2001 3.8 Liter OverHEATING & No Heat

[WiLLPoWeR01]

Starting a couple of weeks ago the temperature would gradually rise when going down the road & the heat would stop working also. But it would always jump back down to the correct temp and then the heat would start working again.

I jumped to the conclusion that it was the thermastat. So i replaced it with a stock 190 degree thermastat from the parts store.

Still the problem occured.

So i replaced the water pump.

Note: When i replaced the water pump their was no signs of wear to the pump nor signs of fluid leaking from the weap holes. (So i probably replaced something that wasn't bad to start off with)

The water in the car is also staying at a constant level. NO LEAKING AT ALL.

The problem still occured. (Overheating & No Heat)

When i drained the coolant it was like a light brown. But that was the frist time that i actually changed the coolant in the car since i got it back in 2004.

Could it be a HEAD GASKET failure.



2001 Ford Mustang
3.8 Liter V.6
Stock
148,056 miles

 

[BlownFiveLiter]

Welcome to :SNSign:

What you're describing sounds like you have an air pocket somewhere in the cooling system. It starts to cool again once the engine gets hot and the coolant expands enough to begin flowing through the top end again. It will repeat that cycle once it cools and stops flowing through the air pocket. Throw the front end on some jackstands to bring the radiator fill to the highest point in the cooling system, remove the radiator cap, and let it come up to operating temperature. Once the coolant starts flowing through the radiator, start squeezing the upper radiator hose to help coax any air in the system out, making sure to add if the level drops in the radiator.

 

[WiLLPoWeR01]

I have read articles all day hoping that it would be that simple to fix when i get home tonight.

You would'nt believe how much i appreciate your response.

I've read that it is also possible to burp the system by drilling a very small hole in the thermastat to achieve the same affect.

Does this work or is it safer and more reliable to burp the system by what you mentioned?

 

[BlownFiveLiter]

I'm neither for, or against drilling holes in the thermostat, but I've never done it before to say if it helps. I've had success burping it the way I mentioned, and even though I'm running a 5.0, I had the identical symptoms to you, except I didn't have brown coolant.

It can't hurt to give it a try in either case, right? If burping the system doesn't work, give the drilling method a shot. The worst thing that would happen is you need to pick up another $5 thermostat and do some more exploring. I don't think it's a headgasket problem though. You'd be losing coolant, and you said the level has remained constant.

 

[WiLLPoWeR01]

I will try your way.

To me it's easier to drive it up on some ramps and burp it by using your method than have to be drilling through thermastats.

Hopefully it's not a head gasket. But like i said... when i replaced the thermastat i checked the coolant before undoing anything and it was still full to to were it always has been. Last night when i cranked it up in the garage i saw no suspecting heavy white smoke that goes along with head gasket failure. When i did crank it up outside their was an a$$ load of smoke but it was very cold outside. So go figure...

And the light brown coolant can probably be related to me never flushing the radiator out since i have had it. It's just been a car that seems to have been maintenace free for the past 3 1/2 years. Besides the oil changes, spark plugs, etc.

But this is the frist time that i have had to actually start loosening some bolts to fix something.

Thanks Again for the input.

Very Much Appreciated

 

[eliteJAE]

burp it without drilling holes, just makes it easier to cause more problems when you drill. also, try running a compression test just to make SURE you dont have head gasket problems. a little effort to make sure gaskets are ok go a long way towards avoiding warped head/catastrophic failure if it IS the heads, nah mean?