Overheating Problem - Hydraulic Fan?

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golf18

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I have a 2002 Lincoln LS V8 with just over 100k. I am not mechanically inclined at all. Looking for some troubleshooting advice.

The car overheats during back-to-back city/town trips. It has done it about 5 times in the past two months. For example if I drive a few miles to the gym, drive a few miles to get groceries, make a stop at the gas station, and then it will overheat. I will let it cool down for 5-10 minutes, then it usually gets me home at normal temperature. The first time the car did it, I could hear boiling fluid.


However I have been driving the car on 100 mile round trips with no problem and 30 mile round trips with no problem. These are highway trips at 55-70mph.

The car does not have any abnormal smells or signs of white smoke.

How do I know if it could be the hydraulic fan or pump? Can you suggest any testing that I can do myself? I've read on here about feeling the air coming from the fan when it overheats with it still on, but honestly guys I am not sure where the fan is. Is it in between the engine and grill? How much of air should I expect to feel in what conditions (off,on,hot)?

Thanks!
 
when a car overheats the best thing to do is to turn on the heater, the heater will help cool the motor down as long as u have a working water pump and enough coolant

back to the point, have you checked the coolant level? that would be my first approach

If its low top it off and look for a leak

if its full then you want to turn on the car and let it reach operating temperature, keep and eye on the temperature gauge the whole time, last thing you wanna do is blow the motor.

once the car is at operating temperature the fan should increase in speed and blow hot air towards the motor, a good way to test a fan is to turn on the a/c on max if you have working a/c the fan will kick into high to cool the condensor (a/c component).

If you do not see the fan come on then you can suspect a failure on the fan or an electrical/sensor problem
 
It sounds to me like the car only overheats when its sitting and it does not while you drive on the freeway

this is a classic example of a fan not working or not working efficiently enough

once the car is moving at freeway speeds enough air gets pushed trough the radiator to keep the engine cooled, once the car stops the air stop and the temperature quickly starts going up
 
Thanks for the input so far guys. The car is not loosing coolant. I've also checked the hydraulic fan fluid and if anything it looks too full...just shy of being topped off. Could this hurt?
 
lincoln ls_250k said:
It sounds to me like the car only overheats when its sitting and it does not while you drive on the freeway

this is a classic example of a fan not working or not working efficiently enough

once the car is moving at freeway speeds enough air gets pushed trough the radiator to keep the engine cooled, once the car stops the air stop and the temperature quickly starts going up
Click to expand...

Agree.
 
golf18 said:
Thanks for the input so far guys. The car is not loosing coolant. I've also checked the hydraulic fan fluid and if anything it looks too full...just shy of being topped off. Could this hurt?
Click to expand...

It could if someone recently topped it off with coolant instead of transmission fluid. Quick oil change places have destroyed more than a few hydraulic fans this way.

What does the hydraulic fluid look like? Is it cloudy?


BTW, you fan is between the engine and the radiator, right up against the radiator.
 
When this all started I had a shop check my fluids. They said that they didn't need to put any in. This was the week of Thanksgiving. It looks and smells like green ATF.
Could these symptoms be caused by air in the coolant system? Would a bleed be worth trying?
 
golf18 said:
When this all started I had a shop check my fluids. They said that they didn't put any in. It looks and smells like green ATF.
Could these symptoms be caused by air in the coolant system? Would a bleed be worth trying?
Click to expand...

I suppose that it could, but your symptoms really sound like a fan issue.

Start the car with the engine cool, with the AC off. Listen to the fan. Now, turn the AC on (make sure the compressor like is on) and listen for the fan to speed up a good bit. If it doesn't, then you fan pump solenoid is bad.
 
2001 lincoln ls v8 cars decal ls v8 I have change 8 spark plugs and has v6 radiator

my car drives it doesn't overheat but my hydraulic fan fluids low also I have to drive my car manuel transmisson style or slow to standing still in overdrive that's a question?
also I have reverse but it still working but weak meaning no to little power.

if the hydraulic fluid is the reason why?
 
I also believe having the hydraulic fan reservoir low wouldn't cause such an issue but don't know why all the sudden transmisson weakness it could be a result of a solenoid but it still continue to drive not automatically but 12345 works to move the v8 beast
 
sounds like your car either has many problems or wasn't properly maintained. (one of those will lead directly to the other)
 
This happened to me a week after I bought my LS, pump was leaking and fan was not turning on. I took it back to dealer. Found out as well that coolant had been added to the transmission fluid, bottle on passengers side lower. Coolant is on drivers side. Messy mistake on their part. Plenty of purging and fluid after two weeks.
 
sleepers said:
This happened to me a week after I bought my LS, pump was leaking and fan was not turning on. I took it back to dealer. Found out as well that coolant had been added to the transmission fluid, bottle on passengers side lower. Coolant is on drivers side. Messy mistake on their part. Plenty of purging and fluid after two weeks.
Click to expand...

There is no where that coolant should be added at the front of the car!
The reservoir on the passenger side is for the hydraulic fan. Only Mercon V ATF goes there.
The reservoir on the driver's side is for the power steering. Only Mercon V ATF goes there.

The cooling system reservoir is at the base of the windshield on the driver's side.
 
joegr said:
There is no where that coolant should be added at the front of the car!
The reservoir on the passenger side is for the hydraulic fan. Only Mercon V ATF goes there.
The reservoir on the driver's side is for the power steering. Only Mercon V ATF goes there.

The cooling system reservoir is at the base of the windshield on the driver's side.
Click to expand...

According to 2001 and 2002 owner's manuals the both the PS and the hydraulic fan use Mercon ATF, not Mercon V ATF. There is a difference. Listed Ford part numbers match the manual transmission fluid and the PS and hydraulic fan fluids. Manual transmission cars also use Mercon ATF for transmission fluid not Mercon V ATF.

Good luck.
 
from what the parts guy at the dealer told me once, originally when they came out with mercon V, the semi synthetic formula was too thing and would leak past certain seals causing low levels and damage which is why it was a big no no, but then around 2007 they reformulated it so that it was retro (could be used in older stuff without a problem)

he even said that ford no longer produces the older mercon and he couldn't get it if I wanted it, I would have to go to an autoparts store and buy an off brand of it.
 
joegr said:
There is no where that coolant should be added at the front of the car!
The reservoir on the passenger side is for the hydraulic fan.

The cooling system reservoir is at the base of the windshield on the driver's side.
Click to expand...


Exactly I will witness to that!
 
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