I have Ford Escort 98. Temp gauge went in to red today as water coolant was nearly empty. What should be done?

Answer 1

put in more coolant. as long as its not bled dry you should be ok....also id recommend a service:)

Answer 2

Not good anyway you look at it. There's a simple test you can do that will detect exaust gas in the cooling system just by removing the radiator cap. This can be done by most auto repair facilities. Next you can remove the spark plugs and look for obvious wet cylinders and or do a leak down test or a simple compression test. Chances are the motor ran low on coolant for some time and or overheated. What you are looking at more than likely is a blown head gasket. I don't have the luxury of what type of vehicle, engine size etc but this is a pretty big job, so often customers just exchange the motor for a rebuilt one. Head gasket replacement with all the fan fare is about $1000.00 and a rebuilt motor is about $2000.00. You decide? There is an outside chance it could be something as minor as an intake gasket leaking but you really need to determine which cylinders are being affected. You can try those miracle block seal products if you just want to unload the vehicle but what kind of person are you then? And they seldom work out for long. Indicators being at some point this motor got very hot and somebody didn't act accordingly. sounds like a chick thing :-), Kidding, not. Hope that help$

Answer 3

Refill radiator after car has had sufficient time to cool. Check oil for milky frothy stuff. Did you notice steam coming out from under the hood? The coolant had to go somewhere. Either out a burst hose, or through your engine. You're really wanting a burst hose.

How long did you run it in the red? You could have potentially warped the head.

When you refill the radiator, make sure the engine is running, the heater is on with the temp set at the hottest setting. Make sure you "burp" any air pockets out.

Take the vehicle to a reputable dealer and have them check it out. You need to know where the coolant went, otherwise, it will just leak out again.

Good Luck

Answer 4

Once the motor is cold, refill the cooling system, start the car and let it run for ten minutes. Check underneath the car and inside the engine compartment for evidence of leaking. See if the car is still overheating. If none of those things are present, you probably haven't had the system serviced in a very long time. Get it serviced. You would need to put in new coolant anyway.

If you see no leaking but the car does overheat, it may be a bad thermostat.

Answer 5

What do you mean by "water coolant"? What is water coolant?

When I had a Ford Escort it had an expansion chamber attached to the radiator and both should at this time of year contain water and the appropriate amount of antifreeze.
Suggest you get to it pretty damn quick or its a new engine at a couple of grand including labour.

You should check your oil and water levels every week, also tyre pressures and lights.

Answer 6

Let it cool down and check the coolant level. If coolant is present and at the correct level then check your fan belt. Is it still there?
If not, replace it.
If you're empty then FILL UP WITH COOLANT! If that's ok it
could be that the water pump has failed or you have a defective gauge....

Answer 7

#1 there is a coolant leak.So if you refill with coolant it is going to go right back out depending on the leak, Do not run engine without coolant you will burn it up within minutes.Either put water in it and get it to a garage or buy yourself a book about you car and go from there.

Answer 8

The coolant is low because you have a leak somewhere, find and fix the leak, keep you fingers crossed that you did no other damage. These days of aluminum heads and engine blocks overheating an engine can do lots of damage in very short period of time.

Answer 9

First refill the coolant back up. Second remove the filler cap for the engine oil, check to see if there is any white sludge on the inside of the filler, is so you have cylinder head gasket failure.
Then start the engine and check for leaks. If the engine over heats and there is no sludge in the engine oil then its time to check the thermostat.
Ja.

Answer 10

Refill the coolant or it will cost you a fortune if the engine conks out! I have a moped with a coolant system on it I have to have it done every 6 months (Summer and Winter) the Winter one is due shortly.

Answer 11

Fill the water coolant container, and check that the cooling fan is working properly, when the radiator gets hot, the cooling fan starts automatically to cool it, and if it does not then all your coolant will vaporise and the radiator/engine will become hot and your car engine may stop, and if it does not stop then boy it will seize. Get ready for heavy expenditure.