Engine overheating?

check If cooling fan(s) operates at all speeds, check for other causes of overheating symptom (internal engine problems, excessive vehicle load, transmission overheating, brake drag or faulty gauge/sender).

This guide can help us

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

Please run down this guide and report back.

I have a 1998 taurus dohc that over heats when you put it in gear or turn on the a/c then stalls. We changed the thermastat but that wasn't it..Was told it could be water pump or blown headgasket. It also does not leak water frem anywhere that we can see.

1st check and make sure coolant system full and not low
start and run engine ,put A/C on
does the coolant fan run
if not check fuses and relay and fan operation
if fan run and engine still overheat
have to check if water pump pushing and circulating the coolant through the system ,
put the heater on do you have heat
does that help in cooling down the engine
let me know

My 98 Taurus started to run hot when idle or at low speeds after several minutes. I had thermostat changed, radiator flushed, sensor replaced, pressure tested ok.After flush and fill heater stopped getting hot and coolant flows out from bottle when car overheats. I have an O2 sensor out. Can this have anything to do with it or what else could be the problem? (Only hot at low speeds or idle after running several minutes) What should i fix next?

Is your fan coming On and also did you bleed the cooling system.

Take the Stat out and see what happens.

I will try with stat out. Also was not bled. Will try. thx

Ford had problems with water pump impellors failing. ( Especially 3.0 V6 ). They corrode to the point that the impellor looses its fins , becomes a flat plate and no longer pushes water. Cannot tell from the outside of the pump that there is a problem. This stops water flow through the engine and causes overheating, no heater function and blown head gaskets. Condition usually accelerates to worst condition in short time. :shock:

Hi, My Taurus keeps over heating. I have changed the thermostat, but after I drive for about twenty miles the coolent starts coming out around the cap on the holding tank. There is no visible leaks in any of the hoses. Can someone please help me with this problem.

Thank you,

Jack

You have already done the thermostat
filled and top fluid level
next step to check if fans coming on when needed and when AC on
check if coolant flowing and the water pump doing its job
do a head gasket test

good luck

*****************************************
need manual CHECK IT @
https://www.2carpros.com/kpages/auto_repair_manuals.htm

I've done a presure check to see if I have a blown head gasket, and it checked out alright. I am getting presure in my upper hoses so I assumed the water pump is working. Can the cap on the holding tank go bad?

If the car is not overheating yet its over flowing by the cap
sure suspect cap
but if its overheating pressure in upper hose does not mean water pump working
and a pressure test will show if you have a leak but will not tell if headgasket no good
headgasket test kit should be used to determine for sure if gasket good or not
hope that helps
good luck

Engine Cooling problem
1998 Ford Taurus 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 155k miles

Hello, I have a 98 ford taurus se 3.0l. that my wife bought from her girlfriend at work for our son. It has around 155k on it. But there is an issue with the cooling system on it.

The car over heats and the overflow starts to boil when the car is at a standstill (i.e. traffic, street lights, etc.) for a short time, but it starts to go back to normal when air starts to flow through the radiator when the car moves. I figured it might be a faulty thermostat, so I bought new radiator hoses, a thermostat, and a new thermostat housing since there was a small piece that was chipped off where the hose connects to.

So when I removed the upper hose & thermostat housing, I was shocked to see that there was NO thermostat there, AND the fluid was brown and gunky. Oh, and I forgot to tell you, the heat doesn't work either. I put in the thermostat, housing & hoses, and brought the car down to Jiffy Lube for a power flush, and after they flushed it twice, but air was constatntly coming out of the overflow, too much so thay they said it might be the water pump. Do you agree?? Thanks, Eric

[quote:c65fa91cf4="kamastanza"]AND the fluid was brown and gunky. [/quote:c65fa91cf4]
that statement there tells me that someone has put a chemical stop leak in it.

maybe they were trying to fix a head gasket problem, maybe it was a problem with a leaking radiator or heater core.

let's check for a plugged up radiator first.
fill the system up and start the car.

once the cooling fan kicks on touch the hoses going to the radiator, the one going to the water pump should be a lot cooler than the one coming from the thermostat housing.

if it's not, then the radiator is plugged up.

Thanks for the reply....I'll try that hose temp feel, but even when they did a reverse flow flush, you still think it might be a clogged radiator??

If the temp of the lower hose is cooler than the upper, what would you think it might be next?? I did the oil change, and didn't see any antifreeze when draining, and there is no white smoke coming out of the exhaust....could you think it's still be a head gasket problem??

I like what you said about the fix-a-leak possibly being the goop....I wonder if the heater core was leaking when they owned it, and they put that crap in, and now it's freaking clogged the whole cirulation.

I have that Prestone super cleaner in my cabinet, but would that help even if they did a power flush?? I was thinking that this cleaner might free up some crap that the power flush didn't get....what are your thoughts?

Thanks,

Eric

Engine Cooling problem
1998 Ford Taurus 6 cyl Two Wheel Drive Automatic 250.00 miles
----------------------------------------------------------------
my ford overheating when i drive in town i changed the thermostat and the problem still

Hi there,

Have the cooling system pressure tested for external leaks, also check the pressure cap. Have the radiator cleaned & flow tested, make sure any cooling fans are working correctly, Ensure the system is bleed of air and if still the problem persists have a head check done to determine if you have a head gasket issue.

mark (mhpautos)

Engine Cooling problem
1998 Ford Taurus 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic
----------------------------------------------------------------
I replaced the upper radeator hose that has a plastic "Y" in it. It goes to to each side of the motor, and the Y opening goes to the radeator. there is a small hose in the side of the y that goes to the coolent resavor. Anyway, it wont stop overheating as soon as I start and warm it up. I have NO water in the oil, NO oil in water. and NO water coming out the exaust pipe. Can there be a air pocket in the system and if so how do I fix it. Hopefully without removing the thermostat, which I don`t have a clue where it is.........Thanks

Thermostat location follow the large top radiator hose to the engin block. it connects to a little dome-shaped fitting held on by three bolts. The thermostat is under it. be sure to replace the gasket (after completely removing the old gasket whe you replace the thermostat

BLEEDING COOLING SYSTEM

Always bleed air from cooling system after replacing coolant. Set heater for maximum heat. Remove radiator cap. Loosen drain plug and remove drain bolt (if equipped) from engine block. Drain coolant reservoir. Fill coolant reservoir to MAX mark with 50/50 water-coolant mixture. Loosen bleed bolt and fill radiator up to base of filler neck. Close bleed bolt when coolant flows out without bubbles. Tighten bleed bolt. With radiator cap removed, start and operate engine to normal operating temperature. Add coolant if necessary and check for leaks.

I have a 98 Ford Taurus 3.0 OHV. The car is overheating, so I changed the thermostat and am trying to do a radiator flush beacause the water is VERY rusty, but when I open the drain plug nothing comes out, at all. and when I fill the resevoir the water/coolant doesnt go any farther than that. Whats wrong? and what do I do to fix the problem?

You're cooling system is a disaster. It's going to need to chemicals and multiple flushing to get some of that crud out and then it's going to uncover some new leaks as it gets cleaned out. It's almost impossible to completely recover from a system when that happens.

Hot. I checked the oil its not milky. And water shoots out the coolant res and the heater doesn't wo

It only runs hot in drive and reverse

a blown head gasket doesnt have to be indicated by milky oil or coolant. That would be my first guess for it shooting as you say it. Fot the heat not working, I just fixed that same car with a garden hose. May possibly be linked if it is a complete blockage. There are two black hoses coming from the firwall, thay go to the heater core, one is in and one is out. It comes from the water pump. Try unplugging both of them, and holding a garden hose on to it, if you can get it to flush freely through the other open end, you either got it unclogged or it wasn't clogged to begin with. Try that first, it won't cost you anything. You can make a fancy fitting, or just plug the black hose into the garden hose and wrap a rag around it if you don't mind possibly getting wet, with a coolant cocktail. Make sure the car isn't hot, unless you like to get burned too.

I askd a shop they said it sounded like a water pump I hope its not a head gasket I just bought it

could be water pump, how does it feel when you spin it? Is it leaking out the weep hole? You may not be able to tell without removing it. But, you mustn't be driving it until we figure it out, or else it will be the head gasket.

1998 Ford Taurus 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic

how can you check your thermostat

The best way to test a thermostat is to remove it, and immerse it in hot water. Use a thermometer, immersed in the water. Heat the water until the thermostat opens - usually 180 or 192.

Your overheating problem could come from other causes.

You could be low on coolant
Your cooling fan may not be operating.
Your radiator could be plugged.
Exhaust could ba plugged.
Water pump failure.
Temp gauge not reading accurately, giving a false indication of overheating.

Just a few things that come to mind.

Good luck!

Engine Cooling problem
1998 Ford Taurus 6 cyl Two Wheel Drive Automatic 110K miles
----------------------------------------------------------------
the reservoir is empty almost every time i open the cap. the antifreeze is brown. and every time i add antifreeze, it steams up somewhere, and the reservoir is again empty.. the temperature gage shows that it is very hot..it's almost like the antifreeze from the reservoir is'nt getting into the radiator, which is causing it to overheat...i flushed it last year, and it was fine for awhile, and now it's not holding anything in the reservoir, and everytime i DO open the reservoir cap, steam comes out, and the antifreeze is browner and browner...what could be the problem??

sounds to me like you have a blown headgasket and the brown stuff may be oil.

take off the dipstick and check does the oil appear milky or is there a foamy substance on the oil dipstick or the oil fill cap? try touching the oil on the hot exhaust manifold, does it boil? get back to me.

Replaced radiator cap and put in a new 195 degree thermostat after flushing cooling system using Preston tee kit. There was heavy rust and scale in the old thermostat and section of heater hose that was cut out to install the tee. That did not fix the problem. Noted that the electric radiator fans were operational.
Purchased a new Visteon radiator and took it to a shop to have it installed. After it was installed, a mechanic there said that there was a high and low speed to the fan. I had thought there was only one speed. Driving two blocks away from the shop, I had to stop for a red light and I noticed that the temperature was climbing again. I went to the Ford dealer and bought a high speed relay and returned to the shop where they installed it. Outside air temperature that day was 100 degrees. I took it out for a test ride and parked for about five minutes turning the A/C on and off. The temperature gauge was just slightly above mid level, a little higher than when driving 45 mph. Returned to the shop and then the temp started climbing to about the 3/4 mark. The technician plugged an engine diagnostic computer under the dash and the coolant temperature was reading 224. When I turned on the A/C it fluctuated between 224 and 226.
After a few minutes the temp gauge on the dash came down to slightly above the middle but the temp on the diagnostic computer stayed at 224.
The technician theorized that the car may have got too hot when my daughter drove it one time and might have a small leak in the head gasket. Car has full power and no visible steam from exhaust. No water in oil is present. He suggested pouring some engine block sealant in the cooling system to plug up the supposed pin hole leak in the head.
My brother told me to talk to a Ford mechanic to see what the normal operating temperature is and that maybe the temperature gauge is malfunctioning.
When I stopped at a light waiting to get gas, the temp went back up. Later that night, I returned home where the air temperature was about 70 degrees and left the car idling. The needle stayed right in the middle.
I don't know if my car is fixed or not. What should I do now?

[quote:1d4a6b947a="lukemccain"]Engine Cooling problem
1998 Ford Taurus 6 cyl Two Wheel Drive Automatic 141500 miles

Replaced radiator cap and put in a new 195 degree thermostat after flushing cooling system using Preston tee kit. There was heavy rust and scale in the old thermostat and section of heater hose that was cut out to install the tee. That did not fix the problem. Noted that the electric radiator fans were operational.
Purchased a new Visteon radiator and took it to a shop to have it installed. After it was installed, a mechanic there said that there was a high and low speed to the fan. I had thought there was only one speed. Driving two blocks away from the shop, I had to stop for a red light and I noticed that the temperature was climbing again. I went to the Ford dealer and bought a high speed relay and returned to the shop where they installed it. Outside air temperature that day was 100 degrees. I took it out for a test ride and parked for about five minutes turning the A/C on and off. The temperature gauge was just slightly above mid level, a little higher than when driving 45 mph. Returned to the shop and then the temp started climbing to about the 3/4 mark. The technician plugged an engine diagnostic computer under the dash and the coolant temperature was reading 224. When I turned on the A/C it fluctuated between 224 and 226.
After a few minutes the temp gauge on the dash came down to slightly above the middle but the temp on the diagnostic computer stayed at 224.
The technician theorized that the car may have got too hot when my daughter drove it one time and might have a small leak in the head gasket. Car has full power and no visible steam from exhaust. No water in oil is present. He suggested pouring some engine block sealant in the cooling system to plug up the supposed pin hole leak in the head.
My brother told me to talk to a Ford mechanic to see what the normal operating temperature is and that maybe the temperature gauge is malfunctioning.
When I stopped at a light waiting to get gas, the temp went back up. Later that night, I returned home where the air temperature was about 70 degrees and left the car idling. The needle stayed right in the middle.
I don't know if my car is fixed or not. What should I do now?[/quote:1d4a6b947a]

Verify the operation of the cooling fan(s). Monitor for coolant usage. I STRONGLY recommend NOT using any type of "fixit in a can" products. They may temporarily seal a leak, but will also seal the passages in your new radiator and heater core.

Ford gauges have a bracketed area on the gauge that indicates the normal operating range. As long as the needle stays within the bracketed area, engine temperature is OK.

Engine Cooling problem
1998 Ford Taurus Front Wheel Drive Automatic

my girlfriend came home the car was overflowing and she said that the inside gueage was not in the hot zone so im thinking it is eighter the water pump or the thermostst what do you think

Check coolant bottle on the side they do crack and cause a leak

not the prob it was coming from overflow

You dont have an overflow bottle its part of the pressurized coolant system
if engine overheat cap will open under pressure and let the coolant out
check thermostat and coolant fan operation

Engine Cooling problem
1998 Ford Taurus 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 105,OO miles
----------------------------------------------------------------
Last August I bought a ’98 Ford Taurus. I didn’t drive much until January.

Last month the speed sensor needed to be replaced. Last week 6/5 I had to stop on the way home from work because the radiator was empty. The car temp never got higher than half the safe zone before. I had to have the water pump replaced.

My mechanic told me there is a problem with Taurus engines from ’96-’02. They rust from the inside and once thing start going it will be one thing after another and I should start thinking about getting a new car. This IS the new car!!!

Have you ever heard of this before? Is it real? If so to what extent.
Thank you for your time,
Virginia

Hi there,

I don't know the history of these cars, but in general terms, if you keep your cooling system serviced and full of the appropriate coolant you should not have an issue with it.

Mark (mhpautos)

Engine Cooling problem
1998 Ford Taurus 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive

Is the thermostat housing located at the top or bottom of the radiator & if the bottom, is it necessary to remove the plastic "shield" underneath the radiator. Thanks for your help.

3.0L V6 - VINS [U,1 & 2] -1998 Ford Taurus

THERMOSTAT


WARNING: NEVER REMOVE THE PRESSURE RELIEF CAP UNDER ANY CONDITIONS WHILE THE ENGINE IS OPERATING. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS COULD RESULT IN DAMAGE TO THE COOLING SYSTEM OR ENGINE AND/OR PERSONAL INJURY. TO AVOID HAVING SCALDING HOT COOLANT OR STEAM BLOW OUT OF THE COOLING SYSTEM OR DEGAS BOTTLE, USE EXTREME CARE WHEN REMOVING THE PRESSURE RELIEF CAP FROM A HOT COOLING SYSTEM OR DEGAS BOTTLE. WAIT UNTIL THE ENGINE HAS COOLED, THEN WRAP A THICK CLOTH AROUND THE PRESSURE RELIEF CAP AND TURN IT SLOWLY UNTIL PRESSURE BEGINS TO RELEASE. STEP BACK WHILE THE PRESSURE IS RELEASED FROM THE COOLING SYSTEM. WHEN CERTAIN ALL PRESSURE HAS BEEN RELEASED, PRESS DOWN ON THE PRESSURE CAP (STILL WITH A CLOTH), TURN AND REMOVE PRESSURE RELIEF CAP.
Removal
1.Drain the engine cooling system so that the engine coolant level is below the water thermostat.
2.Raise and support vehicle on hoist.
3.Disconnect the lower radiator hose from the water inlet connection.
4.Remove the two water inlet connection retaining bolts. Remove the water inlet connection.
5.Remove the "O" ring seal and water thermostat from the water thermostat housing. Inspect "O" ring for damage and replace if necessary.
6.If required, remove water thermostat housing retaining bolts, water thermostat housing and "O" ring from lower radiator hose tube. Inspect "O" ring for damage and replace if necessary.
Installation
1.Install the water thermostat, "O" ring, water thermostat housing (if removed) as shown.
2.Install and alternately tighten the retaining bolts. Tighten bolts to specification.
3.Connect the lower radiator hose to the water inlet connection.
4.Lower vehicle.
5.Fill the cooling system using Premium Engine Coolant (green in color), 50/50 mixture. Bleed system
6.Start the engine and check all hoses and connections for leaks. Allow the engine to warm up so that the water thermostat opens. 7.Stop the engine. Top off degas bottle as required to maintain minimum cold fill level.

I have a ford taurus and it has a radiotor leak, except that when driving the car it does not overheat. the leak is only visible when the car is in park. any visible signs i should look for?