06 Explorer V8 4.6 Overheating

[SWarren24]

I have an 2006 Explorer v8 4.6L with around 125K miles on it.

It seems that there is a correlational between running my AC and the engine overheating. This issue is not all the time, but becoming more frequent. It can happen when idling, or driving. I tend to notice it most when I have to put strain on my engine. It is common on a hot day when going up hill or trying to accelerate quickly. My car begins to make a loud noise. The noise is like a deep whining noise, similar to an airplane engine. It gets faster and louder when I give it gas. I can feel my engine losing power, and sometimes (not all the time) the air coming from the vents gets warm. The noise and the power loss are almost simultaneous with my temperature gauge ticking up. If I continue to drive as is, the temperature gauge will get all the way up to the red line in about 60 seconds. Recently, another side effect comes along with those issues, my ABS and Traction control dash lights come on. The radiator is not leaking, the air conditioner had a freon leak that was fixed, the thermostat is about a year old (seems to be holding up), and we have replaced the fan clutch. Currently, I handle the situation by turning the AC off before needing extra power, or turning it off when I notice the temp beginning to rise. That seems to "fix" the issue temporarily. The noise fades out, the temp gauge goes back to normal, and the engine power comes back. Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.

 

[Rcflyer330]

Well most common ideas are sticking closed thermostat, low coolant level or failing coolant pump. The airplane noise you hear is the fan kicking in trying to cool the engine down. You said your thermostat is only a year old but thats where I would start. I had a motorcraft thermostat fail in 1 year 11 months. My car is a v6 but i dont think that would matter. The loss of power most likely because the the fan is drawing a lot of engine power. Abs and traction lights are probally a seperate issue.

 

[94Eddie]

If you are having fan issues then overheating will be present at lower speeds and not at highway speeds. The whining noise sounds like one of the accessories has bearings going out. The loss of power could be from the computer sensing the overheating and going into limp mode to prevent engine damage. The problem could be a clogged up radiator. The A/C puts a heat load on the radiator when it is running and this might be enough to cause overheating with a compromised radiator. It could be that fixing the A/C makes it more efficient with cooling but this also puts a larger thermal load on radiator. Did you notice the overheating getting worse after the A/C was fixed?

 

[Mitchs07explorer]

maybe your water pump has failed and could also be the source of the whining noise.

 

[tojan19]

It it was me, I'd go after the thermostat first, but as mentioned I'd check the water pump and radiator. If you have the wrench (36mm, make sure you get the right size) it's easy enough to get the Fan off and pull the water pump. I've seen water pumps with the blades worn down but good bearings and seals.