coolant question

[dannyq]

I had my thermostat changed today, when I was driving it this afternoon, I noticed the smell of coolant for a little while, then it went away. Is that just coolant burning off?

[Sponsor]

[WD40]

More than likely.
It's tough to change coolant, and not spill some somewhere that will get hot, and burn off.
I'd take a real close look under the car after parking it for a few hours, to make sure it isn't leaking.
Also, keep a close eye on the reservoir, to make sure it isn't going down.
It's not uncommon to have to add a little bit a few days after a coolant flush.

BTW,
Moved to ”Ford Focus Technical Chat”

[jaykirs]

^^ what he said, every time I have changed a thermostat I smelled coolant for a while until it evaporated or "burned off" then all was good :-) .... oh, and the reason the level will drop a bit after a while is because you introduce air into an otherwise "closed system" so those air pockets will eventually work their way out, thereby causing the coolant level to drop but no biggie, just top off and you should be good to go.

After you have driven the car a few days check around the thermostat housing just to make sure everything is nice and dry. As long as you used a new gasket and a good gasket sealant (I use perma-gasket, can be messy but it's damn good stuff!!) you should be fine.

[dannyq]

Awesome, thanks guys.

[wogeboy]

Any particular thermostat I need for my 02 focus (zetec)..I noticed that the temp guage goes up while I sit at a light, but cools down again when I begin to move the car.
I think it is either the thermostat or the thermistor pack (between the two fans)?
Both fans operate when the AC is on, but when I turn off AC, the engibne fan does not seem to be kicking in...thanks

[vanace]

I was going to laugh because it is winter.. but then I see your in s. florida... You can (with the car cold) take off the radiator cap... then put a candy thermometer in the radiator.. then run the car untill the T-stat opens, and see the temp when the fans turn on. That is the cheapo way to do it your self and fix the problem with minimum hastle.