random overheating problem!! Need help ASAP!

66coupe

66coupe

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Yeas I have done a search and can not come up with anything that I havent done.

I have a 2002 Lincoln ls V8 I'm having a really odd problem with. The car is randomly overheating while driving. everything is fine then all of a suddon I here a loud whine comming from the fan area and then it over heats.

Now about 4-5 months ago I replace the degas bottle, thermostat, all hoses, dccv, and flushed the cooling fan fluid. Bleed the system and everything worked great!

Jumping ahead to about a week ago out of the blue I heard the odd noise and the car overheated after reading everything on here I changed out the valve on the back of the hyd. fan pump, well that did nothing for my problem. I looked at everything and I have no leaks, all fluids perfect, nothing I can see would cause this problem.

Anyone have any ideas on what it could be? I need to get this car back on the road asap! thanks in advance, Jason
 
I'd start with a cooling system pressure leak-down test.
 
I had a similiar issue last month on my 2006 V8 and in the end, it was a cracked piece of plastic at the "T" on the upper radiator hose (see #2 in pic).

It would stay sealed for a week at a time, and then, all of a sudden, open up to enable to car to overhead almost immediately.

A leak test (as suggested) would hopefully help you to find any leak. So much plastic, so much that could crack.

coolant%20flow.jpg
 
I have a similar problem. I have this issue for several years. I have a small leak somewhere that I cannot locate. Every month or so I fill the engine coolant fill. I find it several cups low. This is all it takes to cause my car to overheat. If I forget to top it off it will overheat eventually.
 
I had the same issue it was the cooland fill cap on the t-housing it had a crack in it but could only be seen from the bottom of the cap.
 
Just wondering why I would be herring a noise comming from the fan area if it's something in the cooling system? I would think it would just overheat then with no noise?
 
66coupe said:
Would a bad dccv cause overheating??
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Unlikely.
I think you'll have to try to locate the whine, if that seems to coincide with the overheating.
One potential is the impeller is coming loose from the shaft on the water pump. Most of the pumps for the LS aren't all that great. If you replace it, get one with a metal impeller.
Another is the fan is stalling or jamming.

You've replaced the most common parts, but it might be worth doing a cooling pressure test anyway. My hunch (and it's nothing more than a hunch) is to suspect the water pump.
 
66coupe said:
Just wondering why I would be herring a noise comming from the fan area if it's something in the cooling system? I would think it would just overheat then with no noise?
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Because the fan switches to high-speed when the engine is overheating?


Also, it's rare but not unheard of that the wiring to the head temperature sensor might short to ground (the engine block) somewhere and cause a false overheating indication.
 
I have come to the conclusion that the fan switches to high speed as well. I always hear the fan when the car runs hotter than normal. I think that it is normal fan operation.
 
I've never had an overheating problem with my LS until today. I drove it about 4 miles and I heard the fan whine like crazy. I popped the hood noticed the air blowing out towards the driver side like a leaf blower. I got back in and saw that the engine temp was at 75-80%. The weird thing is my engine was pretty cool to the touch, and usually my engine is hot as hell after 3 mins of driving. So I shut it down, parked it for about 2 hours and drove it again roughly the same distance as before, and now its perfectly fine. I'll have to keep an eye on it.
 
scjmc said:
I have come to the conclusion that the fan switches to high speed as well. I always hear the fan when the car runs hotter than normal. I think that it is normal fan operation.
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yepp mine did the same thing when I had overheating problems, sounded like a jet under the car lol and it was my fan. Fixed my overheating issue and fan hasn't made a loud noise since.

burning.empire said:
I've never had an overheating problem with my LS until today. I drove it about 4 miles and I heard the fan whine like crazy. I popped the hood noticed the air blowing out towards the driver side like a leaf blower. I got back in and saw that the engine temp was at 75-80%. The weird thing is my engine was pretty cool to the touch, and usually my engine is hot as hell after 3 mins of driving. So I shut it down, parked it for about 2 hours and drove it again roughly the same distance as before, and now its perfectly fine. I'll have to keep an eye on it.
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If I were you I'd better start buying some parts, the car doesent just overheat because it feels like it. You have air in the system and it's going to get worse. I'd check the degas and all caps first.
 
way ahead of you. I am looking at degas bottles as we speak. Even if isn't the problem I was going to purchase one anyway just to have...perhaps a thermostate housing, and upper and lower radiator hoses as well. at 170K miles you need to stock up for a rainy day.
 
burning.empire said:
way ahead of you. I am looking at degas bottles as we speak. Even if isn't the problem I was going to purchase one anyway just to have...perhaps a thermostate housing, and upper and lower radiator hoses as well. at 170K miles you need to stock up for a rainy day.
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I need to add a few of those to my list too lol, I hate the feeling of driving a ticking time bomb with this dam cooling system, once I fix something then there rises another problem. I'm just going to have to have a nice little talk with the car as it seems to listen better when I tell it :)
 
I've only had my LS since May (notice my LVC join date too, haha) but I've been really lucky with it so far. For the age and condition it is in, I haven't had hardly any of the engine problems that most people have had on these forums. I changed one coil, front wheel hub, and the sway bar bushings...and I need new shocks ASAP! But like I said for a LS with 170K+ that been beaten, it rides great, looks good, and I love it.
 
I had a similar problem pop up today on my '01 V8. I was driving to work and wasn't 2 miles down the road and my car overheated. I pulled over, checked to see if I have anything leaking- nothing. I heard a quick gurgling sound and that was it. I started the car and the temp was back to normal. Drove it to work no problem. An hour later I leave my office and get about 4 miles down the road and it overheats again. This time I turn the car off and right back on and its fine again. Then it happens to me one more time when I was on my way back to my office. Each time its the same thing, but it only gurgled the first time.
 
Do a pressure test on the system. Come to find out my degas bottle was leaking again. Good thing for lifetime warranty lol
 
burning.empire said:
I've never had an overheating problem with my LS until today. I drove it about 4 miles and I heard the fan whine like crazy. I popped the hood noticed the air blowing out towards the driver side like a leaf blower. I got back in and saw that the engine temp was at 75-80%. The weird thing is my engine was pretty cool to the touch, and usually my engine is hot as hell after 3 mins of driving. So I shut it down, parked it for about 2 hours and drove it again roughly the same distance as before, and now its perfectly fine. I'll have to keep an eye on it.
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Exactly what my 03 did today. I heard a loud humming noise about a mile from work. Then about another mile I get a ding ding ding, check temp gauge, it's about 3/4 up. another 1/2 mile, ding ding ding, it's buried at the top. I'm within sight of my house at this point. Just as I pull in the drive, ding ding ding, reducing engine power. I shut the car off and open the hood. no fan running, no heat , no odor, no anything. I call my mechanic, he says bring it in. an hour later I start the car and take it to the shop, the damn thing doesn't act up at all. My girlfriend stopped to get my laptop out of the car and the guy can't find anything wrong. Fluid is not low, no codes.
 
JMT03LSV8 said:
... I shut the car off and open the hood. no fan running, no heat , no odor, no anything...
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The engine cooling fan does not run with the engine off, ever (except when you trigger the self-test).
 
I got mine from my work. It's the dorman replacement and it comes with a lifetime warranty with it.
 
OK, just talked to the mechanic about my overheating problem. They worked on it yesterday afternoon and most of today. all they could find was low on coolant and all the codes were related to overheating. They pressure tested everything and couldn't find any leaks. not sure where 2 quarts of coolant would have gone. Any ideas?
 
JMT03LSV8 said:
OK, just talked to the mechanic about my overheating problem. They worked on it yesterday afternoon and most of today. all they could find was low on coolant and all the codes were related to overheating. They pressure tested everything and couldn't find any leaks. not sure where 2 quarts of coolant would have gone. Any ideas?
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Did they pressure test it both hot and cold? Sometimes cracks in the plastic will only leak at certain temperatures.

Take the thermostat out and check to make sure that the plastic that holds it together is still doing just that. Since you just took it out to check it, you might as well go ahead and replace it, as a just-in-case.
 
joegr said:
Did they pressure test it both hot and cold? Sometimes cracks in the plastic will only leak at certain temperatures.

Take the thermostat out and check to make sure that the plastic that holds it together is still doing just that. Since you just took it out to check it, you might as well go ahead and replace it, as a just-in-case.
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I will call them in the morning and see what all they did. I'm wondering now, if when I have had the oil changed if they have been checking the coolant and topping it off or not. I usually go to the same oil change place which is not the mechanic I go to. I may have to change that!
 
When my car overheated that one time, my check engine light didn't go on, I heard no dings, and no codes came up. The only thing different was the fan kicked on super high. But that was about 5 days ago. I've driven over 95 miles since then with no issues.
 
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