Heat only when Driving, not idling ? | Ford Explorer Forums

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Heat only when Driving, not idling ?

thevdeub

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Joined
December 20, 2014
Messages
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City, State
Kula, HI
Year, Model & Trim Level
Sport Trac 2001
I just got an used Sport Trac of 2001, with services record unknown.
I am changing all fluids.
In the process of flushing Coolant, draining and refilling while the engine is idling and heat is running, I realized the air pulsed into the cabin, was not hot, even after the engine warmed up.
Took the truck for a ride, and while driving, heat is correct, very hot.
I continued the flush, but I am wondering, if this is the symptom of something I should look into.

Any advice welcome.
Thanks !
 



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Do you notice the temperature gauge behaving the same way ( cooler at idle and rising while driving)?
Sounds like a suck thermostat
 






"Stuck Thermostat" , I guess.

Not really. In both cases, it usually stick in the middle of the range.

(maybe related : One time though, driving and idling, the gauge did not move at all.
Could not reproduce it now, without doing anything).
 






Add you were flushing fluids how did the coolant look? If it looked good I would stay with the cheap thermostat as you do not have a lot of other cheap easy options left but it sounds like either the cooling system is over cooling at idle due to a sticking thermostat or the impeller on the water pump cannot move enough fluid at high rpm to cool the engine while under load.
 






Might also be worth pulling the hoses off of time heater core and flushing that with a hose to see if you get any debris out
 






not sure but here's the procedure From the service manual

( I have a weird problem where the system will not pull from the reservoir, keeps on pushing coolant to reservoir when it gets hot, then overflowing and dumping coolant)

Cooling System Draining, Filling and Bleeding Draining

WARNING: To avoid personal injury, do not unscrew the coolant pressure relief cap while the engine is operating or hot. The cooling system is under pressure; steam and hot liquid can come out forcefully when the cap is loosened slightly.

CAUTION: The coolant must be recovered in a suitable, clean container for reuse. If the coolant is contaminated it must be recycled or disposed of correctly.

NOTE: About 80% of the coolant capacity can be recovered with the engine in the vehicle. Dirty, rusty or contaminated coolant requires replacement.

Remove the radiator cap.
Place a suitable container below the radiator draincock. Drain the coolant.
Tighten the radiator draincock when finished.
Filling-Bleeding

CAUTION: Engine coolant provides freeze protection, boil protection, cooling efficiency and corrosion protection to the engine and cooling components. In order to obtain these protections, the engine coolant must be maintained at the proper concentration and fluid level. When adding engine coolant, use a 60/40 mixture of clean drinkable water and engine coolant.

To maintain the integrity of the coolant and the cooling system:

Add Premium Engine Coolant E2FZ-19549-AA (CXC-8-B in Canada) or an equivalent meeting specification ESE-M97B44-A.
Do not add orange-colored EXTENDED LIFE COOLANT such as F6AZ-19544-A, meeting WSS-M97B44-D. Mixing coolants may degrade the coolant's corrosion protection.
Do not add alcohol or methanol or any engine coolants mixed with alcohol or methanol antifreeze. These can cause engine damage from overheating or freezing.
Do not mix recycled coolant unless it meets the requirements of specification ESE-M97B44-A. Not all coolant recycling processes meet this specification; use of such a coolant may harm the engine and cooling system components.

1. Fill the radiator through the radiator cap opening. Close the cap when full.

2. Fill the radiator coolant recovery reservoir to the cold fill line.

3. Select the maximum heater temperature and blower motor speed settings. Position the control to discharge air from the A/C vents to the instrument panel.

4. CAUTION: If the air discharge remains cool and the engine coolant temperature gauge does not move, the engine coolant level is low in the engine and must be filled. Stop the engine, allow it to cool and fill the cooling system.

Run the engine until it reaches operating temperature.

5. WARNING: To avoid personal injury, do not unscrew the coolant pressure relief cap while the engine is operating or hot. The cooling system is under pressure; steam and hot liquid can come out forcefully when the cap is loosened slightly.

Turn off the engine and allow the cooling system to cool. When the pressure has been released, remove the radiator cap. Add more coolant mixture to the radiator until full.

6. Add more coolant mixture to the radiator coolant recovery reservoir until the level reaches the cold fill line.

7. Start the engine and allow it to idle. While the engine is idling, feel for hot air from the A/C vents.
Hot air should discharge from the A/C vents. The engine coolant temperature gauge should maintain a stabilized reading in the middle of the NORMAL range and the upper radiator hose should feel hot to the touch

8. Check the engine coolant level in the radiator coolant recovery reservoir and fill it as necessary.

Repeat Steps 5 through 8 as necessary.
 






When I replace my coolant I leave the radiator cap off and the heat on high. This will usally remove most if not all the trapped air from the system. Dave p.
 






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