Overheating 2004 LS V8

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Stevemata

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When the fail safe system engaged, the freeze frame data indicated the coolant temperature was around 250 degrees.

The Lower radiator hose was cold to the touch and the upper radiator hose was too hot to touch.

I couldn't get any hot air out of the cabin vents.

The Fans in the engine compartment were going full noise.

Any suggestions?
 
Coolant level is perfect.

The temperature gauge is interactive on the dash. What exactly is happening when the thermostat is stuck?

When I drain the coolant, how large of a container do I need?
 
I'd do a pressure test. My 04 developed cooling system cracks on three different plastic pieces at the same time at the end of last year. Also, check to make sure that airflow through the radiator is good. Lastly, have you flushed and changed the coolant every three or four years, and what does it look like now?
 
Stevemata said:
Coolant level is perfect.

The temperature gauge is interactive on the dash. What exactly is happening when the thermostat is stuck?

When I drain the coolant, how large of a container do I need?
Click to expand...

Not very large. You can only get about half of it drained out.
 
joegr said:
Wouldn't stop the heat from working.
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Wasn't sure if it would prevent it or not. When I had a cracked degas bottle, and air in the system, it would not blow hot air. But I can only speak of my personal experience with the gen 1 (not sure if gen 2's have degas bottle problems or not.)
 
pektel said:
Wasn't sure if it would prevent it or not. When I had a cracked degas bottle, and air in the system, it would not blow hot air. But I can only speak of my personal experience with the gen 1 (not sure if gen 2's have degas bottle problems or not.)
Click to expand...

Absolutely, they do have degas bottle problems. I suspect that is at least part of the problem here.
 
joegr said:
Wouldn't stop the heat from working.
Click to expand...

It did in a Sable we had. Thermostat stuck open won't let the engine reach operating temp; at least on shortish drives or when it's cold out.
 
I removed and inspected the degas bottle, I'm not seeing any cracks and the lid seems very secure, the plastic doesn't feel brittle.

The dealership flushed the coolant a year ago when they replaced the coolant control valve.

What size container will need to hold the coolant, would 1 gallon be large enough?
 
I just went through something similar with my 03 V8. It was overheating and the fan was still blowing. I also couldn't get any hot air out the vents to help it cool off.

The first place I took it to told me I had a blown head gasket and it would cost thousands, followed by ...if my car is paid for he has a friend that would finance the repair work. :lol: Yes, I am a woman. No, I am not an idiot.


So I took it to Lincoln. They said it was my heater control valve and I needed a new thermostat. That ran about $648. Since then it has been running great and hasn’t overheated since.

My husband said he could have fixed it for a lot less but... I DO NOT want him to touch my car and make the problem worse than it was in the beginning.
 
lol, that's hilarious. but some guys just can't fix cars.
 
LS4me said:
It did in a Sable we had. Thermostat stuck open won't let the engine reach operating temp; at least on shortish drives or when it's cold out.
Click to expand...

Yes, but his engine is also overheating. A thermostat stuck open would make heating ineffective, but wouldn't allow the engine to overheat. A thermostat stuck closed would cause engine overheating, but would allow the heater to work.
 
Stevemata said:
I removed and inspected the degas bottle, I'm not seeing any cracks and the lid seems very secure, the plastic doesn't feel brittle.

The dealership flushed the coolant a year ago when they replaced the coolant control valve.

What size container will need to hold the coolant, would 1 gallon be large enough?
Click to expand...

One gallon might be big enough. Two gallons would be for sure.

This may help.
http://deneau.info/ls/s6x~us~en~file=s6x33004.htm~gen~ref.htm#extract_140
http://deneau.info/ls/s6x~us~en~file=s6x33004.htm~gen~ref.htm#extract_142
 
Heater control valve?

Is the heater control valve the same as a DCCV or something differnt ?
 
You know what; I couldn't get the heater to produce heat while it was driving normally, I didn't check the heater when it started to overheat.

Is it possible for the thermostat to be alternating it's sticking position?
 
joegr said:
Yes, but his engine is also overheating. A thermostat stuck open would make heating ineffective, but wouldn't allow the engine to overheat. A thermostat stuck closed would cause engine overheating, but would allow the heater to work.
Click to expand...


True, but wouldn't the engine overheat if the ambient temp was high enough? It gets plenty hot in Sacramento.


Stevemata said:
You know what; I couldn't get the heater to produce heat while it was driving normally, I didn't check the heater when it started to overheat.

Is it possible for the thermostat to be alternating it's sticking position?
Click to expand...


Probably not. Modern thermostats are designed to fail in the open position anyway.
 
LS4me said:
True, but wouldn't the engine overheat if the ambient temp was high enough? It gets plenty hot in Sacramento....
Click to expand...

It gets plenty hot here too (over 100), and neither of my LSes have overheated, even after idling with the AC on for half an hour or more. The cooling system as designed is more than adequate. Overheating only happens if there is some defect or malfunction.
 
I used a transparent hose to drain some of the coolant, it's contaminated with little black flakes and dust and the coolant is yellowish with a slight brownish/orange coloration. What does this mean?
 
Stevemata said:
I used a transparent hose to drain some of the coolant, it's contaminated with little black flakes and it's yellowish with a slight brownish/orange coloration. What does this mean?
Click to expand...

It means it was left in for way too long. The additive package wore out and the coolant started corroding parts. You need to have a very complete flush done to get all of the gunk out. At the least, you will have to remove and clean the DCCV because it is probably clogged. You may also have to clean or replace the upper radiator hose (it has a screen section where it tees off that might clog. I would be tempted to examine or replace the water pump, the impeller might be eroded. Also, look very closely at the plastic parts around the thermostat. They tend to crack over time. I'd replace the thermostat too. Say a prayer that the heater cores aren't too corroded.

Of course, that's all along the lines of what's the worst that might happen. At best, you might just need a good flush or two.
 
Draining the coolant from the radiator drain, I only got around a half gallon and the degass bottle didn't lower it's level at all. Is this normal?
 
Stevemata said:
Draining the coolant from the radiator drain, I only got around a half gallon and the degass bottle didn't lower it's level at all. Is this normal?
Click to expand...

If you didn't open the engine fill cap, then this means that you have an air leak somewhere. If you did open the fill cap on the engine, then yes, it's normal.
 
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