Car coolant very hot! It smells when i get out the car?

I have recently bought an 03 1.4 ford fiesta petrol. Everything was rosey until i went to the shop yesterday and when i got out all i could smell was coolant! I opened the bonnet and the coolant was bubbling and very warm to touch! Not scolding but hot! I've checked all possible signs of a head gasket and nothing. The car its self isn't over heating its just the coolant. Thermostat in the car hardly budges. Can anyone help me out with what to check and how? I'm limited to what tools i have but the garage are trying to charge a fortune!

When the engine is running and up to full temperature, the coolant may reach 100'C - it's prevented from actually boiling because it's contained in a pressurised system.

Look where coolant (or steam) is escaping - it must be coming out somewhere to be able to smell it.

If it's through the vent pipe from the filler cap, either the cap is faulty or something is causing pressure or boiling elsewhere.

You mention the temperature gauge is hardly moving - that in itself indicates a fault, it should be at somewhere around mid position once the engine is hot.

The temperature sender in the engine may have failed or be disconnected so the gauge is not reading; either that or the engine thermostat has failed open and the temperature is not being regulated.

Whatever it is needs finding as it could be causing major damage.

Have a look on the TalkFord Forum / Ford WIKI for more specific information:

http://www.talkford.com/community/

http://www.fordwiki.co.uk/index.php?title=Main_Page

Try to replace the thermostat first.

Many cars run at hotter than boiling. That is quite normal, if your temperature gauge is not showing hot you should be ok. The reason an engine can run at a temperature hotter than boiling, is because the coolant is under pressure. The Coolant may need to be replaced, or you may need a new pressure cap for the radiator

First let me tell you that the motor is overheating! When you have an air pocket in the motor the temperature gauge is not accurate. Next if you think fixing the problem is expensive just wait until you ruin the head gasket and it's $1,500 to replace it. You have no clue what you're doing and had better make sure you get some antifreeze (50/50 mix) back in that motor and drive straight to a repair shop before you really have problems. By the way, that's the temperature gauge on the dash. The thermostat is in the motor and may be what needs replacing.

The coolant is NOT overheating. The coolant IS reaching the same temperature as the engine. Whatever temperature that is, it is NOT overheating for the coolant. Assuming you are REMOTELY close to the proper mixture. If you can TOUCH the coolant without burning yourself, it is down right COLD compared to what it should be. I have no idea what the shop wants to charge, but it is a BARGAIN compared to what it will cost WHEN you fry the engine because YOU have absolutely NO IDEA what the IMPOSSIBLE claims in this question even mean

Oh, you have no automotive logic.
It's not a "thermostat" in your car that is hardly budging, it's the temperature gauge.
That happens when your coolant level is TOO LOW!
Then your engine overheats.
It's not the car that overheats.
If you keep playing around, you will injure your engine.
Put your heater on full hot and the fan on high.
Is lots of heat blowing out?
If it's cold, you are definitely LOW ON COOLANT.
I mean the coolant in the cooling system, not the reservoir.
Don't look in the radiator if it's hot.
You could get a faceful of scalding liquid.

By the way, the coolant of an engine that has reached operating temperature is more than warm to the touch. It should be almost to the temperature of boiling water.
It could cook your flesh!