Hi guys,my ef recently is losing alot of water but i cant seen to determine where its losing it. There is no signs of leaks on hoses or puddles anywhere, definitely not coming out of the overflow tank, radiator cap is fairly new. Worried might be the head gasket but the car runs smoothly on gas and petrol, never overheats, but is continually losing water at an alarming rate. Cant smell any coolant out of the exhaust, but still worried. Would a pressure test at a radiator place determine the fault, and yes my coolant is of a dark green colour. Also the motor has done 370000 kms. Any advice?

yep bad news mate its the bloody head gasket, my inline 6 4.0ltr went this way for about a week running gr8, then started idling rough still no leaks , coolant was then being burnt off in 4-5-6 cylinders then another week later it was there the pool of coolant under the car when i came out in the mornin. so get it changed or checked by someone pronto

if it is the head gasket what will it cost me to change and should i definitely make sure its the au head gasket since i remember reading soimewhere that they r better somewhat.

From my understanding if the oil has a millky substance in it then the head gasket's gone.

Only if the leak is allowing the coolant to mix with the oil. A head gasket can fail in many differant ways.

Check the drivers side of the block, below number 2 plug and see if there's a weep down the block. You can try a product called seal up by cargo ...It's available from repco stores and is sensational on head gaskets .Only about ten bucks and well worth the try before shelling out lotsa bucks for a head job...

just checked the oil again and my worst fears i think have come true. The oil was a rather chocolate colour and now must accept the fact that the heads gone. What should i be wary of when getting the head fixed? Also if I have other leaks of some sort like oil or seals getting wear and tear, could they be changed while the head comes off or r they not anywhere near there, if u know what i mean. I just dont want to forget something important, and then someone to say why didnt u do that while the heads off. Please advise for rough price also.

mate its a very disturbing thing to have done, I have blown 2 heads and it doesnt make you feel too good. Before you go to trouble of having head down, just go through a few things
- Check for water in the oil (milky, watery colour)
-Make sure you arent losin the water out of hoses
-Try a bottle of "chemiweld" from autopro or supercheap or somethin, helped mine for a while and others swear by it
-go to a radiator place and they will put a tool in ya water, if it beeps, ur in trouble.
If your head is gone, a second hand one is fine, but check for any problems with it, and then when U find a descent one, take it to a head place to get it shaved 5-10 thou. I would seriously get a mechanic to do it. If you havnt done anythin like that before dont try it yourself, if you pinch gasket or anythin it will blow soon aswell. Make sure mechanic is reliable and good at what they do. I cant remember exactly a price, get a head for between $350 - $500 second hand, and cost a good few hundred to get it replaced. It is not a cheap thing to blow im afraid sorry to hear, but go get some chemiweld straight away and try it. Good luck mate

have u checked the colour of engine oil or try floor near heater

yes i have checked the oil and it is a dark milky colour. When head comes off will tellmechenic to use au gasket and to change all the head bolts. Car has done 367000kms so maybe a second hand motor might be an option, even though i reckonmn my motor itself is in good nick since i regularly service it. just need to weigh up the pros and cons. Probably will drop off car to mechanic today or tmrw so he can start looking at it and will update progess. Thanks for the input people

If it ain't broke don't fix it! A second hand motor could be worst than yours. Better the devil you know!

some feedback from my head gasket and it seems a bolt has broken and there was definite corrosion of the existing gasket. The gasket was the orginal one (370000kms since the car was made) so ive been pretty lucky. The heads gonna be sent away tmrw to be chcked and tested, but the mechanic said sometimes a reco head is a better alternative, especially if the valves are stuffed. The mechanic reckons never to use the green coolant stuff, but use the blue original ford coolan, since he reckons the green stuff is too acidy!!!He suggested he fix the leak from the rear main seal and sump gasket also since the car has been half pulled apart anyway and stops me paying labour later on again. Also, he said hell assess other wear and tear areas that could do with a change now since its pulled apart.

I do see where he's coming from and i enjoy my car and have no intention of selling it however the cost involved with all of this is scaring me. The way things are going, $2000 might not be out of the question. My mums old fashioned and says sell the bloody thing and buy a car thats only 2 or 3years old like a ba or au. But that doesnt mean new cars dont have expenses. Bit confused and disappointed!!!

Be careful that your mechanic isn't just trying to generate work for himself. How well do you know him? Is the rear main leaking at the moment? With 370,000 on the clock I wouldn't be surprised if he suggests a full rebuild. As it's your car it up to you to decide what needs fixing now and what can be left till later.

Good luck.

cause the head is off dosnt mean its easy to do the sump rear main u realy want the motor out 2 do the sump with a good job

i know alot of people who will sell you a can of degreaser instead of doing a rear main seal.

having the head off isnt going to make it that much easier to do.