You can sometimes score extra cooling using the aircon fan (I ran my Sierra using the aircon fan only for a while) but I assume if you had one you would already be using it Hi Buffalo and welcome to the Ford Owners Club - This might sound like a daft question but how do you know its leaking ? I did, however, realise that there are sometimes no bleed points, because I think that's all I've ever had on any of my cars. Can't remember it being a problem before.

So much confusion over a simple system! I take it none of you are plumbers or heating engineers? It works exactly the same way as your hot water tank or central heating radiators at home.I wouldn't do that, and I probably wouldn't buy the kit they use, but it should be possible to adapt another form of pump. Bit like windscreen wash can buy it concentrated or ready mixed strength depends on environment. Advantage premix you don't have to test it with an antifreeze strength tester. If you had a water pump failure its a fair bet you had overheating. Head gasket or head failure is a common consequence of overheating, so no big surprise there. I like the idea of a physical test because I might be able to lash one up, and I doubt I'd be able to get the chemical kit here. As well as the temperature issue, the engine seems to start struggling, stuttering/jerking a little when I am pulling away from idle or accelerating (particularly in low gears) after I have been driving for about 20-25mins, although varies depending on how hot of a day it is so I assume this relates to overheating? The motion is similar to that when you're close to stalling but not quite as bad yet. A colleague has suggested that it could be head gasket related, however this was previously ruled out by a mechanic (and I have hoped and prayed that it isn't as I don't want it to conk out entirely one day on my way to work/home). Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I am desperately trying to keep the car going until Sept/Oct when I will be looking to replace it altogether.

With the engine cold, I first loosened the cap as much as possible(almost one turn). Then I let it sit in that position for one minute. The I tried to loosen it some more(almost a quarter of a turn). I repeated this step again after one minute untill I made 2 complete turns. Then it started to loosen after each try. Perfect. Thanks for the advise. Have just been outside and managed to pull the little git straight out with a pair of long nose pliers as you say 👍. Can't believe how tight it was but so happy to of got it sorted. Thanks again 👍When your engine is running, it makes power—but it also makes heat. And that’s where engine coolant comes in. Never remove the coolant reservoir cap when the engine is running or still hot. Let it cool down first. Coolant also helps keep your engine working as efficiently as possible, helps keep its emissions low, and even helps provide that toasty heater air on cold days. I suppose you could “tune” it with a blanking plate with a hole in it, to provide less but still some restriction. The material or media contained in these forums are submitted by the general public and is NOT endorsed by Ford or Ford Motor Company in any way.