it's leaking from properly yet, I was going to on Sunday but couldn't be arsed. It sounds as if the thermostat housing is a common point of failure, but different construction.

Alex: Passenger's footwell is nice and dry... my car rarely sees the rain and the AC is draining very well.. so much so I thought it was a problem! Although I'll be sure to check once I've done a long run in the height of summer (err... ok next time it's mildly warm)

 

from what youve said mate. it sounds exactly the same as mine, and the 4000 odd other RSs that were made LOL

 

I wish mine were an RS, just an ST.

 

Mine( ST170) is the same....occasional puddle but no move in coolant level, so I assumed it was A/C. Its all new to me...I've spent the last 13 years in Capris and Escorts where Air conditioning was opening the sunroof and rolling down windows!!

Did ford loosen the heatshields on the way out the factory by the way???

 

You can buy that plug from underneith the thermostat housing from Ford for £7.50,i got one yesterday for mine! Don't be fooled into buying a new thermostat housing....