housing problems
no, the house is fine. this is the housing — the thermostat housing. my car is currently off the road for a bit while i make repairs.
a slight amount of coolant has been leaking from my car for a while. i decided to order up a new thermostat housing, thermostat, and all associated gaskets (this is a common problem with the focus, apparently). while i was in there to replace the housing, i noticed nearly all of my coolant hoses were swelling on the ends — a sign of age/wear.
eventually this would lead to a hose that was “soaked” — that is, the inner layers of rubber have broken down and allowed coolant to seep into them. this would ultimately end in a burst hose — and LOTS of coolant leaking in a big hurry.
so i made the decision to keep my car up on jackstands for a while longer, and i ordered all new silicone hoses. pricier than OEM rubber hoses, but they’re last pretty much forever.