1999 Ford Taurus Car overheating daily

REDBIRDZ97

MEMBER
1999 FORD TAURUS
6 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
115,000 MILES

Hello, I have a 1999 ford taurus 3.0 liter engine. I have replaced thermostat, water pump and the cooling resevoir twice on this car. Seems to do fine on the highway but as soon as you get off or run it in the driveway it consistantly overheats and blows through the side of the cooling resevoir. Not out the cap where it is supposed too. I have flushed the radiator, the cooling fans are running. I have looked in the oil and haven't seen any of the telltale milky white leading me to believe that the headgasket is fine and outside of the water getting pushed out of the resevoir I have noticed no coolant leaking/disappearing. Any clue what is going on here?

5 Replies

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
108,262 POSTS

Have you flushed the radiator and engine block? Also, have you checked engine compression to make sure it's not a head gasket? Also, when this happens, have you checked to see if one of the radiator hoses is collapsing?

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Tuesday, May 2nd, 2017 AT 4:14 PM

REDBIRDZ97

MEMBER
3 POSTS

Yes I have flushed both radiator and block. No I haven't checked the compression but with this problem happening for a few months now if it was the head gasket I would have thought that I would have seem something in the oil. Maybe not? Haven't noticed hoses collapsing will check that tomorrow. Is a rotted out radiator a common possible thing? Meaning the inner workings are somewhat rusted away? When I flushed it I did and still do get somewhat of a rusty color even though I use a green antifreeze not the orange stuff. And this is when I flush from the resoviour through the radiator taking the hose loose at the thermo stat before it goes back into engine.

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Tuesday, May 2nd, 2017 AT 4:14 PM

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
108,262 POSTS

Actually, you don't have to see coolant in the oil to have a bad head gasket. It could be leaking compression and you would never know.

As far as the radiator, what happens is they corrode inside and don't allow the coolant to properly circulate. If there are any radiator shops near you, you may want to remove the radiator and have it rodded out. They actually boil the radiator in a solution that will eliminate the corrosion and build up. Where I am, near Pittsburgh, there is a shop that does it for around 30 bucks, and when they finish, you can't tell the radiator from a new one. They have always worked for me for years after the work is done.

Keep in mind, flushing from the overflow really doesn't allow that much pressure to clean out the radiator, so this may be a condsideration for you.

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Tuesday, May 2nd, 2017 AT 4:14 PM

REDBIRDZ97