A/C stops working/overheating

[TerdFurgeson321]

Forgive me if this has been answered already, I’m a member that hasn’t been on here for quite sometime. I just recently bought a ‘98 continental with 189,000+ miles and under normal driving everything works as it should. But when I leave the car running for less than 10 mins when I got to pick my daughter up from daycare, it starts to overheat well past the normal into the red. when I start driving the temp gauge stays in the hot and won’t cool back down. The A/C stops working during this time too. It does this while sitting in a drive thru as well. Yesterday it almost got to critical mass I had to put the windows down crank the heat and hope for the best while it’s 90+ degrees outside.
Thanks in advance

 

[joegr]

I'd look at the engine cooling fan first.

 

[04_Sport_LS]

That... and/or thermostat.

 

[FlaOkie]

My Continental is a 2002.
I am assuming the '98 has the same setup.

The engine cooling fan is controlled by the power train module (PCM).
The PCM turns off and on, one or two control relays, that send power to the fan motor.
First check the two fuses that feed power to the control relays.
No power to the control relays - the fan will not run and the engine will overheat.

If the relays themselves have failed, the fan will not run and the engine will overheat.
Also check to make sure the fan motor ground is good.

 

[Svets96]

Another thing to keep in mind have you had the coolant replaced recently? If you had there maybe air trapped in the cooling system which needs bled out of the coolant crossover tube.

As stated above about the fans. The motors on the fans themselves could be past their time.

Do you hear the fans turning on at all or running with the AC on??

LincolnElite posts a DIY 1998-2002 Lincoln Continental maintenance Facebook page. He has posts regarding the fans themselves: 1998 - 2002 Lincoln Continental DIY maintenance

I hope this helps you.

Please keep us updated.

 

[Svets96]

If it is a fan motor that had burnt out they are easy to replace basically a couple screws and an electrical connector. Plug and play basically.

Do you smell any burnt plastic or weird smells? If you do its the fan motors that burnt up is all.