Engine overheats on highway?

I had this happen about five years after installing an aftermarket thermostat in my car. The solution was to remove the thermostat and drill a 1/16" hole in the center plate, then reinstall it that way.

This guide can help as as well.

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

The coolant temperature sensor sits some distance away from the thermostat. As the coolant gets hot, the rising temperature is seen by the temperature sensor first, but it hasn't made its way to the thermostat yet. By the time the thermostat gets hot enough to open,, the gauge is already reading too high. Upon opening, cold coolant from the radiator rushes into the engine and causes the gauge reading to go back down. At that point the thermostat closes again. This cycle repeated four to six times on my van within about the first seven or eight miles, then it smoothed out.

The pin hole, which you will usually find on OEM import thermostats, lets the hot coolant sneak over to the thermostat quicker, so it opens up sooner.

Good evening,

Can you verify those temperatures? 260 and 290 are way too hot. They should be around 195-200 degrees.

If it is running that hot, good chance there is head gasket damage. You need to have a leak down test done to confirm.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/head-gasket-blown-test

Roy

The 260 is the cylinder head temperature. I've been told that it's always higher than actual coolant temperature. Unfortunately I've been unable to find a coolant temperature reading on the several apps I've tried. Not sure if the PCM broadcasts it or not.

Head gaskets are rated at 245. If you run 260, they are damaged. That number is set by the gasket manufacturers.

Roy

Thank Roy for that depressing news, lol. I'll get a leak down test in the next day or two to confirm.
I'm guessing its possible even though it passed the chemical test with no other symptoms. Still runs good when it's not overheating. No oil in water and vice versa. Nothing out the back end and no coolant loss.

The chemical test is not always accurate. I have been fooled by that test too many times.

Coolant in the oil is when it is really bad.

Do the test to be sure.

You are welcome.

Roy

Engine Cooling problem
2002 Ford Ranger 4 cyl Four Wheel Drive Manual

engine intermittantly overheating. thermostat changed to no avail. Not losing any water so am assuming head gaskett is ok. Any assistance / ideas please?

By itermidiat do you mean just a bit over normal? Over 200??? Could be, fans, clogged radiator (both inside or out) not holding pressure, drive belt malfunction.. Does it get hotter at a stop, or are there any other patters. water pump could be going.. or bad temp guage

After an hour or so driving (town & motorway) indicator goes to the "red". Leave for 20 mins, temp returns to "normal" then continue driving again. Another hour or so, temp raises again. Thermostat has been changed, am going to get the rad checked out next week.

so you are saying that while at high speed (60-70) the truck overheats. then while driving 40-50 the temp will come back down...?? is that correct? how hard is you engine having to work to go 65? Does your engine stay at or above 3k the whole time while at highway speed? donate for a pro to help, even a few bucks will work

Engine Cooling problem
2002 Ford Ranger 4 cyl Two Wheel Drive Automatic

The truck has been in the dealership's garage three times and they have been unable to fix the problem. After the engine warms up, the temp guage will spike up. Then I can get it back down by turning on the heater. No heat comes out of the heater. But the temp goes back down within a min. If I don't emidiatly turn off the heater, the spike returns and I have to turn off the truck to get the temp down. The shop said the core is fine, and they are baffled. They of course they still billed me. This problem has already cost over $700. Has anyone had this weird problem?

This is kind of weird-Did they check the thermostat could also be air lock in the system

The thermostat controls the engine temperature

Thermostat has been replaced. If the motor is vacume locked, how would i fix that? Pull the gooseneck and fill the block?

Generic bleeding

have just replaced plugs and coil, after finding number three cylinder misfiring. Checked compression on all cylinders and they are within specs.

For a start cheap fix-find the thermostat and replace it and see what happens then comeback-

Replaced the thermostat, cost $142.00 for thermostat, only from Ford Dealer. Dont know if this is the cure yet, The fan clutch is very suspect, but the thermostat housing was cracked internally. The housing is plastic.

Engine overheat after about fifteen minutes. Engine get loses power and shuts off.

Good evening.

Is the coolant level low?

Did the car smoke at all?

Does it crank normally?

I am concerned about a possible blown head gasket.

It sounds like the thermostat may have stuck closed causing it to run hot and a result could be the head gasket failing.

Roy

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/symptoms-of-an-overheating-engine

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-thermostat

Returning from trip - after about 200 miles the engine started to heat up. Before that all fine and had AC on. I pulled over and put the heater on full blast to draw heat. Instead of heat coming in to the car the air was still cold as if the AC was on. So-I could not run the heater to pull heat off engine - seemed to be doing the opposite. Then smoke smell from heater-AC vents so turned car off and then lots of smoke/steam from under hood. Had it towed to a nearby repair shop. I told them it might be a thermostat as getting cold air when heater on was odd. There was a clicking sound - periodic - before the problem appeared. Thus, I thought maybe a water pump. Shop called and I am being told there was a big leak in radiator which needs to be replaced ($660) and they will then check on the block and other things that could also be wrong.
I am OK with that as I have a lot of miles on it, but it sounds odd where the problem was not gradual - and also concerned because they told me oil also needed changing because it was very dirty but I had just changed it two weeks before. I guess that triggered a degree of distrust but who knows. Any ideas? Thanks. - Oh, also had the fan clutch assembly replaced about two months ago.

The radiator can do that; however, the oil wouldn't have gotten dirty as a result. Did they maybe find a creamy substance in the oil that would indicate a bad head gasket?

As far as the heat not working, if there wasn't enough coolant in the engine, it won't produce heat.

What I recommend is if you can, replace the radiator yourself. You should be able to get one for under 200 dollars. I feel 400 in labor is nuts.

Thanks. I checked back with them and the cost of just over $600 included the towing of $80 - though that is disputed as I was quoted $40 - and cost to check it all out (cooling system) and for new thermostat as well.
I will go ahead with it as car is at a shop now and about 50+ miles from where I live and not practical to put it in myself.
They mentioned some possible leakage by the water pump and given that I have 176,000 miles with no work yet on that I think I will have them replace that now to avoid problems.
Re the oil - he just said it looked dirty - but I have been told that before when it was clean -
Do I have to do anything now so that the donation reaches you?

You don't need to do anything. As far as the oil, wait until you can check it.

You don't need to do anything. As far as the oil, wait until you can check it. If there is coolant near the water pump, it most likely bad too if it is the original one.

Let me know if you have other questions.

My truck is over heating and I do not know why. I have changed out the thermostat, I have ran it with out the thermostat, it has a water pump that was just put in this summer, I have bypass the heater core as well and it is still over heating. Where else should I look? I need my truck for work and it is causing issues any help would be appreciated

You need to provide some details or observations, otherwise there is no way to diagnose this over a computer. Bypassing the heater core will make any overheating worse. That's a small radiator that you just took out of the system.

What are the indications it's overheating? Do you see bubbling in the coolant reservoir? If so, does that occur within a couple of minutes of starting the cold engine or not until you've been at highway speed for a while? If there's bubbling in the reservoir, is there steam too? Does the upper radiator hose feel really hot? It should be too hot to hold onto for very long. Feel across the radiator for cold spots. Is the shroud around the radiator fan missing?

Shroud is there, the top hose does get hot and hard. no bubble sin coolant. my truck will slowly warm up and then just keep right on going there is no maintaining. So I should hook the heater core back up but if it is broke could that cause my issue as well but even bypassed it overheats.

If the heater core is leaking, it can allow air to get into the system. If that air pools under the thermostat, (same as if a cylinder head gasket is leaking), it will prevent the thermostat from opening. Thermostats must be hit with hot liquid to open.

When the engine is hot, feel across the radiator to see if there are cold areas indicating some of the tubes are plugged. If the entire surface is hot all the way down to the bottom, the radiator isn't giving up its heat to the surrounding air. That is due to corroded and crumbling cooling fins. Also try pinching the heater hoses. The heater core poses some restriction to coolant flow. With it bypassed, coolant may be circulating too easily through those hoses and is not going through the radiator.

My truck is overheating and I do not know why?

start with a cooling system pressure test for any external leaks, also test pressure cap, replace thermostat and get the radiator core cleaned, not a back flush. start here and let me know if you have any improvement.

2000 ford ranger keeps overheating. i replaced thermostat but that didn't solve the problem.

If heater is not producing hot air, you may have a waterpump problem.

Otherwise perform a compression test, then cooling system pressure test.

repair estimate to replace head gasket?? due to severe overheating was 1800 $. I do not have detailed list of replacement parts yet, can you advise what would normally be involved and the estimated total cost?
Thank you.
angdi38

That sounds a little high, but I don't know where you live. Replacement will be around 100.00 in parts and the book calls for 7.7 hours labor.

Let me know if you have other questions.

I was driving my Ranger and while on the road, i noticed a significant drop on my Power gauge on the dash, and the Batter indicator light came on in the dash as well. After noticing this, I then realized that my power steering went out, or at least I believe it did because it became very hard to turn. While this whole problem was happening, my car began to overheat as well, the temperature gauge jumped almost to as high as it could go. Any ideas on what could be giving me problems? I just made it home in time...

Sounds like you may have broken drive belt. check that and reply.

you mean the serpentine belt? cuz i just replaced that like a week ago...

may have came off or broken.

2000 ford ranger keeps overheating. There seems to be pressure building up. overflow tank keeps filling up to the point of blowing cap off off tank.

That's a pretty good indication of a blown head gasket, probably caused by a previous overheating. I would have it chemical tested to verify that.