Engine Overheating while I drive?

There was a new thermostat installed recently. That's not my concern, unless the new thermostat is not working. And how would I know that without disconnecting the radiator hose and starting the car and letting it warm up? I think the problem is either a blockage in the system or a water pump that is not pumping water. The radiator appears to be in good shape, and I am currently running a radiator cleaner in the water and it is making no difference. How can I tell if the water pump is not pumping?

We purchased this car 3 years ago and found that the intake was leaking, allowing coolant into the oil. The intake and heads were removed. The heads checked OK at the machine shop. We replaced the intake gasket (with RTV where called for) and the head gaskets. We also replaced the heater core, radiator, hoses, and a complete AC system. Other than a heater problem (not getting hot very fast), the car has ran great from that point on with no overheating problems. The other day, my wife drove home from work via the interstate as she has for the past 3 years. When she exited and came to a red light, the temp gauge started to climb. She drove 6 blocks to the house and stopped. When she turned the car off, coolant began pouring out from under the cap on the coolant bottle. My first thought was a stuck thermostat. I replaced the thermostat and checked for any leaks throughout the rest of the cooling system. After refilling with antifreeze, I let the car run for about an hour with the cap off to help purge any air. The coolant released an air bubble about every 30-60 seconds for about 30 minutes before settling down. It ran for another 30 minutes with no further bubbling. I replaced the cap with a new one and drove the car about 2 miles on the interstate before exiting. When I exited, the damn gauge started climbing. It never pegs out since it immediately returns to about normal when the car starts to move again. When I got it home and opened the hood, the coolant was pouring from under the cap again. With the car off, the coolant pours from the bottle for several minutes before stopping. The fans do come on and off as they should. I really need help with this one. She needs this car for work. Please respond! I have donated in the past and will again when money isn't so tight. Thanks.

Rasmataz,

I placed a pressure tester just shy of 16 psi and let it set for about 30 minutes. The needle just barely dropped abot 1/16 or less of 1 psi. I used the block tester that utilizes the blue fluid and vacuum for about 3-4 min. And the fluid remained blue.

I'm not really sure how to check for water pump flow. I don't see any movement in the plastic bottle but, the coolant rises and falls as the car warms up.

I used a scan tool while the car was idling and the temp stayed around 200 degrees after sitting at idle with the cap off for about an hour. The outside temp here is about 90 degrees.

I put the cap on and had my wife take me for a ride with the scan tool attached and the AC on. It took about three blocks of city driving for the temp to start climbing past where it had been. When we stopped and opened the hood, coolant was again pouring out under the cap. The scan tool read only 230 at that point. The anti-freeze bottle stated that the boilover point should be 265 degrees. I did notice that the plastic bottle wasn't pulsating like a full boilover while the coolant poured out.

I'm really confused with this problem.

Razmataz,

I removed the new thermostat and placed it in boiling water. The damn thing didn't open all the way. I replaced the NEW thermostat with another NEW thermostat and the problem appears to be corrected. Thanks a bunch for the help!

My daughters car over heated and after changing the thermostat she still had the same problem. She drove the car anyway even though I had advised her not to until I could change the Water Pump. Her car went dead while driving it and she said the temp gage never went to the danger zone. I changed the water pump but now it won't start. I can hear the fuel pump kick on when she turns the key. It acts like it's not getting any gas. Any suggestion?

Rasmatz,

I'm in need of your assistance again with this stupid thing. I thought it was fixed but, the next time my wife drove the car about 20 miles, the coolant came out of the cap again. I drove it only around the block and the coolant rapidly rose and poured under the cap when the car was turned off. I let it cool some so I could remove the cap and re-filled to the proper level. I started it and let it idle for just a few minutes with the cap off (it was hot enough that the thermostat would be open.). When I shut it off, the coolant filled the bottle and came about 1 inch above the neck as it poured the coolant out, even with the cap off. The bottle filled so fast that I could hear it filling, like listening to a bottle fill up under a faucet. I could also hear loud air hissing through the small tube from the intake to the bottle. I could also hear a boiling sound coming through the upper radiator hose. This all lasted about a minute before stopping. I used my pressure tester and tested the cap. It opened at 16psi as it should. I then placed the tester on the coolant bottle and started the engine. The tester showed a rise of 3psi within a minute or so. I turned the car off, removed the tester and found that the coolant had flooded the inside of the tester in the short time it took me to walk around the car and remove it. It continued to pour out of the bottle for a short time after I remove the tester. Since the tester did not raise, how would the flow happen so fast without being backed up by alot of pressure? The scanner at this point read 210 degrees with a proper mix of coolant. I re-filled again (taking a small fortune in anti-freeze now) and removed the small hose coming from the intake to the coolant bottle and placed the end of it in the bottle neck. I started the car and noticed a small but steady flow of coolant. The flow was like just barely turning on a water faucet to where the water just starts to come out. When I turned the car off to replace the hose. Gush, out the coolant came again with the cap off and no pressure in the system. I sure hope you can help! Additional donation was made for your time.

Thanks!

Yeah someone had suggested eyther or starting fluid. I didn't think Starter fluid was good for the engine. I'll try what you suggested and squirt some gas into the intake. And No I didn't check for spark. It was getting dark when I finally finished changing the water pump. Lol. Thanks for your response.

Rasmataz,

This system does not have a cap on the radiator. Would your advise work by using the plastic pressure bottle? There aren't any bleed screws on this Taurus, and they are known for air problems. How would I bleed the system?

Rasmataz,

Part of the problem has been solved. I was advised by a Ford dealership mechanic (a rare one that would talk to you) that the overflow problem was the cap and bottle. He said that over time, the plastic will wear out due to the heat and the bottle neck will deform. He also said that the aftermarket bottles and caps for these cars aren't good enough. I bought a Ford bottle and cap and the coolant now remains in the system when the car is shut off. However, the heating up problem still exists after the car has been driven about 10 miles with the AC on. After putting the new bottle and cap on, I drove a 5 mile loop on an interstate system with no problems at all. I then drove the same loop with the AC on and when I would stop, the gauge would climb fast. Again, as soon as I started the car rolling, the gauge woud drop just about as fast.

Here's a really odd thing, I think I need a TRS (neutral safety switch for the old timers. Lol). I have read many posts here that blames the switch when you start having radio and power steering problem. The radio speakers will cut out on this car when you put it into any other gear except Park or Neutral. Since this switch seems to mess with other components, would it be possible that it also messes with the fans when the car is in gear? I noticed that I can let the car idle with the AC on in park and it doesn't heat up too fast. But, if I hold the brake and put it in drive, the temp will gradually climb. Put it back in park and the temp will gradually drop. This may not be related at all but it just seemed strange.

Any ideas?

Prior to the water pump, I had flushed it out and changed the thermostat. It was full of rusty water. My daughter told me it only started overheating at a traffic light. I also had checked to make sure the fans were operating which they were. When she still had problems I changed the water pump due to the rusty water. I figured it had eaten up the impellar which was the fact when I changed it. The impellar looked like swiss cheese. My daughter also told me the car was running fine until it went dead. Temp gage went a little above the middle. After it went dead she said is when it stared smoking. I'll do a compression test. It trys to start when I turn the ignition key on but wont run. I hope it's nothing internal.

I have a 97 ford taurus with a duratech 24 valve 3.O v6.
I was highway driving the other day I accelerated to pass a car after words I stopped for a toll the car stalled from overheating. I have replaced the thermostat, the radiator (due to a pressure test leak) I believe I got all the air out of the lines I checked the fans they are working but my car still overheats what else could it be? Could it be the water pump or is there a sensor that I dont know about? Please I cannot afford to do many more fixes this has already dipped into more than half my rent and I have too many medical bills as it is.