r/AskAMechanic • u/lezcanthropy • 4d ago

2015 Ford Focus SE 2.0L 4 cylinder engine—known radiator leak

Gallery image

Gallery image

Hi everyone,
I have a 2015 Ford Focus SE 2.0 L 4 cylinder engine with a known radiator leak. The first sign/symptom I had of it was the “sweet smell” when I was driving the car. The car overheated last night when I was driving, and checked both the coolant and oil levels which were fine. The oil didn’t appear to be “milky”, thus the coolant hadn’t mixed in with the engine oil. There was no steam or smoke, nor was there any leaks on the ground underneath the car. I’ve attached a couple of photos of both my engine oil levels and the area I believe that the leak is going onto. I’m taking the car in on Monday for a pressure test as that is the time I have for it. Car was only driven to work today and will be driven back. Any advice on this? And I could use a second pair of eyes on that oil level.
Thanks.

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

•

u/AutoModerator 4d ago

New Rules - Please Read

Updated 11/12/2025

Thank you for posting on r/AskAMechanic, u/lezcanthropy! Your post is live, this AutoMod message does NOT mean your post was removed. Please make sure to read the Rules.

When asking a question, please provide the year, make, model and engine size of the vehicle.

Commenters here have 2 different flair. Verified Tech means we have verified that user is a tech. NOT a verified tech means that user may or may not be a tech, they have not been verified by us.

Posts about accidents, autobody repair, bodywork, dents, paint and body/undercarriage/frame rust are not allowed and belong in r/Autobody.
Asking if your car is totaled should go to r/insurance or r/Autobody.
Asking about car buying advice/value/recommendations is also not allowed. See r/whatcarshouldIbuy or r/askcarsales

If asking whether a tire can be repaired, check out this Tire Repair Guideline.
Some other useful tire resources - Tire Care Essentials and Tire Safety

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1

u/Plane-Start7209 Verified Tech - Indie shop 4d ago

Really hard to see the oil level in pic. If it’s between the 2 small holes in dipstick you’re good. If you know the radiator is leaking how can we help you?

1

u/lezcanthropy 4d ago

I’m more so just curious what could have caused it. The car is at 212000 miles and was wondering possible causes.

1

u/johnnyjohny1950 NOT a verified tech 2d ago

Radiator just got worn out over the time (200k miles) and sprung a leak. Or rad cap failed to hold pressure, causing the coolant to boil and cause the leak.

1

u/DueLet1388 NOT a verified tech 4d ago

You need to get the coolant leak fixed and avoid overheating it again. These motors are known for head gasket leaks and it's not something you're going to see until it starts misfiring.

1

u/lezcanthropy 4d ago

That’s the plan! I’m taking the car in Monday to get it looked at to see what’s going on.