Losing Radiator Fluid

[klawsterfobik]

Im losing radiator fluid. Why? :P

Car is a 95 DF LTD, 5 Litre.
ok, so my car got hot the other week while cruising Chapel St, not seriously hot, just up to the "O" in Normal. Since then its been ok, i just figured heavy traffic.. fair enough.

Then on Friday night i went out in Geelong, i gave it a bit of a hard time, (forgot it was in first not Drive : ) And when i looked at the engine the next day (as it smelt funny at the end of the night) it had radiator fluid on the RH rocker cover. and its sprayed on the firewall on the RHS, up near the throttle body and all there. But i cant figure out what is up there that would contain radiator fluid?

Anyhow, the overflow bottle is now empty, and im getting worried.

Car is still easy to start, seems to be using a little bit more fuel that usual (normally have ~250 - 275) k's done before it gets to half a tank, and ive now got half a tank showing and only JUST 200...

any ideas?

[niko]

if it gets hot while idling, check your thermo relays are not dead. see if they turn on with the aircon, if so then its your main thermo relay

id also get a pressure test done, usually some small rubbish hose thats passed its expiry date that makes stuff run hot...

[Aaron_EF8]

Could it have come from the overflow pipe? Have a look around where the leak is, there's a steel pipe attached to the valley cover which runs to the rubber heater hoses on the firewall, it might have a split in it.

[klawsterfobik]

thanks guys, ill have a look tomorrow mornign with the engine cover off...

the mechanic at work just said to go over it first with a screwdriver and tighten all teh hose clamps, and if its still doing it he'll lend me the pressure tester.

[klawsterfobik]

i pulled the engine cover off today, and down behind the intake pipe going to the throttle body i found a connector with two heater hoses going into it, and coming straight out of it... it kind of offsets them.

I took a picture, does anyone know what this part is called?

that shows the two heater hoses coming into it, and then come out the other side about an inch to the Right. It also has what looks like a vaccum operated valve on it, this might give some idication what it is =/

I think it is cracked along the top...

any help would be greatly appreciated.

[svo347]

Its the heater tap buddy.....

[klawsterfobik]

thanks mate, ill trundle down to ford tomorrow morning and pick one up. Whats it going to cost me? Am i going to have to sell my car to buy this thing? :P

i wonder what other goodies i can buy while im there.

[Age182]

get yourself the heater tap and maybe change the hoses if you got some loose change

[klawsterfobik]

ok.. so i got the new part ~$70 from Ford Spare Parts

and im 3/4 through removal of the old one... now i have a question. The damn thing has disintegrated, and has broken off... if part of the plastic heater tap goes INTO my cooling system, will it kill my car?

part of it has broken off inside the hose, and i cant get it out, every time i get hold of it the damn thing breaks, its just too brittle.

Im thinking of breaking it all up, inside the hose and then turning the hose around 180 degrees so it faces the floor and then squeezing it all out.

THOSE CLAMPS ARE RIDICULOUS!

[svo347]

Or just take the hose off from the other end..
Ahhhh the good ole spring clapms.... deadly aint they!!!

[klawsterfobik]

i THINK i got it all out...

and those spring clamps are in the bin, exchanged for some screw type hose clamps.

All done and dusted... now i have to clean my engine bay =/