BBA-Reman Forums » BBA reman forum » Problems and Solutions » Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

Angus — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 17:05:27 GMT

Fiesta Zetec S 1600 [Rounded plastic cambox type] Eng. code DA. 2000 on an "X."

Saga so far. First it had a small leak from the thermostat housing. Some twerp decided to dose it with "leak-seal," instead of dealing with the leak properly.

When it subsequently over-heated it was taken to a very competant colleague who replaced the stat, sorted the leak and, when it still boiled, replaced the rad.

All was re-filled, tested and seemed well until it turned-up again two weeks later; still getting hot. In the car was a sizeable bill from a distant Ford dealer after going in for no heater.. They'd replaced the thermostat housing and stat [again; only £64;] fitted a new header tank and cap; replaced the heater's motorized valve; charged the customer a small fortune and still it boiled when driven.

It will idle all day long with the [CAN networked] cylinder head temp sensor reading about 112C. Try and drive it though and it will hit 130C plus inside a mile. The fan will then cut in; but blowing cold air - even though the heater is boiling hot. Only running the heater fan will cool it enough to cut the rad fan out. The rad hoses are not that hot; the heater hoses and the h/tank return vent hose are searing.

Today it got a new CHT sensor [it's plastic had been broken]; a new plastic-impeller waterpump and all the hoses checked. Unfortunately, it's still no better. I've just heard that there's a known problem that affects this particular style of 1.6 Zetec in the Focus that leads them to be a pain to bleed-out after re-filling.

Anyone come across this and know any tricks to ensure the thing is fully filled. It's been giving trouble for over a month now; so I'd have thought that it would have bled itself - wouldn't it?

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

Thema — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 17:05:27 GMT

I came across this thread searching for an answer to a similar problem, which was driving me mad!

I would just like to say (as an infrequent submitter but a frequent reader) that it has educated me and enormously entertained me. What more could you ask for?

Congratulations to everyone who contributed!

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

ovy1255 — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 15:08:16 GMT

DID ANYBODY FIND THAT CAPRI

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

ovy1255 — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 15:06:05 GMT

U PI-- PULLERS -GOOD JOB CRASH ISNT ON

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

ovy1255 — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 15:02:29 GMT

NO THATS ME

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

K And R — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 15:01:51 GMT

Martin.

ITS TERRY.:D

KEV

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

manicmotors — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 14:55:01 GMT

ovy

is that photo of you or your son???????:):)

martin

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

Angus — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 14:48:09 GMT

Ovy

What's a holly-day? It's not like X-mess is it?

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

ovy1255 — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 14:28:49 GMT

know wat u mean angus its a bummer wen u dont get paid -if all my debters wud pay me i could have a holiday

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

Angus — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 18:19:14 GMT

Ovy

No you didn't! You just wanted to rub it in that I never got paid!

[Last that I heard of this was that the owner was going to take Ford to court - not a word since... I'm not exactly holding my breath...]

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

ovy1255 — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 16:50:35 GMT

felt like being a pig :-and angus this was the best of the bunch that i read ,as everyone was in on it so i thought it deserved to b reserected

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

Angus — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 19:21:25 GMT

Weetabix

This is turning into a flood of 'em! As far as I recall; [someone with working hands actually fitted it - four months ago!] that sounds like the right way. It's the heater by-pass that warms the back of the stat and opens it to let cold water in from the rad.

It's odd that you've got the fan running when the gauge is in the middle? The rad will be cold until the stat opens and let's hot water flow across it; this will then keep the stat open until the fan comes in and cools the rad enough to shut the stat. That's when mine went awry.

What happens when you drive yours? Tried bridging-out the heater?

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

TONY_GINGELL — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 18:50:26 GMT

Angus, your comment re payment of a "warranty" brings to mind my "story for my 500 th post" post.

It may well not be the customers fault, but someone will HAVE to pay, as it for sure is not your responsibiliy to fix it for free.

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

Dave Hill — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 17:18:59 GMT

Removed after reading it back.

Not appropriate.

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

Dave Hill — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 17:08:44 GMT

Angus

I see what you mean when you say "I think it's totally unfair that the customer should pay for the consequences of Fords duff part [particularly when it had replaced a fully-working valve!] as well as losing his car for months on end" But surely it's not your problem.

The car owner will stand allot more chance pursuing a refund than you & will certainly have a bigger incentive to do so if you had drawn your wedge when he/she collected the fixed car from you. I certainly don't want to get your back up, by prying into your business practices as I am a novice in business, but 25% of your work being unpaid. Flippin Heck. I won't sleep tonight on your behalf!

Cheers Dave

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

Chuck_Wagon — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 16:38:07 GMT

Angus,

Toyota? - very good idea.

Someone I know very, very well is about to have his Avensis totally stript and rebuilt by a certain company in the South West of England specialising in automotive technical documentation. I'm sure you can read between the lines on that point.

Chuck

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

Angus — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 16:16:20 GMT

Dave

It was a bit complicated; with three different dealers involved. I gave the bill to the owner to pass-on [for payment] to the dealer that fitted the faulty heater valve. It's not exactly a vehicle warranty claim; I was under the, obviously mistaken, impression that Ford's parts were warranted against being faulty!

It's replacement was supplied by a different dealer's parts dept; [their bill for failing to find the fault was included in that total] but as the faulty valve was only a few months old and had failed after only days, I thought that was the best route.

Despite my parsimonious heritage; I've learned [the hard way] to know better than to waste my time and money digging in dry wells! [25% of my jobs go unpaid] I also think it's totally unfair that the customer should pay for the consequences of Fords duff part [particularly when it had replaced a fully-working valve!] as well as losing his car for months on end; so I'm not going to bill him.

Still, I'll get even; one of my fleet customers has just sought my advice about replacing his 16-vehicle mainly-Rover fleet [:w00t: - he got a silly-money deal on them!] He wants British-only and I was steering him towards [easily-fixed] Fords as he was happy to leave the £200K-ish choice to me.

Toyotas are now built in Britain too, aren't they? Rarely need fixing, do they... and I've always got my trusty Futura Jap-scanner if they do.....:D:D:D

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

Weetabix — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 16:08:08 GMT

May I have clarification as to which way round the thermostat should be ?

I have a Fiesta Zetec-S in for overheating :( The heater valve had a major split in it, and has now been replaced.

The cooling fan cuts in, but the radiator is cold. The heaters are ineffective, the temperature guage is in the middle (norm position).

The coolant tank has been checked for combustion gases, but all clear.

I have replaced the thermostat, putting the new one in the same way around as the old one. (The 'top' facing out to the heater / rad & the 'bottom' facing into the block). I didn't check to see if it could be fitted the other way around, but reading the posts in this thread I am not sure which way around is correct...

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

Dave Hill — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 13:40:30 GMT

Angus

Who did you invoice, the dealer that couldn't sort it, or Ford Warrantee directly? I struggle to believe that you could lay down & accept that you are not going to get paid. (Especially with your genetic background:w00t:).

Ah Warrantee’s. I was thinking about starting a thread about what a rip off they are. I bet that all of you guys have got classic tales to tell about the cop-outs that these companies come up with.

Cheers

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

Angus — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 19:47:46 GMT

Kevin

As you've now had one too; [and there was the one on Parker's; also faulty valve] I thought a little update on the warranty claim front would be useful.

Told last week that my bill of £873 was rejected by Ford as their dealer had refused to accept that the valve was faulty. To quote the dealer;

"We unstuck it and it's been working fine everytime we test it on the bench." They also claimed that it worked fine on the car when they first fitted it - so what!

The minor detail that on the bench it's not at 95C, under pressure and pump-flow differential seems to have eluded them. The fact that it was stuck at all should prove something!

So the upshot is - as usual - did it for nothing.... again!!!

At least it saved you a bit of headscratching!

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

ovy1255 — Sun, 11 Dec 2005 10:31:22 GMT

i am pleased for u angus

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

Carty19 — Sun, 11 Dec 2005 04:43:04 GMT

[quote][b]ovy1255 (10/12/2005)[/b][hr]SEEMS CRAZY TO USE HEATER MATRIX RETURN TO OPEN STAT WAT HAPPENS WEN HEATER IS TURNED OFF . DID I SEE SOMETHING ABOUT STAT HOUSEING BEING CHANGED WAS IT LIKE 4 LIKE ?[/quote]

it has a bypass valve

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

manicmotors — Sun, 11 Dec 2005 02:15:00 GMT

angus

can we bury this one with my mgf in the hall of fame!:)

martin

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

Pat Lockyer — Sun, 11 Dec 2005 01:45:54 GMT

Angus, Well done, thats a real prob solved,i know what i shall be having for lunch.
It's a new one on me with the sensor, from now on with these modern systems the old rule book is thrown out.
I shall remember the new faulty heater valve of which we have fitted many as well.
Carty 19. Brilliant info.

RE: Fiesta Zetec S overheating.

Angus — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 19:19:58 GMT

Hello gents.

Sorry to be a bit low-profile at the mo, but I had to shuffle a lot of stuff to fit the Fiesta in, so today and tomorrow it's catch-up time. Totally frozen and knackered....

The great news is that the Fiesta has passed all it's test-runs today with flying colours: YES! YES!! YES!!!

It can now go back to it's owner: he's moaning that we've now had it longer than he did! We'll probably be discussing the bill at the small-claims court - time will tell! Can you even imagine how much petrol we've had to put in it!

Just a few quick answers.

Carty

I wish other Ford main dealer's Master Techs knew, like yourself, that the CHT was a sacrificial sensor and was supposed to deform! The last dealer [who charged a fortune and failed to fix it] replaced the CHT sensor on the grounds that I'd "overtightened" and distorted it!! Even showed me where it was slightly belled out! I'm going to make sure, personally, that this gap in his training is er... rectified. (Now where's that K-Y jelly!)

Ovy

The heater valve also contains a by-pass valve and either feeds the matrix or diverts the flow back into the thermostat housing where it goes past the wax-pellet end of the backward-facing stat and heats it. The faulty one appears to have come apart and blocks off both ways at once: hence the difference in temperature of the heater hoses in and out and the cause of the problem.

If I've missed any points that need clearing up, apologies: please feel free to ask again. It's proving a bit difficult to re-read all 14 pages at one time.