How much to repair

wannabee_in_credit

Hi all
I normally post on dfw and os boards, so not sure if this is the place for this.
I drive a 2005 Ford Focus. It's our only car and I'm completely dependent on it for getting to work. At the moment I'm on holiday.
I took it out today - 30 mile round trip. When I got home and switched off the ignition I could hear a noise like water running. When I got out of the car, the radiator fan was running, making a lot of noise. Went out about 20 mins later - just over 3 miles. Again, could hear sound of running water and fan stayed on after I'd parked up. Checked water levels - below minimum. Topped it up then drove home a couple of hours later. No fan this time but water below min when I got home. Presume this means I have a leak somewhere.
Anyway, have it booked into my local garage who know the car well (have had various problems since I got it) and will fix it tomorrow.
I'm wanting to know if this is going to cost me tens, hundreds or thousands of pounds. It really is the last thing I need this close to Christmas.
Also, I'm always keen to learn so if you can tell me what on earth is going on I'd love to know. I'm well educated but very clueless on the practical side of life, so any help gratefully received.

Browntoa

might just be a leaking water pump or a hose , both cheapish fixes



http://image.minitruckinweb.com/f/10614194+w750+st0/0404mt_13_z+mustang_v8_engine_swap+lower_radiator_hose.jpg


see the 2 rubber hoses top and bottom left

Muscle750

sounds like head gasket if theres no obvious signs of any leaks

poppasmurf_bewdley

Did it have anti-freeze in? Did you top up with an anti-freeze/water mixture?

rodenal

If you can literally hear water running can only assume a hose has somehow come off or got a serious split, either way your garage shouldn't have trouble diagnosing

s_b

i always equate car fluids to blood
would you walk round all day oozing blood and just going for a top up at lunchtime like a vampire
or would you go to the doctor/first aider and get an opinion soonest
this is your injun
at least someones going to make a sale of a car in the new year:D

wannabee_in_credit

Thanks for advice and suggestions - can only hope it's not something like the head gasket as I still have 2 years left to pay on it and can't afford a new one.
It's in at the garage today, I'll report back and let you know who's right.

Weird_Nev

I'd say a split hose or leaky radiator something - hearing 'running' water is unusual though. Did you have a look to see where it was coming from, or did it sound internal
The fan being on after the car is stopped can happen, but is an indicator the car was running hot.

Fingers crossed for you that it's an easy fix, anyway.

scheming_gypsy

Had the same problem last night, every 10 days or so I'd get the 'coolant low' warning so i'd top up but the other day I had chance to try and look what was causing it. Popped the bonnet and there's a drip from the hose to the LPG regulator so we patched it up; yesterday it was going through water like nobodies business so i got some silicon bonding tape from B&Q.
As soon as I wrapped it up another leak appeared on a different pipe going to the regular, patched that up and another split appeared - each time you could hear running water like a toilet cistern topping up. When I took it off so i could measure it to replace, the hose just snapped in half; completely lost all flexibility and crumbled

At the minute it's running with a length of hose pipe joining them together and not doing a bad job! but it'll cost me £15 for a metre of silicon hosing later to fix it.
So like the others have said; split hose, come apart or a jubilee clip just needs tightening.

wannabee_in_credit

Well it's not as simple or as cheap as I'd hoped. Heating matrix is leaking - £177 for the new parts, £160 labour then antifreeze as well.
I could cry. It's one of those cars that I've had nothing but hassle with and I just can't afford to get rid of it. Tough to find that amount of money four days before Christmas. But, need to keep it running as I need it for work.
Thanks everyone for the advice, much appreciated.