My car is still leaking antifreeze!?

Question

I don't know why my car keeps loosing antifreeze. This past weekend I was driving my car when it started to over heat so I panicked and pulled it over, my bf checked the antifreeze compartment and it was empty and smelled funny like something was burning. This past summer my car had a leak and I had my dad fix it, he changed the hoses and it stopped leaking for the next 5 months. Now it is leaking again and my heat doesn't work. I had the radiator replaced earlier this year so I doubt it would be that. I read through some of the other yahoo answers and there is no white smoke coming from the tail pipe when car is running so I don't believe it is a blown head gasket. At the moment im just keeping water in it cause i dont want the antifreeze to keep leaking out. I have been checking the water level and it appears as if it stopped leaking cause the compartment is still full. I really don't know what to do I know absolutely nothing about cars so any help is appreciated?. My car is a 2003 ford focus and there is about 126,3?? Miles on it.

Update:

The radiator was replaced and a couple other things because I had got into a smell fender bender, not because I didn't change the antifreeze. Thanks so far for all the helpful suggestions.

Update 2:

No the floors not wet either =\

kevusaborn · Answer

I don't know where you live but for starters, putting water in the radiator can freeze if the temperature drops and that will create havoc.   You need to have your car pressure tested by a reputable mechanic to find out where this antifreeze/coolant is leaking from.  This is a must because
this small problem could eventually turn into a major one. The reason why the heater isn't working
is probably because the fluid is so low. 
 
Good Luck..

**The star** · Answer

i reckon we can eliminate the radiator leaking since you replaced that already, since you said your heat doesn't work you could be leaking coolant at the heater core. I am really in the same boat as you because i replaced my radiator in my ford Taurus 1996 like 3 months ago and its leaking coolant again. So am soon getting rid of the car and after that I will never buy a Ford again. Thank god i have a toyota rav4 2001 as my back up car.

bandit_60 · Answer

maybe it,s the water pump leaking. is the floor wet on the passenger side? if so then you have a leaking heater core. it don,t have to blow white smoke out the tailpipe. the antifreeze could be going into the oil. if it is then it,s a head or intake gasket leaking.

stabone315 · Answer

its one of several things..personally it sounds like a blown head gasket..check your exaust tailpipe when its running..if it smells like anti freeze or you can see antifreeze coming out that means its ablow headgasket..second could be a bad heatercore..a heatercore is what gives you heat inside the car,if they get clogged or crack you can mell antifreeze inside the car or have a puddle of antifreeze on your passenger side floor..a slimmy windshield also indicates a heater core problem...good luck!

it could also be the water pump if it went bad the seal blows out and your leaking antifreeze

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My car is still leaking antifreeze!?

4 Answers