Last year, my local eagle-eyed MOT tester noticed a small drip of coolant somewhere from the rear of my 2 litre Duratec engine, onto the bell housing and down to the ground. He suggested I keep an eye on it.
This I did for the past 3k miles, and with a piece of cardboard under the car, I had a very small wet patch appearing. Over 6 months, I may have only needed to add a cupful of top up. Having checked the hoses, doubled up on the clips, the drip prevailed and would accumulate under the thermostat housing manifold pipe, which sits hidden under the coil pack. Apparently, they are notorious for failure due to being plastic.
I sourced a Quinton Hazel replacement from ebay for about £30, and having changed it out, the drip has been cured.
I was hoping to see a nice crack on the old one but nothing is obvious. It is quite a complex moulding with many moulding seams.
Although it is difficult to see in detail, once the air filter, coil and mounting plate have been removed, it is relatively easy to change out.
Incidentally, Ford POAT coolant which has been orange for many years, and went by the moniker “Super Plus” , now has a new spec
WSS-M97B57-A1 and is now coloured green. Ford say it is compatible with the previous spec. and can be safely mixed.
