[krystalluxe]

Okay,

bought this car in an auction for pretty cheap. when purchased all fluid levels were great except antifreeze -- that's the only thing that concerned me.

So about 5 months later the cars' issues are getting worse.

Issues:
It goes through oil like no tomorrow.

Heater only works after engine warms up and car has been running for a long while, but not idling. If I'm driving on the highway, then the heater works after the engine has completely warmed up and has been warm for 10-15 minutes. as soon as i slow down, starts blowing not hot air that smells -- sometimes like gas.

It also goes through anti freeze like crazy. it was completely empty after having filled it 3 weeks prior. ??


AND today while sitting in horrendous traffic on the freeway, my engine began to smoke. not sure if it's because of the anti freeze which had spilled or something more serious. by the time I had gotten home, about 20 minutes later, it was still smoking. when i looked at the engine there was no visible leaks or signs of where the smoke was coming from exactly. i could only tell it was on the left side of the engine.

PLEASE HELP. My mileage is at just under 112,000 and I have no previous history for the car because I purchased it at an auction.

 

[krystalluxe]

Also, it starts really hard no matter what the temperature is outside.

 

[Marde]

Antifreeze: most common leak spots are the cap -or- the reservoir tank (plastic) cracks... check hoses and hose connections too.

That smell: a 2004 PCV hose has reached the end of it life, is likely cracked and needs replacement (I replaced mine). Not easy, intake manifold must be removed.
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=212938

Oil leak: look again, you should be able to find/see where the leak is. Do you ever see a spot of oil under the car on the ground?

 

[Leora83]

It helps everyone to know which engine you have...SPI (2.0L single overhead cam), Zetec (2.0L dual overhead cam) or PZEV (2.3L). It'll be marked on the valve cover.

Does the temperature gauge reach the halfway mark within 5-10 minutes of driving? If not, you likely have a sticking thermostat. Replacement is easy and cheap. Check to see if the thermostat housing is leaking...fairly common and would explain coolant loss.

It might be worth doing a compression test to make sure the engine is sound. Oil loss can be simple like a leaking oil pressure sensor or bad like worn pistons/rings.

 

[david5300]

My 2001 DOHC was very slow to heat up so I placed cardboard in front of it to block the air flow and it heats up nicely but I must remove it after the weather warms up.

 

[pasta]

Check around head might have head gasket leak.