overheating bad

[thumpida]

in 50 dgree weather my sho hit the red in 10 minutes of driving at 40 mph. i wasnt getting on it just cruising along.perhaps my gauge is wrong but i think its overheating. coincidently though my heater is only blowing cold air. i was wondering perhaps the thermostat is stuck shut.or maybe an ect sensor. if the thermostat was stuck shut would it cause the heater to not work? please jsut dont say i need a water pump.

 

[Dr. Tweak]

Do not let your SHO overheat please, you will regret it very much.

Have you checked the coolant level? Not just in the overflow bottle but in the radiator itself?Low coolant can cause the symptoms you described. Also as you said a stuck thermostat will as well.

Have you been losing coolant? Please post more info, at this point it could be anything.

If your waterpump is not leaking then I doubt that's the problem. Why would you want that to be the problem anyway? A thermostat is much cheaper and easier to replace than a waterpump.

 

[thumpida]

when it starts getting up i pull over, and since this incident iv been avoiding driving it at all costs.i have checked the radiator fluid but after filling up it still is overheating. yes i lost coolant as i apparently have a small leak at the top of my radiator that is only leaking when it gets real hot and lots of pressure build s up. actually i said i was hoping it was NOT a water pump as i dont really feel like going into that much trouble right now.

 

[MotoArts]

Regardless of any other probable causes, change the thermostat. It is VERY easy to do, and costs VERY little for the job that it does. It will probably never go bad again for the life of the car.

 

[Dr. Tweak]

lol oops i read that wrong.

well as said above, change the thermostat since it is very easy and cheap, make sure you use the correct Ford one, there was a second release because the first one was too cold i think.

change you temp sender(s) while you're at it...

 

[thumpida]

well as im pretty much dead broke at the second, i might get the 5 dollar one from napa for a few weeks. as far as the temp senders go can anyone give me an idea where they are located or how much they cost? ios this the ect sensor?if not can someone tell me where the ect is located anyway?i have access to a few parts cars and for the next few days it might be worthwhile to try switching them out to see if the otherones might be ok. like i said i intend to fix everything correctly, but i cant do so for a few weeks, so in the mean time if i gan get by on a used sensor or a 5 dollar thermostat even better.

 

[Dr. Tweak]

the sensors are on either side of the thermostat housing, the two wire one is for the computer and the one wire one is for you guage.

if you use a cheap thermostat don't forget to change it out with the right one later... thumb

 

[AutoSHO]

Change your radiator cap also.

 

[MyFirstSHO]

The ECT has a 1 inch nut on it. You WILL need a 1 inch deep socket to get it out. Its VERY hard to see the sensor itself. 95% of the time of changing it will be trying to get the wiring harness off. Make sure you have some thread sealing tape for the threads.

And as always, good luck!

Edit: Yea $$$'s a bitch sometimes. A brand new PLASTIC ECT will run you $18. A brand new METAL ECT will set you back $30.

<small>[ March 19, 2004, 09:34 AM: Message edited by: MyFirstSHO ]</small>