over heating problem
#1
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over heating problem
2000 ford explorer 4.0 SOHC
I'm having a overheating issue, after driving the car the temp. needle will go to hot and come back to normal or a little above this happens after the car has sat long enough to cool off. Today was the first day the check engin light came on but after a few moments the light went off and the temptur gage went back to normal.
I'm having a overheating issue, after driving the car the temp. needle will go to hot and come back to normal or a little above this happens after the car has sat long enough to cool off. Today was the first day the check engin light came on but after a few moments the light went off and the temptur gage went back to normal.
#3
Have you checked the coolant level & strength?? (Is it below freezing there)) If so I'd be changing the thermostat to start with... A word of advice is to get the new one from your local Ford dealer,, but lots of people use the aftermarket ones with no problem.... let us know.... Roger
#5
1. Partially drain the cooling system.
2. Remove the upper radiator hose.
3. Remove the bolts, water outlet adapter and thermostat.
o Inspect the O-ring seal.
4. To install, reverse the removal procedure.
Tighten the bolts (3 of them) to 89 inch lbs that's a plastic housing so don't crank on them. I usually replace the o-ring when doing this job just to be safe and not have any leaks.
(I know most DIY's don't have an inch pound torque wrench and that's Fords spec.That translates to roughly 7.5 ft lbs so good and snug does the trick)
Good Luck
2. Remove the upper radiator hose.
3. Remove the bolts, water outlet adapter and thermostat.
o Inspect the O-ring seal.
4. To install, reverse the removal procedure.
Tighten the bolts (3 of them) to 89 inch lbs that's a plastic housing so don't crank on them. I usually replace the o-ring when doing this job just to be safe and not have any leaks.
(I know most DIY's don't have an inch pound torque wrench and that's Fords spec.That translates to roughly 7.5 ft lbs so good and snug does the trick)
Good Luck
#6
WHERE are you driving the car when that happens? The reason I ask is - the electric fan is needed for city driving. If say the fan relay is faulty, it can delay when the fan comes on. That could cause your symptom.
Or if there is an air pocket behind the stat, the temp has to get hotter before the stat opens, because the stat sensor is not fully submersed in coolant. Then the air bubble passes, when the stat DOES finally open, and then the temp drops to normal. Until you shut off the vehicle, and it cools, the stat closes again, and the same thing can happen the next time. The reason it does that is the stat is fully closed when cold. Then if there is air in the system, it moves around to get back to the high point in the engine, getting trapped behind the stat again.
There can be different reasons for the air infiltration. It can be something as simple as the coolant level is too low. Or, if you periodically have to add to the coolant level to maintain the same level, you have an external or internal leak, and that can cause the air intrusion. Some of these such problems can be serious and require some dismantling work of major components.
If the problem is due to lack of circulation, or even an air bubble behind the stat, the overheating issue becomes even worse at highway speed, the reason being - because the explosions to propel the vehicle and fight the wind, at highway speed, are larger than tooling town, and generate more heat.
Having a vehicle reach hot, can have serious consequences on some engines more than others. Take it from me.
If you are the curious/scientist type, you can also put your old thermost in a kettle on the stove and slowly bring up the temp while you observe a candy thermometer in the water with it, to see if the stat opens, and all the way, when it should. Then you will know.
Or if there is an air pocket behind the stat, the temp has to get hotter before the stat opens, because the stat sensor is not fully submersed in coolant. Then the air bubble passes, when the stat DOES finally open, and then the temp drops to normal. Until you shut off the vehicle, and it cools, the stat closes again, and the same thing can happen the next time. The reason it does that is the stat is fully closed when cold. Then if there is air in the system, it moves around to get back to the high point in the engine, getting trapped behind the stat again.
There can be different reasons for the air infiltration. It can be something as simple as the coolant level is too low. Or, if you periodically have to add to the coolant level to maintain the same level, you have an external or internal leak, and that can cause the air intrusion. Some of these such problems can be serious and require some dismantling work of major components.
If the problem is due to lack of circulation, or even an air bubble behind the stat, the overheating issue becomes even worse at highway speed, the reason being - because the explosions to propel the vehicle and fight the wind, at highway speed, are larger than tooling town, and generate more heat.
Having a vehicle reach hot, can have serious consequences on some engines more than others. Take it from me.
If you are the curious/scientist type, you can also put your old thermost in a kettle on the stove and slowly bring up the temp while you observe a candy thermometer in the water with it, to see if the stat opens, and all the way, when it should. Then you will know.
#7
ecman51,, if he has the OEM thermostat,, it'll have a "jigglepin" in a hole in the stat that allows air to bleed out constantly but it'll block the hole with the pressure of coolant behind it.. (this is why I recomend OEM stats) This vehicle doesn't have an electric cooling fan,, but good point,, he should also check the drive belts & tensioners & make sure the fan clutch is driving the fan at a good speed & it's drawing air thru the rad... He was already asked twice to check the level (& the strength in case it's starting to freeze) so I hope he has,, I'm sure he'll let us know in a couple days how things went... Roger
#8
aftermarket parts arent a bad choice as well, in some cases, you may end up with a better part than you started with. The aftermarket companies reverse-engineer the part, and work the weaknesses out.