Nightmare! Overheating, faulty sensors, blown heater hose???

svt_wmd · August 21st, 2009, 04:31 PM

So today I'm driving back home (a 3 hour drive) and 10 miles after setting off on my journey, I can smell burning coolant and notice the temp gauge is almost pegged. I slam on the brakes, shut her down and pull off the road.

Open the hood, and am looking for the obvious radiator leak. Nothing. Absolutely nothing is leaking from the radiator, hoses, top or bottom. Nothing. Eventually I notice that the connector from the heater hose to the heater core was broke. Lost all my coolant through this...overheat.

No big deal, I rigged some heater hose and a 90* connector...cool. Top off the coolant tank. Problem seems solved. Driving back into town, temperature is holding steady. Then the gauge starts reading cold. The temp keeps dropping for several miles. This seems strange, so I slow it down on the way back in.

Get to a stop light and car dies. I just put big cams in it, so stalling isn't anything new, but this was a sudden stall before I came to a complete stop. I had a hard time starting it but I did and limped a few blocks home. When I get home now gauge is reading way hot, when just seconds before it was reading cold.

Any suggestions or ideas from somebody who knows something about anything?

What could be the reason for the temp gauge reading cold after the engine has been running for several minutes?

Would overheating tell the computer to shut it down, and not let it start again until its cool enough?

I'm in my parents little town, and the Ford dealer won't touch an SVT car. So I'm out of luck for a few weeks.

Sorry for the long post, and thanks for any ideas, advice, suggestions, etc.

SWEET2KSTANG · August 21st, 2009, 05:12 PM

maybe locked the thermostat open.

Lefty · August 21st, 2009, 05:24 PM

Yeah change the T-stat and see what happens. It's the smallest, cheapest fix to start at.

svt_wmd · August 21st, 2009, 05:42 PM

T-stat is brand new, maybe 3 months old. I called my tune shop and they said that more than likely I got air in the cooling system when I added new coolant. That's the reason for the temp gauge reading cold. I also spoke to a Ford tech and he agreed. The broken stuff I fixed is working fine as far as I can tell, and the weird cooling glitches just began after I added new coolant. They both said that Cobras are notorious for getting air contaminated cooling systems.

Has anybody else had problems with this before when changing the coolant??

Lefty · August 21st, 2009, 05:46 PM

Yeah, I had to burp my system for about an hour; with the front of the car up on the jack so that the coolant crossover air purge valve was at the highest point.

But my car was always overheating...it never went cold.

O, btw...I also had to change the T-stat twice.

SWEET2KSTANG · August 21st, 2009, 05:58 PM

did you not purge the system?

Lefty · August 21st, 2009, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by SWEET2KSTANG

did you not purge the system?

Yeah, 4V's are notorious for acting up tremendously if there's air in the cooling system.

SWEET2KSTANG · August 21st, 2009, 06:00 PM

yup

svt_wmd · August 21st, 2009, 07:55 PM

No I didn't purge, I was on the side of the highway and poured in a gallon of coolant. Stupid me, I filled up the reservoir, not thinking that the whole block was empty, so after a few miles it starts sucking air and then the overheating commenced

It was a 105, on the side of a hot highway and I wasn't thinking straight.

Came home and filled it up, cycled the engine, fill it up some more and its running good so far.

Reloaded · August 21st, 2009, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by Lefty

Yeah, 4V's are notorious for acting up tremendously if there's air in the cooling system.

Yep. Way back when I spent a day trying to figure out WTF. Search for the proper way to burp these systems. If not done correctly then you will have nothing but trouble. I know, I've been there. Once I burped it according to the way it should be, no problems.

Did you fill it through the cap that's on the coolant crossover pipe?

svt_wmd · August 21st, 2009, 08:15 PM

Yes when I got home, I used the coolant crossover pipe

Reloaded · August 21st, 2009, 08:21 PM

K. If you search on SVTP for "how to burp cooling system" or something similar you'll find a bunch of write-ups on how to properly burp it.

Lefty · August 21st, 2009, 10:22 PM

Originally Posted by Reloaded

K. If you search on SVTP for "how to burp cooling system" or something similar you'll find a bunch of write-ups on how to properly burp it.

It's in the new edge how to section.

August 21st, 2009, 04:31 PM	#1
svt_wmd Newbie 2001 Mustang Cobra Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Lubbock, TX Posts: 19	Nightmare! Overheating, faulty sensors, blown heater hose??? So today I'm driving back home (a 3 hour drive) and 10 miles after setting off on my journey, I can smell burning coolant and notice the temp gauge is almost pegged. I slam on the brakes, shut her down and pull off the road. Open the hood, and am looking for the obvious radiator leak. Nothing. Absolutely nothing is leaking from the radiator, hoses, top or bottom. Nothing. Eventually I notice that the connector from the heater hose to the heater core was broke. Lost all my coolant through this...overheat. No big deal, I rigged some heater hose and a 90* connector...cool. Top off the coolant tank. Problem seems solved. Driving back into town, temperature is holding steady. Then the gauge starts reading cold. The temp keeps dropping for several miles. This seems strange, so I slow it down on the way back in. Get to a stop light and car dies. I just put big cams in it, so stalling isn't anything new, but this was a sudden stall before I came to a complete stop. I had a hard time starting it but I did and limped a few blocks home. When I get home now gauge is reading way hot, when just seconds before it was reading cold. Any suggestions or ideas from somebody who knows something about anything? What could be the reason for the temp gauge reading cold after the engine has been running for several minutes? Would overheating tell the computer to shut it down, and not let it start again until its cool enough? I'm in my parents little town, and the Ford dealer won't touch an SVT car. So I'm out of luck for a few weeks. Sorry for the long post, and thanks for any ideas, advice, suggestions, etc. __________________ "You have to excuse my friend, he's a little slow... The town is back thatta way." 2001 SVT Cobra 345rwhp/321rwtq MM Cobra Club #45

August 21st, 2009, 05:12 PM	#2
SWEET2KSTANG mm's nitrous mod 2000 mustang gt 11.79@115.83 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: N.W. AR Posts: 8,987	maybe locked the thermostat open. __________________ right now, she is a jackstand warrior if the car was a horse, i would shoot it!!! project warhorse under construction

August 21st, 2009, 05:24 PM	#3
Lefty MM's Most Laid Back '01 Cobra Vert. Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Mechanicsburg, PA Posts: 13,941	Yeah change the T-stat and see what happens. It's the smallest, cheapest fix to start at. __________________ MM Cobra Club Co-Founder

August 21st, 2009, 05:42 PM	#4
svt_wmd Newbie 2001 Mustang Cobra Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Lubbock, TX Posts: 19	T-stat is brand new, maybe 3 months old. I called my tune shop and they said that more than likely I got air in the cooling system when I added new coolant. That's the reason for the temp gauge reading cold. I also spoke to a Ford tech and he agreed. The broken stuff I fixed is working fine as far as I can tell, and the weird cooling glitches just began after I added new coolant. They both said that Cobras are notorious for getting air contaminated cooling systems. Has anybody else had problems with this before when changing the coolant?? __________________ "You have to excuse my friend, he's a little slow... The town is back thatta way." 2001 SVT Cobra 345rwhp/321rwtq MM Cobra Club #45

August 21st, 2009, 05:46 PM	#5
Lefty MM's Most Laid Back '01 Cobra Vert. Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Mechanicsburg, PA Posts: 13,941	Yeah, I had to burp my system for about an hour; with the front of the car up on the jack so that the coolant crossover air purge valve was at the highest point. But my car was always overheating...it never went cold. O, btw...I also had to change the T-stat twice. __________________ MM Cobra Club Co-Founder

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August 21st, 2009, 05:58 PM	#6
SWEET2KSTANG mm's nitrous mod 2000 mustang gt 11.79@115.83 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: N.W. AR Posts: 8,987	did you not purge the system? __________________ right now, she is a jackstand warrior if the car was a horse, i would shoot it!!! project warhorse under construction

August 21st, 2009, 06:00 PM	#8
SWEET2KSTANG mm's nitrous mod 2000 mustang gt 11.79@115.83 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: N.W. AR Posts: 8,987	yup __________________ right now, she is a jackstand warrior if the car was a horse, i would shoot it!!! project warhorse under construction

August 21st, 2009, 07:55 PM	#9
svt_wmd Newbie 2001 Mustang Cobra Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Lubbock, TX Posts: 19	No I didn't purge, I was on the side of the highway and poured in a gallon of coolant. Stupid me, I filled up the reservoir, not thinking that the whole block was empty, so after a few miles it starts sucking air and then the overheating commenced It was a 105, on the side of a hot highway and I wasn't thinking straight. Came home and filled it up, cycled the engine, fill it up some more and its running good so far. __________________ "You have to excuse my friend, he's a little slow... The town is back thatta way." 2001 SVT Cobra 345rwhp/321rwtq MM Cobra Club #45

August 21st, 2009, 08:15 PM	#11
svt_wmd Newbie 2001 Mustang Cobra Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Lubbock, TX Posts: 19	Yes when I got home, I used the coolant crossover pipe __________________ "You have to excuse my friend, he's a little slow... The town is back thatta way." 2001 SVT Cobra 345rwhp/321rwtq MM Cobra Club #45

August 21st, 2009, 08:21 PM	#12
Reloaded Enthusiast 2004 Mach 1 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Foster City, CA Posts: 995	K. If you search on SVTP for "how to burp cooling system" or something similar you'll find a bunch of write-ups on how to properly burp it.

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