New member with an unusual heat creep

[KC_LSV8]

I recently replaced my thermostat, housing, bypass tube, and degas bottle. I have bled the system about 7 different times and have followed the directions to the T. My cooling fan is running high/loud once the engine gets warm. The unusual part for me is I don't have any overheating issues unless i lower my a/c below 73 degrees. If I turn one degree below 73 it starts to creep up. I have even lowered the temp waited for the temp to creep up, then return to 73 and watch the temp go back down.

Has anyone had this issue, or can anyone offer advice for this newcomer to the Lincoln LS community?

 

[LS4me]

Year and engine?????

Sounds like a leak to me. Do you hear any gurgling from the degas bottle?

 

[KC_LSV8]

LS4me I have a 2003 V8...when I turn the engine off and let sit for a moment I can hear a gurgling sound...and i did recently experience a small loss of coolant

 

[LS4me]

LS4me I have a 2003 V8...when I turn the engine off and let sit for a moment I can hear a gurgling sound...and i did recently experience a small loss of coolant

That's a leak....... SOMEWHERE... Your mission, Mr. Phelps, should you choose to accept it, is to find the leak.

 

[joegr]

Sorry, but that's not unusual, and you are probably no exception to the rest of us and will have to do what we have done (why does everybody resist this).

The climate control thing is because when you set it cold enough, it stops circulating coolant in the heater core. That reduces the heat being removed from the cooling system and causes an overheat because the main coolant loop isn't circulating well enough. Why isn't it circulating well enough? Because you have one or more tiny leaks somewhere that are letting air into the system. Fortunately, you don't have to figure our where. Just replace all the plastic cooling system parts, because they all start to fail at about the same time anyway. Search some of the thousands of threads on this.

Here's a good thread with the cooling system parts that you need:
http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/forum/showthread.php?91092-GenII-LS8-Cooling-System-Overhaul

 

[jerrym3]

Very informative, but scary for guys like me that can't attack a project of this scope anymore. (Makes it twice as scary when you consider I also have a retro TBird.)

Really have to give serious thought to getting another car, otherwise, considering the value of my 2004, it's like throwing money out the window.

I like the car, but not enough to put that much money into her.

My hat's off to you backyard mechanics. I envy you. Good luck, and keep 'em running.