overheating


  #1  
Old 01-13-05, 05:22 PM
bobjp
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Question overheating

Hello guys, I've been reading your replies to alot of the questions that have been posted and its been very insightful, you guys know your stuff. Here's my problem, I've been working on my girlfriends car thats been overheating, a 93 cougar 3.8,a little over 60,000 miles, what I thought would be an easy fix is turning out to be my nightmare, I've changed out the thermostat twice-even tested it in hot water, changed the water pump, put a new radiator cap on and still have problems. there's no water in the oil, its not blowing white smoke and there are no leaks. Now I even left out the thermostat to see how the flow was in the radiator, it was ok but not like a water hose. The car has warm and cold heat at times with the stat in and steady heat with it out. The temp gauge is very erradic-from cold to hot to cold at an idle and will overheat when driven, it doesen't seem to draw any anti-freeze from the surge tank. Would a clogged heater-core cause this? Clogged radiator? Would a back flush help? Air in the system? Thankyou for any input!
 
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Old 01-13-05, 05:43 PM
J
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Is the radiator fan working? It should be cycling on and off.
 
  #3  
Old 01-13-05, 06:19 PM
Master101
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Am I way off?

1990-93: Ignition switch could suffer short circuit, which can cause overheating, smoke, and possibly fire in steering-column area.

Might be a blown head gasket. There is a special test fluid that used in radiator to test for fumes of exhaust by you local mechanic.

Follow with caution!
the smell from your radiator fluid and tailpipe exhast, if there same then you have blown head gasket. Not sure just read it.
 

Last edited by Master101; 01-13-05 at 06:48 PM.
  #4  
Old 01-14-05, 01:02 PM
Focus
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My buddy said to warm up the engine look in the over flow tank and make sure the hose in the coolant and see if there any bubbles if there is its prob a head gasket. I did that but didnt see anything. The car use to belong to his mother she had the head gasket done at 70,000 miles well it has 156,000 now so its prob due. Great not looking foward to doing the head gasket.
 
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Old 01-14-05, 02:32 PM
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Yes it could be a restricted radiator. Has anyone ever put stop leak in the system? If you want to check the water pump's flow, try this. Remove the upper radiator hose from the radiator, put a water hose into the radiator cap turned on slowly. Start the engine and after the T-stat opens, check the flow coming out of the top hose.
 
 

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