New to the site need help with coolant leak!!

[sammy.young85]

before i begin I'd like to say Hi to Everyone!! I'm Glad to be on the site!!...this is the issue I'm Having with my 2002 Lincoln LSE V8. I have been experiencing Coolant leaks for some time now. This past summer i went ahead and purchased a New Coolant Reservoir Tank and New Hoses that Connect to the tank. I would say April of 2011. Here i am in the Colder months experiencing the same thing. along with following the steps to bleed the system (turn on the heat to full blast while stepping on the gas until the coolant flows from the plastic piece next to the tank to remove air from the system) the issues I’m having are:
1. After putting in coolant, the engine temp will start to rise unless I put the window defrosters on high heat. Once I do that it goes back to the normal level.
2. It could be 3 days after consistent driving that the car decides to leak coolant out on the driver’s side. And I know it’s my car that’s leaking because I park in spots with “clean pavements”
Honestly guys I love this damn car! All the bells and whistles it comes with. But I’ll tell you when I’m driving on the road…nothing is worse than hearing that Damn Hydraulic fan come on. Knowing seconds later your car is about to overheat. I need some guidance as to what can I do. I’ve been reading that apparently there are “2” different areas to bleed the system? I’m going thru bottles of coolant like its outta style…..any suggestions? Or comments on how to get resolution to this? Last thing I want to do is have to bring the car to the dealership and have those “certified technicians” licking their chops because they know they can charge me an arm and a leg for something I have confidence in doing

 

[joegr]

How long have you had the car. If purchased recently, I would suspect that the previous owner put some kind of stop leak in. If so, you'll need a really good coolant flush and probably a new radiator. Beyond that, you'll have to find all the leaks (not just where you can see coolant) and fix those. Other suspects are: water pump, aux pump, thermostat, degas bottle cap. (Note that if you are using the Ford degas cap with a non-Ford degas bottle, that might be the problem.)

If you have a good dealership (yes that's a big "if"), then the $100 or so diagnostic charge may be well worth it. You can still do the actual repairs yourself using their diagnosis if you wish.

 

[sammy.young85]

it’s crazy because I've had the car for 3 years now...for some reason this has been an issue for as long as I’ve had the car. It’s truly an aggravating thing to have to deal with every now and then. The dealership that I have near my house is one of those “high class” “snooty” type of dealerships that will try to charge you an arm and a leg for repairs to a car that didn’t come off of their car lot. Thank you for the reply!!

 

[sammy.young85]

second question...is there any trut to the "2 different types of bleeding" for my v8??

 

[joegr]

second question...is there any trut to the "2 different types of bleeding" for my v8??

Here's the gen I bled procedure. Note that it includes steps for the V6 as well. You only need the V8 steps.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/tech/Lincoln-LS/CoolingSystemDraining/

 

[sammy.young85]

thank you again!!