88' Foxbody 5.0 Lx Getting Hot

[YESOFCR]

I just picked this 88 Foxbody up today and I drove it from the guys house which was a good, 20-30min drive, no heating issues whatsoever or maybe the gauge just wasn't showing it quite yet. It seems really slow. Well right as I got home I changed the plugs, wires, oil, and flushed the radiator. I went around the neighborhood for about 15min and it was getting to the N on the (NORMAL) temp gauge and it would go back down to about the O or Even R at times. It would not quite reach the red bar. Any ideas on what it could be?


Also, not a big deal at all just thought I might throw it out there but sometimes when I go to start it it will fire right up but die and it only does that once. It won't do it twice in a row, kind of weird.


Thanks!

 

[stykthyn]

If you flushed the radiator I would put money on you having air in the system. Raise the front on jack stands, remove the radiator cap and run the engine until you see air bubbling out. Add fluid as necessary.

 

[mikestang63]

If you flushed the radiator I would put money on you having air in the system. Raise the front on jack stands, remove the radiator cap and run the engine until you see air bubbling out. Add fluid as necessary.

^this- Air in the system is my guess. these cars are notorious for air getting trapped in the system.

Get a lysle funnel for $25. it makes filling coolant systems so much easier- no jackstands or jacking up the car, and no mess. Make sure you have the heat on hot and the motor on high to get all the air out of the heater core and lines.

 

[YESOFCR]

If you flushed the radiator I would put money on you having air in the system. Raise the front on jack stands, remove the radiator cap and run the engine until you see air bubbling out. Add fluid as necessary.

^this- Air in the system is my guess. these cars are notorious for air getting trapped in the system.

Get a lysle funnel for $25. it makes filling coolant systems so much easier- no jackstands or jacking up the car, and no mess. Make sure you have the heat on hot and the motor on high to get all the air out of the heater core and lines.

I will try this out and let you guys know how it goes, thanks guys!

 

[YESOFCR]

Well as of now I'm sitting here in the car, heater on full blast, I have the left front a arm jacked up because I don't have jack stands and only 1 jack... Hopefully this isn't a big issue. And earlier it got to abouT the M and went right back down to A and its been sitting here for a good 10 minutes. I've even held the rpms at 2k for a good 3-5 minutes and it hasn't moved. Hopefully I don't have a faulty sensor..?

Edit: I took it out for a good 30 minutes or so, beat on it and stayed at about the A the entire time now when I turned the car off when I got home the temp skyrocketed again and almost hit red bar. Is that normal? Im a bit confused.

 

[Shakerhood]

Well as of now I'm sitting here in the car, heater on full blast, I have the left front a arm jacked up because I don't have jack stands and only 1 jack... Hopefully this isn't a big issue. And earlier it got to abouT the M and went right back down to A and its been sitting here for a good 10 minutes. I've even held the rpms at 2k for a good 3-5 minutes and it hasn't moved. Hopefully I don't have a faulty sensor..?

Edit: I took it out for a good 30 minutes or so, beat on it and stayed at about the A the entire time now when I turned the car off when I got home the temp skyrocketed again and almost hit red bar. Is that normal? Im a bit confused.

Did you by chance have the headlights or parking lights on after you turned it off?

 

[stykthyn]

My temp gauge read high with the lights on due to a poor ground on the firewall. Had me scared for a long time.

 

[YESOFCR]

Did you by chance have the headlights or parking lights on after you turned it off?

My temp gauge read high with the lights on due to a poor ground on the firewall. Had me scared for a long time.

Mmm.... Yes I believe that I did. That's odd. Well hopefully my issues are fixed. I Appreciate the help guys, thanks a lot!