overheating

Yes, they have a temp sending unit. Have you every checked the coolant temp with a mechanical thermometer?

This guide can help us fix the problem


https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-overheating-or-running-hot


Please run down this guide and report back.

my car was overheating a few months ago so my husband looked under the hood and the reservoir was empty he filled it up lasted a few months then it done it again had a friend look at it said the thermostat was sticking and he changed that lasted about a month then yesterday i was driving i noticed a clacking noise and it started to lose power then the check engine light and battery light came on and my car shut off, uncle came and radatior was bone dry he put three gallons of water(thats all we had he didnt think it would be the raditor thought it wouldve been the starter or altornatior by the way i half explained it to him o the phone) while he was filling it up it was just pouring out started looking at it more and seems like all the hoses are good and like the raditor itself doesnt have a leak and saw that the water was coming out of the thermostat housing if i replace this and get a new thermostat should this fix my problem or would it be something else thank you for you your help!!!

**note: my a/c started blowing out smoke the first time it overheated so i stopped using it, but the heat still worked and few months later the heat would work just took longer than normal to get warm then when the friend put the thermostat on he noticed that the housing looked like it has been sealed before but was not leaking then and the reservoir and radatior had the stop leak mixture in it from previous owner (i bought it used)**

**** also i was wondering how i would clean the radatior and reservoir my self as i do not have much money to spend have one vechile and im the only one working****

from the sounds of it, you have damaged the motor head gaskets from the constant overheating. the leak should have been found the first time it overheated. now with the thermostat housing not set correctly, you may have engine damage

have a leak down test done on the cylinders to confirm a head gasket

Roy

were do you have one of those done at? and like when my car would start to overheat i wouldnt drive it i would pull over as soon as it would get hot i always keep a eye on the thermostat gage cause when i was younger i had a car that had that problem also... it hasnt shown any signs off smoking coolant mixed with the oil(my husband just changed the oil a couple of weeks ago) and the only timed it has ever lost power was when it shut off. i really hope that it isnt a head gasket. my uncle and his friend said that the reason it lost power and shut off like that was cause of the thermostat that was put on

I just came back from the mechanic. Here's what happened. I saw the check gauge light on yesterday after I took it for an oil change. I drove a really short distance to go grocery shopping and when I turned on the air it ran HOT(I live in Miami and it's August)
Took it to the mechanic and on my way to the mechanic who is less than a mile from me, the coolant gauge read H. They diagnosed and found that the radiator cap was bad. I drove to the parts place, and then the engine started to overheat. The guy put on the new cap I bought and on my way home (less than 3 blocks away) I overheated. Now, is there still a problem OR does my engine need to just rest and cool down?

Have you checked the thermostat? Is the fan clutch working properly?

The mechanic said that the fan clutch is fine but the thermostat had to be replaced. THE WHOLE THING. He told me that I could drive it without the thermostat but I didn't feel comfortable doing that. His argument was not convincing. So I'm waiting for the car tomorrow or Thurs. Hopefully it won't overheat again because I don't have another $400+ to spend on a bigger problem.

Question, can a car truly drive safely without the thermostat?

Are they charging you 400.00 for a therostat? It's a 10.00 part.

Based on what you said, I don't appreciate being price gouged and will gladly take steps to rectify the situation. I was told that the part was from the dealer and the cost was $298. The rest was labor and taxes. Could it be the larger system containing the thermostat? I'm just trying to figure this out

Let me know

I've had this 2 door Explorer for some time now, and a few months ago it started losing power in the engine, not anything sudden, just a gradual decline. This went on for awhile, then I noticed that it was missing pretty badly. Then, it seemed to be lurching into gear, and now, it will overheat, even if just sitting idle. There is also the smell of something burning, but I don't see any smoke.

Any Thoughts?
Thanks

He told me thermostat when he meant thermostat, sensors, housing, the who thing for $298. So it's not just the little thermostat. That's what he meant by the whole thing

That could be many things.Does it use coolant but no visible leaks? Has it ever been tuned up? if it is misfiring, you may be dumping fuel into the cat converter, which will eventually melt the insides and cause power loss.Is the check engine light on? if so have the PCM scanned to see what codes it has stored

Is the housing leaking / cracked? Usually they don't go bad. They are made of steel and the t-stat sits inside of it. As far as the sensor, I will assume he is refering to the temp sending unit. Honestly, I would try one at a time. The thermostat itself may take care of the problem, and you may not need the other items. As far as the housing, I would like to know what is wrong with the one on the car. And the sensor could be bad and send a false reading to the gauge making you think the car is overheating. I would start with the cheapest item to see if it takes care of the problem then move on. Regardless, ask what is wrong with the housing. If it wasn't cracked or damaged when you took it in, it should be fine unless they damaged it.

WHen it overheats, have you ever heard coolant boiling or had it boil over?

As far as your boiling question, yes. When the mechanic took off the radiator cap, it was so hot and pressurized that the cap on the coolant box popped up. It was somewhat scary.
What they are going to do is that they're going to try the cheaper option that you mentioned; piece by piece. From what I understand the housing component in my car is plastic which has been warped and cracked because of the heating and cooling. So I'll find out the verdict tomorrow. It may not cost me $400 but they'll let me know what happened.

Engine Cooling problem
1996 Ford Explorer Four Wheel Drive

Engine overheats. Runs fine other than that. Why is it overheating and is it a cheap fix?

It could be a few things. Have you made sure the coolant is full? Have you ever had the thermostat replaced? Have you ever had the cooling system flushed?

Let me know.

Joe

It leaks water out of the back of the intake gasket. Does that mean its a bad gasket?

It is either the gasket is bad or the intake is warped. It needs replaced.

About 3 weeks ago my wife told me the check engine light came on and very sporadically the truck would pull when accelerating. The engine was running hot. I recently had my transmission flushed and a oil change. now there is steam coming from the radiator. The engine is not running hot, there is nothing leaking and while the truck was cold I check the fluids in the radiator and it was full. I don't know much about cars any help would be appreciated.

Check the radiator closely. Chances are you have a pinhole in it and it's seaping a small amoung of coolant that is causing the steam.

Let me know what you find.
Joe

Engine Performance problem
1996 Ford Explorer 6 cyl Four Wheel Drive Automatic

The truck drives for about 5 miles overheats then stalls!!! will not start again until engine has completely cooled. Help Please!

If the engine is overheating, we need to determine why. Is the coolant full? Have you replaced the thermostat? Also, have you ever noticed white smoke from the exhaust?

Let me know.

Joe

vehicle overheats unless i have heater on while driving when i shut car off it will start steaming and leaking water from center of engine

The coolant level is getting too low to flow through the radiator. The heater core acts like a small radiator. In this case you already know what the problem is. You just have to figure out what's leaking and repair it.

My car is overheating when I go above 55 or if I drive it for more than 15 min. We have changed the thermostate and the fan. The radiator is always still full of water, but it is overheating. Do you think it's the water pump? We are confused.

with the vehicle parked and running check to see if the fans turn on from the time the vehicle is cold to when it is overheating,

to check water pump hold hands on the upper hose and pinch it shut when the engine is warm of course, but use gloves, then when releasing it you should feel a increase of pressure and a surge of water flowing past it.

could be bad ignition timing causing this or a restricted coolign ssytem.

I have a 1994 Ford explorer 4x4 V-6 4.0 with 123,000 miles on it and i have been chasing this overheating problem. I have replaced the radiator with a new one (4 core radiator) replaced the water pump and thermostat(6 differant thermostats) and new fan clutch. Running normally down the highway temps seem fine but when you do a hard excelleration like pulling a hill or passing another car the temp will go up drastically like to 250 degrees( accorrding to my snap on brick scanner) before it starts cooling back down and sometimes it takes awhile for it to cool back down especially if im running the hills where i have a long hard pull.

Thanks in advance BPhillips

Did you pressure test the Radiator cap?

I replaced the radiator cap instead of checking it and the temps seem to still rise under heavy acceleration but seemed not to be as bad, but then again it was 40 degrees outside.

Question could it be possible that motor is leaning out under heavy throttle??? I have also replaced 30,000 miles ago 02 sensors, plugs, wires and fuel filter(twice)

Thanks again.

I really doubt the air/fuel mix is related.

I would be very meticulous to see if there is a small leak that is hardly detectable and allowing air into the system. I can't help but wonder if there is a small crack in the head that is only opening under extreme load.

I think, I would pressure test it and let it set overnight and see if anthing appears in the morning. For that matter, pull the plugs first and look at them carefully for any signs of green.
If nothing is obvious in the morning, gently back out the oil drain plug and look closely at the first two drips to make sure oil comes out and not coolant. The coolant will settle to the bottom of the pan if it is present. If still nothing. Crank the engine over and see if anything shoots out the cylinders.

Engine Cooling problem
1994 Ford Explorer 6 cyl Four Wheel Drive Automatic

I have a 1994 Explorer with 183k miles. Recently my temp gauge will go to high, then drop back to normal for a few minutes, then back to high and back and forth. I turn on the heater and it shows no effect. I have noticed a loss of some coolant every week, but nothing drastic.

thank you very much for any help.

I am guessing that you have a automatic. check the temperature of the transmission and see if it is running hot that would make the cooling system work harder. providing you do not have an external transmission cooler.

does temperature fluctuate coming from the vent? how much coolant is leaking out?

first step is to make sure there is no air in the system and the coolant is filled in the radiator and in the overflow bottle.

to make sure you get no air jack up the front end with radiator cap off and let vehicle get warm then top off the fluids.

sounds like your vehicles thermostat may be sticking. or that the guage is bad. we can test the guage and if that doesnt fix it get on checking the thermostat and water pump.

i'am wondering a couple things. if possible vaccum leak somewhere and or a timing problem under load do you here any pinging.NOS

There is a moderate temperature change from the vent, but not too bad. As far as leakage, I refill the reservoir about once a week. I drive on the freeway frequently and have noticed it has gotten progressively worse, running hotter before returning to mid-range.

I recently had the same problem...

However, are you leaking coolant?

If so, it may be the intake manifold gasket.

Check your plugs for white corrosion.

you notice a sweet smell from the exhaust? interior? engine bay?

might be time to have cooling system pressure tested or a cylinder compression and leak down test to see if you have a issue with the head or head gasket.

My '92 Explorer overheated 25miles from home, as I was driving it began making a gurggling sound, and lost power. I pulled off roadway, and let cool off. Replaced water in radiator, then drove another 21 miles before it again overheated, again I pulled off highway and allowed it to cool off, replaced lost water, and drove the remaining distance home.
I am pretty sure it is the water pump, however a mechanic I know said he feels it blew the head gasket, he replace my heater core a couple months ago, and when he tested cooling system, told me there was Hydrocarbons in the engine.

I have a 22,000 pound external trans cooler after the radiator (brand new) and i have a heat sticker on trans pan and it shows good 190 is first red spot and it not red. But also if engine running hot trans will run hot also to certain point.

I dont seem to be losing any antifreeze at least overflow tank seems full and radiator full when cold.

I dont know about timeing being right as it is DIS ignition.

Thanks again for replies.

it could be the thermostat sticking when it gets old or you havn't had coolant flushed for a while it can cause buildup to occur and it could be sticking and not allowing coolant in try replacing it its the cheapest fix