You mentioned your heat doesn't work. Is it the blower or just lack of warm air? You are not prone to waterpump failures with the Zetec, but you perhaps that is the case although I seriously doubt it. Here are some things to check. Make sure your coolant is full to the max line and use the bleed screw to ensure you have all air out of the system (do this while engine is running). Also check your condensor and radiator for bugs and crud that get caught in between the fins. If clogged squirt as much as you can with a hose. Also be sure that your cooling fan is operating as it should be. If if you have done all of the above and your gauge still shows overheating then I would have the sending unit FOR THE GAUGE replaced. There is also another for the engine computer I believe. You may want to replace that too if the fan wasn't coming on. If all of the above fails, perhaps it's your waterpump. The white smoke could be one of 2 things. First cold engines have to burn out the condensed water inside them and will smoke when first started up and if something in the computer isn't quite right then it may not be idling right. The idling may have something to do with the bank that is running lean. You may have an oxygen sensor out ($40 to replace if you do it yourself I think). If the smoke is not from the engine warming up, usually white smoke is burning antifreeze/water which is somehow getting into the cylinders. I am not an expert, but I think that could mean that your head gasket is blown, but I think you would also be finding water in the oil as well. Did you let it overheat for an extended period of time? Hope this is of some help and somebody please correct me if I am wrong. Contours are always worth fixing, but how many miles do you have on your lil' Zetec?
