Mondeo antifreeze

The service work probably included topping up the coolant to the Max level. So if it was down by half-an-inch in the drive home, there is very likely a leak.

Drive it a little more, and see whether the level drops any more - mark it as accurately as you can first.

parking the car over a cloth or cardboard can often show up a leak. a common mondeo ( and ford in general) fault is that the header tank (proper name for it) can spring a hard to spot leak. A pressure test is the best way forward and I am surprised the garage did not carry one out.

Thanks for the replies.

The garage was a main dealer, it seems an odd thing to call the header tank an antifreeze bottle, written on the service sheet. The receptionist said they hadn't topped up the bottle as it was "pouring out". I would have thought it would have been a simple matter to run a finger under the water pump to see if it was leaking and not want the car back for another day to check. I will keep an eye on it and see what happens over a day or two.

Put a container of water in the boot whilst you are checking...

Chris

Quite. The correct name is coolant. But I wouldn't expect a main dealer to know any better than Kwikfit.

You may be being a bit optimistic regarding access to the pump.

You may be being a bit optimistic regarding access to the pump.

You may be being a bit optimistic regarding access to the pump.

Main dealers assign individuals to tasks; servicing is almost always an apprentice's job. They also have a bonus system of one form or another.

If an apprentice spots a defect that requires investigation outside his experience, it requires a further appointment. To do otherwise would involve taking someone else from a job, and that would screw the bonus system.

Chris

If the coolant level doesn't show signs of dropping - it should rise a bit from the cold level when fully warm and drop back again as it cools over several hours. Then the monkey may have described the screen wash bottle as "anti-freeze", as being a monkey all it knows is that a coloured mix of water and anti-freeze go in it.

Then you have to wonder, how many cars the monkey has filled the screen wash bottle with engine coolant.

I wonder if it is the washer pump leaking? IIRC they are well hidden.

Mrcheerful put finger to keyboard:

On my Mondeo a perished thermostat seal was the cause of leaking coolant - diagnosed by the RAC (at the roadside, with no 'proper' investigation) as a leaking water pump. Neither the thermostat nor the water pump are that difficult to get to in order to check for leaks. Replacement of either is somewhat more difficult though.