Overheating!! Help!!

[Sethro]

I need some help, my '97 SOHC overheated on the way to work today (30 min highway drive). I turned the heat on and the temp guage cooled back down to normal. I haven't leaked any antifreeze and my heat still works fine and my fan is working as well.
On the way home it was overheating the whole time, I could watch the temp gauge go up if I turned the heat off. On top of that, it started shifting bad. It is short-shifting causing it to lug on normal acceleration. It is also idling a little high when it gets warm.

Other than that, it runs fine, still has normal power if i get on it.


Any suggestions?!?? Please help!

 

[Alec]

Thermostat most likely.

 

[mrboyle]

The t-stat is the first thing to replace. The symptoms you describe are all common with overheating.

 

[Sethro]

I will try a new one tonight...

Would the T-stat cause the transmission to shift too early?

 

[yob_yeknom]

My '97 SOHC overheated on the way to work yesterday. Same exact symptoms you described, tranny going wild, very low power, had to turn heat wide open to cool engine.

Problem: THERMOSTAT

Just fixed it today. Took a couple of hours and flushed the entire system with Prestone Super Flush, then replaced the thermostat. Just got back from my test drive before I got on the board and everything is working fine.

I suggest flushing your coolant system since you're changing your thermostat and going to lose coolant anyways. Get one of those flushes that only take a few minutes to use, not the ones you have to leave in the system for a few days of normal driving.
Drain your radiator and remove your old thermostat. Put everything back together, but leave out the thermostat. Pour the flush stuff into your radiator and fill with water. Run the engine for about 10 minutes with the heat on, keeping an eye on the guage just in case.
Remove the upper and lower radiator hoses to drain the system, then take a water hose and run water into the upper hose while holding your hand over the opening in the lower hose. Let the entire system fill with fresh water, then let it all run out again. Do that a couple of time to make sure you got all the flush out of the system. Also flush the radiator.
Install the new t-stat and reconnect all hoses. Pour 1 gallon of antifreeze into your radiator, then finish filling with water. (this will give you a 50/50 mix, since the system hold 2 gallons)

That's what I did and it solved my problem.

 

[Fred Garvin]

Actually, I think the 4.o L SOHC holds about 2.6-3 gallons total (look it up in the manual). Thus, you'll need 1.5 gals of coolant to mix with 1.5 gals of water.

In removing the thermostat, take off the air intake hose, and the throttle body first. Slipping the belt off and removing the idle pulley also help.

Do as suggested regarding flushing.

IF you're REALLY ambitious, buy and replace the short hose UNDER the thermostat--it's a beeech, but better now than on the road. Post again for more info on this procedure.

 

[yob_yeknom]

Actually, my owner's manual states that the system holds 7.8 quarts and my Ford service manual on CD states that it holds 8.1 quarts. Both of which are right in the ball park of 2 gallons, so 1 gallon of antifreeze should be just right. That may have changed for the '98 model year.

I had the bottom radiator hose removed and the radiator drained, so virtually no coolant was left in the system when I filled it back up. I put in one gallon of antrifreeze and just under one gallon of water to fill it completely.