Sanity Check - Cooling issues

[Silber]

Hi folks,

 

Hoping that those who are more mechanically inclined and more experienced with 7's can help me here. I have a 2009 Birkin with a 2.0L Duratec out of an '07 Focus. Since I've owned it I've noticed that the coolant takes a while coming up to temperature, especially while driving in cooler weather, but then has a difficult time staying within operating temp once hot. For example, driving the car with temps under 180 F, I'll see the temp drop and hover around 150, but once the coolant gets up over 195-ish, it'll continue to get hotter without decent airflow. Thus I figured it was potentially a stuck thermostat, allowing coolant to the radiator and overcooling while cold, but then not flowing enough and undercooling when hot.

 

Getting ready for driving the car this year, I installed a new thermostat/housing, but had some observations today:

• Coolant didn't appear to be flowing through the thermostat to the radiator until over 195 F coolant temp. Coolant reservoir with the radiator cap is located on the firewall behind the engine (highest point in the system), so I had the car flat on the ground with the cap off and a funnel in the reservoir. Putting the cap on seemed to help get coolant flowing, but can't say for sure.
• The upper and lower radiator hoses and the radiator itself were all ambient temperature when the radiator fan came on around 190 F.
• Once over 200 F and coolant obviously (finally!) circulating through the radiator, the temp just continued to climb, while just idling and also when taking the car for a quick drive around the block. I didn't let the coolant get over 220 F.
• The coolant I drained out of the system appeared orange/gold. I put in Zerex G-05 gold coolant as that is what was standard for the '07 Focus.

 

I feel like what I observed is not ideal, and feel like I have one of the following going on:

• Perhaps the new thermostat was a dud out of the box?
• Perhaps I put the wrong coolant in?
• Perhaps there is a blockage somewhere else in the system that is restricting flow?
• Perhaps this is all normal behavior and the 7's cooling system just isn't fully adequate. 

 

Asking for advice on next steps do diagnose and address the odd behavior. It was very strange that the coolant get fairly hot before the thermostat opened, and even when it did the cooling system as a whole didn't seem to be adequate.

 

Thanks in advance.

[MV8]

 

[Croc]

4 hours ago, Silber said:

Getting ready for driving the car this year, I installed a new thermostat/housing, ....

 

In addition to the cooling system diagram above which is a very helpful guide to assess whether you may be plumbed wrong, I think it would be helpful to know which thermostat you installed - i.e. what temperature does it open at as written on the box.  There are a couple of Duratec types out there all with different temps. 

 

 

[wdb]

You wrote:

• Coolant didn't appear to be flowing through the thermostat to the radiator until over 195 F coolant temp. Coolant reservoir with the radiator cap is located on the firewall behind the engine (highest point in the system), so I had the car flat on the ground with the cap off and a funnel in the reservoir. Putting the cap on seemed to help get coolant flowing, but can't say for sure.
• The upper and lower radiator hoses and the radiator itself were all ambient temperature when the radiator fan came on around 190 F.

From a purely educational standpoint, this stuff is normal. The thermostat controls the flow of water to radiator. Starting with a cold engine, the thermostat is closed and the coolant circulates within the engine (and accessories such as the cabin heater if fitted). The radiator and hoses see no hot water until the thermostat opens, apparently at 195 degrees in your case. As Croc mentions, there are different temperature thermostats. But it sounds as though the thermostat you have is working. It also sounds as though the fan thermostat is operating correctly.

 

Check the lower radiator hose once the thermostat opens to see if it gets hot. If so that would probably rule out a serious radiator blockage. Also there may be value in 'burping' all of the air out of the system, usually something to do with opening the cap and letting the car run for a bit. Beyond that I'm afraid I don't have much else, other than tricks like turning the heater on to circulate more coolant and attempt to bring the engine temperature down.

[IamScotticus]

Drain, check liquid for anomalies,  do a boil test on the thermostat in the kitchen, run a flush solution without thermostat (with heater open), drain and run several water flushes (with heater open), reinstall all and fill with a premixed coolant you will stick with and never mix with anything else.

Test or eplace the expansion tank cap.

Edited April 13 by IamScotticus

[MV8]

Did the birkin come with a duratec or was this a diy effort by a previous owner? Lets start with pictures. There are many ways to plumb the system and setup a cooling fan.

 

If everything is as it should be, the car should not: 1) take any longer to warm up to temp than a ford focus. 2) Cool down to 150f while driving 3) Stop all coolant flow with a closed stat. 3) go above 215f with the cooling fan on.

 

I'd like to see the engine bay, radiator, fan, back of the head, and the left side of the engine under the intake. 

 

Edited April 13 by MV8

[panamericano]

Check that the fan is spinning the correct direction.  Initially, mine was wired backwards.  Reversed DC will make the fan motor turn the wrong way.  As a couple said, burping can be critical.  Look for bleed valves in the system.

[Silber]

Thanks for the replies everyone. My follow-up comments and questions (in bold) are below.

 

17 hours ago, Croc said:

 

In addition to the cooling system diagram above which is a very helpful guide to assess whether you may be plumbed wrong, I think it would be helpful to know which thermostat you installed - i.e. what temperature does it open at as written on the box.  There are a couple of Duratec types out there all with different temps. 

 

 

 

Confirmed that Motorad 512-185 is the part number. It's a 180 degree thermostat.

 

12 hours ago, wdb said:

From a purely educational standpoint, this stuff is normal. The thermostat controls the flow of water to radiator. Starting with a cold engine, the thermostat is closed and the coolant circulates within the engine (and accessories such as the cabin heater if fitted). The radiator and hoses see no hot water until the thermostat opens, apparently at 195 degrees in your case. As Croc mentions, there are different temperature thermostats. But it sounds as though the thermostat you have is working. It also sounds as though the fan thermostat is operating correctly.

 

Check the lower radiator hose once the thermostat opens to see if it gets hot. If so that would probably rule out a serious radiator blockage. Also there may be value in 'burping' all of the air out of the system, usually something to do with opening the cap and letting the car run for a bit. Beyond that I'm afraid I don't have much else, other than tricks like turning the heater on to circulate more coolant and attempt to bring the engine temperature down.

 

That's why I was checking the upper/lower radiator hoses while letting the car warm up after installing the new thermostat. My concern is the upper/lower hoses and radiator itself were not heating up until much hotter than expected. The fact that the fan kicked on before it appeared any coolant was flowing to the radiator was a big red flag, and having confirmed it was a 180 F thermostat I installed, coolant should have been flowing well before 195-ish degrees.

 

I'm familiar with burping cooling systems, but not with the 7. This whole process occurred while I was attempting to burp it, but as the expansion tank and only entry to the system is behind the engine, I had the car flat on the ground and could very well not have burped it properly. Do you think a big enough air pocket could restrict the coolant from flowing to the radiator? Do I need to raise the back of the car to burp it properly?

 

12 hours ago, IamScotticus said:

Drain, check liquid for anomalies,  do a boil test on the thermostat in the kitchen, run a flush solution without thermostat (with heater open), drain and run several water flushes (with heater open), reinstall all and fill with a premixed coolant you will stick with and never mix with anything else.

Test or replace the expansion tank cap.

 

This is the path I want to avoid if there is an easier fix, but I recognize that I might need to just properly flush the system to ensure everything is cleaned out. I replaced the radiator in my XJ Cherokee and flushed that system. Made an awfully big mess in the garage... I've got a ton of standard universal green coolant laying around from that job, so anyone see any concern in switching to universal green coolant instead of Ford-specific G-05 gold if I thoroughly flush the system?

 

10 hours ago, MV8 said:

Did the birkin come with a duratec or was this a diy effort by a previous owner? Lets start with pictures. There are many ways to plumb the system and setup a cooling fan.

 

If everything is as it should be, the car should not: 1) take any longer to warm up to temp than a ford focus. 2) Cool down to 150f while driving 3) Stop all coolant flow with a closed stat. 3) go above 215f with the cooling fan on.

 

I'd like to see the engine bay, radiator, fan, back of the head, and the left side of the engine under the intake. 

 

 

The highlighted part voices my concerns exactly. It just doesn't behave like I think it should. The Birkin was original with the Duratec. Here are some pictures:

The mess of hoses.

Water line.

Front view.

Side view.

 

I can make a drawing of the system and post it hear and also compare it to the drawings shown in the thread you posted, but you can see the expansion tank mounted to the firewall. The heater and expansion tank run to the manifold just to the right (aft) of the valve cover, and the water line between the valve cover and the air filter runs to the upper radiator port. Lower radiator hose crosses in front of the engine to attach to the thermostat. That means the system is flowing "backwards", pushing hot coolant up through the radiator. Looking through the other thread, this seems to be the typical routing?

 

5 hours ago, panamericano said:

Check that the fan is spinning the correct direction.  Initially, mine was wired backwards.  Reversed DC will make the fan motor turn the wrong way.  As a couple said, burping can be critical.  Look for bleed valves in the system.

 

Good suggestions. I'll check the fan direction but didn't see any bleed valves. I've always burped cooling systems by having the front of the car up in the air, funnel in the radiator with extra coolant, letting the engine run at operating temp with heater on until no more bubbles coming up through the funnel. What do I need to do differently for the 7? Like I mentioned, the expansion tank is above the radiator, thus the highest spot in the system, but I had the car flat on the ground. I didn't get to the point of really watching for bubbles because I was distracted by all the odd behavior and rising coolant temps.

 

Thanks,

 

Gregory

[Vovchandr]

In addition to what everybody else has said here are a few points out of left field as I battled with cooling issues on my Zetec and still do to some degree

 

1) Is the car stock ECU or standalone? My fuel maps have a lot to do with how the car runs. I'm also running cool as of late and struggle to stay at temp. 

 

2) For any coolant troubleshooting I recommend a see through coolant filter. Makes it much easier to troubleshoot things if you can see the flow/air issues instead of a blind system (different sizes available check yours, this is an example) 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Champion-Cooling-Systems-CCHF-1-50-Coolant/dp/B01FXRJ6R2/ref=asc_df_B01FXRJ6R2?mcid=bff87b07fc8b3a6d88619500d17debc6&hvocijid=17731782726575446717-B01FXRJ6R2-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17731782726575446717&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9004728&hvtargid=pla-2281435177898&psc=1

 

3) I don't believe you have a heater core but a second bleeder is always nice to have on the other end of the car to make things easier. 

 

https://www.autozone.com/cooling-heating-and-climate-control/radiator-flush-tools/p/peak-flush-and-fill-kit/525931_0_0?cmpid=LIA:US:EN:AD:NL:1000000:HRD:19489353553&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADkcoVsIMzvFnhppBa5BdOgRQ_TzF&gclid=CjwKCAjw5PK_BhBBEiwAL7GTPXxrPxxRaZOzotzMxihKuGUHMMFvUu8bo1NBRgUBaPIVdhJPqlltahoCGK4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

4) Rent a coolant pressure tester from Advance or autozone (free with collateral to borrow it). Gotta make sure system is "snug" before further troubleshooting. You should hold 15 to 20 pounds for hours or longer. Quick and easy test

 

5) Are you using one of these? They make bleeding a lot easier tool. I had to make an adapter for mine not sure if you'll have better luck

 

https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Spill-Coolant-Funnel-Kit/dp/B089YHW5HR/ref=asc_df_B089YHW5HR?mcid=afb6c6b9c9633802bad331df1a0d9588&hvocijid=3054922127020583502-B089YHW5HR-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3054922127020583502&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9004728&hvtargid=pla-2281435181178&psc=1

 

[wdb]

That is a serious looking radiator. I like the suggestion to check fan airflow direction. Not sure it would explain all of your symptoms.

 

I don't think an air pocket would totally prevent flow to the radiator in an unpressurized system, but a pocket at the thermostat might affect its function.

 

Re bleeding/burping: I have a Porsche 996. The engine is at one end of the car and the radiators are at the other end. Experts differ on how to bleed the air from the cooling system, with most choosing to evacuate all of the air before adding coolant. There are some who don't like inflicting that kind of violence on things; they lift the back of the car instead to ensure that the overflow tank is the highest point in the system, then add coolant slowly and do the run/burp routine you already follow. Based on that I'd say that you should be okay with the car on flat ground so long as the overflow tank is the highest point.

[Vovchandr]

33 minutes ago, wdb said:

That is a serious looking radiator.

 

I just realized there's no bleeder on the rad. @SilberCan you show exactly where you bleed the system?

 

35 minutes ago, wdb said:

Experts differ on how to bleed the air from the cooling system, with most choosing to evacuate all of the air before adding coolant.

 

I just remembered that vacuum filling is also an option that can be done for those that like a more violent approach. I've never tried it myself yet. 

[Silber]

1 hour ago, Vovchandr said:

In addition to what everybody else has said here are a few points out of left field as I battled with cooling issues on my Zetec and still do to some degree

 

1) Is the car stock ECU or standalone? My fuel maps have a lot to do with how the car runs. I'm also running cool as of late and struggle to stay at temp. 

 

2) For any coolant troubleshooting I recommend a see through coolant filter. Makes it much easier to troubleshoot things if you can see the flow/air issues instead of a blind system (different sizes available check yours, this is an example) 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Champion-Cooling-Systems-CCHF-1-50-Coolant/dp/B01FXRJ6R2/ref=asc_df_B01FXRJ6R2?mcid=bff87b07fc8b3a6d88619500d17debc6&hvocijid=17731782726575446717-B01FXRJ6R2-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17731782726575446717&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9004728&hvtargid=pla-2281435177898&psc=1

 

3) I don't believe you have a heater core but a second bleeder is always nice to have on the other end of the car to make things easier. 

 

https://www.autozone.com/cooling-heating-and-climate-control/radiator-flush-tools/p/peak-flush-and-fill-kit/525931_0_0?cmpid=LIA:US:EN:AD:NL:1000000:HRD:19489353553&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADkcoVsIMzvFnhppBa5BdOgRQ_TzF&gclid=CjwKCAjw5PK_BhBBEiwAL7GTPXxrPxxRaZOzotzMxihKuGUHMMFvUu8bo1NBRgUBaPIVdhJPqlltahoCGK4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

4) Rent a coolant pressure tester from Advance or autozone (free with collateral to borrow it). Gotta make sure system is "snug" before further troubleshooting. You should hold 15 to 20 pounds for hours or longer. Quick and easy test

 

5) Are you using one of these? They make bleeding a lot easier tool. I had to make an adapter for mine not sure if you'll have better luck

 

https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Spill-Coolant-Funnel-Kit/dp/B089YHW5HR/ref=asc_df_B089YHW5HR?mcid=afb6c6b9c9633802bad331df1a0d9588&hvocijid=3054922127020583502-B089YHW5HR-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3054922127020583502&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9004728&hvtargid=pla-2281435181178&psc=1

 

 

1) The car has a standalone, F.A.S.T. XFI 2.0

2) Interesting idea, and could be valuable to have a visual confirmation of what is happening if the issue isn't resolved .

3) There is a heater core (sitting under the brake/clutch reservoirs), but I'll look into that tool.

4) Agreed that a pressure test would be prudent.

5) I have a similar large funnel that I use.

 

56 minutes ago, wdb said:

That is a serious looking radiator. I like the suggestion to check fan airflow direction. Not sure it would explain all of your symptoms.

 

I don't think an air pocket would totally prevent flow to the radiator in an unpressurized system, but a pocket at the thermostat might affect its function.

 

Re bleeding/burping: I have a Porsche 996. The engine is at one end of the car and the radiators are at the other end. Experts differ on how to bleed the air from the cooling system, with most choosing to evacuate all of the air before adding coolant. There are some who don't like inflicting that kind of violence on things; they lift the back of the car instead to ensure that the overflow tank is the highest point in the system, then add coolant slowly and do the run/burp routine you already follow. Based on that I'd say that you should be okay with the car on flat ground so long as the overflow tank is the highest point.

 

I guess the Caterham radiators are smaller? You would think with a large radiator the car wouldn't have a hard time staying below 215 degrees... Low hanging fruit for diagnosing the issues appears to be making sure the system is properly burped. I'll try jacking the car up in the rear to guarantee that the expansion tank is the highest point.

 

22 minutes ago, Vovchandr said:

 

I just realized there's no bleeder on the rad. @SilberCan you show exactly where you bleed the system?

 

 

Using an older picture, I am only trying to burp the system from the expansion tank. I haven't noticed any other bleed valves, but could easily be missing something.

[S1Steve]

Similar to the above Post. The only place to burb it is at the reservoir tank. Same as Siber’s…

[MV8]

Can't see (reminds me of the Borg for some reason), but when the heater is not installed, the lines must be looped, not capped. Don't know if that is the case. Stat neck small line goes to a port on the back of the head. This is known as a "bypass". Excessive bypass flow will cause the problems you are having with warm up and overheating.

 

There is some kind of tee manifold connected to the bottom of the expansion tank. Draw the components and post a pic of the connections like a schematic.

 

Steve has a tee in the bleed lines to the top of his expansion tank on a zetec. You appear to have a tee in your bypass and trouble with your hippopotamus.

Edited April 14 by MV8

[CarlB]

You indicated the radiator hoses were ambient temperature until the thermostat opened. They should be getting hot as the engine runs, just from normal heat transfer, if the system does not have an air pocket. The drawing of the expansion tank and the picture show a hose connecting to the top of the expansion tank. If this line is to bleed air it should be on the engine side of the thermostat, so the system will purge air. I find it useful on systems that are hard to purge to use a cooling system pressure tester when filling the system. When filling the system pumping up the system pressure pushes the air to the top. In your case the expansion tank. There is a newer tool that is a combination of a pressure tester, and vacuum to purge the air out of the system. Pressure tester works for me.  

[Slonie]

I decided to try out the vacuum filler myself after a long period of cooling system frustration and don't regret it at all. I've done the funnel-burp shuffle many times and have never been convinced that it has gotten all the air out the system. You need a compressor for it to work, and you need to trust your cooling hoses to not crack under vacuum, but besides that it seems fairly foolproof and allows you to avoid the funnel burping anxiety and potential mess.

 

In the end I'm not convinced it got an absolute 100% of the air out of my system but it was a whole lot easier than massaging hot coolant hoses or running the engine hot in the driveway hoping for results. All you do is hook it up, pull vacuum, wait a little while to confirm that it's holding, and then flip another switch to fill (from your coolant container). It's actually quicker than pouring it in, as a bonus. You also get a leak test of your system as a leak under vacuum would manifest itself as a dropping needle on the gauge during the first step.  I understand that this isn't as accurate as doing a pressure test on your system since a leak under pressure might not manifest itself while under vacuum but I still appreciated the data point.

 

There are fancier (more expensive) systems and cheaper ones out there but this is the one I got.

https://www.mobiledistributorsupply.com/24444-airvac-coolant-refiller-oem

 

[IamScotticus]

On 4/13/2025 at 11:17 PM, Silber said:

anyone see any concern in switching to universal green coolant

No advantages over the coolant reccomend by Ford or Caterham.  The issue is the potential for deleterious affects on chemically incompatible non-OEM components throughout the system.

 

Generally, all coolants cool the same, with alternatives like gells, water wetter, etc. being the exception, standard long life coolants differ in how they interact with the components they are in contact with. They work together as a system.  When a coolant is recommended by an OEM, there is usually a materials  compatability issue.

 

If a coolant of any kind looses its effectiveness its likely something has happened to that coolant to get contaminated and change its properties. 

 

This is why a good flush is necessary. These 7s tend to sit for long periods leaving the coolant ample condition to sit and eat away on a rubber seal or gell and cryatalize from a remnant of an invasive element introduced like an additive or previous coolant or some other corrosion.

 

Getting a clean slate baseline to work with from a flush and refill with an OEM approved coolant is your starting point for troubleshooting the other issues.

 

Also, just plan on making your coolant system a regular maintenance item.  Coolants,  like brake fluid, go bad over time and contamination,  not from use.

Edited Tuesday at 01:52 PM by IamScotticus

[Silber]

17 hours ago, MV8 said:

Can't see (reminds me of the Borg for some reason), but when the heater is not installed, the lines must be looped, not capped. Don't know if that is the case. Stat neck small line goes to a port on the back of the head. This is known as a "bypass". Excessive bypass flow will cause the problems you are having with warm up and overheating.

 

There is some kind of tee manifold connected to the bottom of the expansion tank. Draw the components and post a pic of the connections like a schematic.

 

Steve has a tee in the bleed lines to the top of his expansion tank on a zetec. You appear to have a tee in your bypass and trouble with your hippopotamus.

Here is a really quick drawing of the layout of the system:

 

Black box on the right is the heater core. The bypass from the thermostat goes to the heater core. The "t" on the manifold on the back of the engine also has a sensor in it, not indicated in the drawing. Only spot to burp/bleed is the expansion tank.

 

17 hours ago, CarlB said:

You indicated the radiator hoses were ambient temperature until the thermostat opened. They should be getting hot as the engine runs, just from normal heat transfer, if the system does not have an air pocket. The drawing of the expansion tank and the picture show a hose connecting to the top of the expansion tank. If this line is to bleed air it should be on the engine side of the thermostat, so the system will purge air. I find it useful on systems that are hard to purge to use a cooling system pressure tester when filling the system. When filling the system pumping up the system pressure pushes the air to the top. In your case the expansion tank. There is a newer tool that is a combination of a pressure tester, and vacuum to purge the air out of the system. Pressure tester works for me.  

 

The line you are referring to on the expansion tank goes to the manifold on the back of the engine. I plan on renting a pressure tester.

 

16 hours ago, Slonie said:

I decided to try out the vacuum filler myself after a long period of cooling system frustration and don't regret it at all. I've done the funnel-burp shuffle many times and have never been convinced that it has gotten all the air out the system. You need a compressor for it to work, and you need to trust your cooling hoses to not crack under vacuum, but besides that it seems fairly foolproof and allows you to avoid the funnel burping anxiety and potential mess.

 

In the end I'm not convinced it got an absolute 100% of the air out of my system but it was a whole lot easier than massaging hot coolant hoses or running the engine hot in the driveway hoping for results. All you do is hook it up, pull vacuum, wait a little while to confirm that it's holding, and then flip another switch to fill (from your coolant container). It's actually quicker than pouring it in, as a bonus. You also get a leak test of your system as a leak under vacuum would manifest itself as a dropping needle on the gauge during the first step.  I understand that this isn't as accurate as doing a pressure test on your system since a leak under pressure might not manifest itself while under vacuum but I still appreciated the data point.

 

There are fancier (more expensive) systems and cheaper ones out there but this is the one I got.

https://www.mobiledistributorsupply.com/24444-airvac-coolant-refiller-oem

 

 

I'll keep the vacuum method in mind if I don't feel confident the system can be bled through burping. Thanks for the link.

 

1 hour ago, IamScotticus said:

No advantages over the coolant reccomend by Ford or Caterham.  The issue is the potential for deleterious affects on chemically incompatible non-OEM components throughout the system.

 

Generally, all coolants cool the same, with alternatives like gells, water wetter, etc. being the exception, standard long life coolants differ in how they interact with the components they are in contact with. They work together as a system.  When a coolant is recommended by an OEM, there is usually a materials  compatability issue.

 

If a coolant of any kind looses its effectiveness its likely something has happened to that coolant to get contaminated and change its properties. 

 

This is why a good flush is necessary. These 7s tend to sit for long periods leaving the coolant ample condition to sit and eat away on a rubber seal or gell and cryatalize from a remnant of an invasive element introduced like an additive or previous coolant or some other corrosion.

 

Getting a clean slate baseline to work with from a flush and refill with an OEM approved coolant is your starting point for troubleshooting the other issues.

 

Also, just plan on making your coolant system a regular maintenance item.  Coolants,  like brake fluid, go bad over time and contamination,  not from use.

 

The advantage is I already have 4+ gallons of green, haha! I'll stick with the G-05 for now, and plan on doing a proper cleaning/flush of the system if problems persist.

 

I'll report back on progress when I get back to working on the car this weekend. Thanks for the responses everyone! My conclusion is that there is a solid chance that the system just simply needs to be properly burped, so I'll start with pressure testing the system and burping with the rear of the car raised, while also verifying that the radiator fan is spinning the right direction. If the car is still exhibiting the same behavior of long warmup/insufficient cooling at operating temp, I'll proceed with cleaning and flushing the system.

[Vovchandr]

Is this the water pump?

 

 

I'm not sure if you saw references but here are some from the Net

 

Here are two Zetecs which should be similar but flipped

 

 

 

Here is a Duratec

 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 03:14 PM by Vovchandr

[Silber]

7 minutes ago, Vovchandr said:

Is this the water pump?

 

 

That's the thermostat. My system looks fairly similar to the Duratec diagram, but the bypass from the thermostat goes directly to the heater core, and the expansion tank is in a different location.

Edited Tuesday at 03:21 PM by Silber