91 300TE overheating
 

Hi:

The car over heats (120 degree on the temp gauge) after a couple of miles from cold. Yesterday, the overflow tank was so hot that all the coolant leaked out though the overflow hose. All the other hoses are OK. The hose from the t-stat housing is very hot and the hose from the H2O pump is hot too. The rad is pretty cool to the touch. The fan clutch seems too loose when the engine is at 120 degree. the electric fans are both working. Any ideas where to look?

Thanks

Paul

The hoses in and out of the T-stat house are both very hot so I assume that the T-stat is open. Maybe the rad is clogged?

Paul

We've had the car for two years and the coolant was flushed alomst two yrs. ago and we 've never had the problem. the car has 150k miles on it. The three hoses out of the T-stat houseing are all hot. the two big ones Ione to the top corner of the rad and the other big hose to the lower same side of the rad and the smaller one to the coolant motor(?)) are all hot. The rad however is very cool. I can put my had all over it and the only hot spot is on the upper top corner where the hose from the T-stat houseing connects with the rad. The smaller hose from the other side of the rad which connects to the bottom f the overflow tank is also cool. I just drove the car for 2.8 miles and after the first mile the temp went to 80 (normal) but within the next .5 mile the temp went to almost 120 and the needle was just right below 120 as I pulled into the garage. the two aux fans kicked in around 100.

Thanks for the help. I am thinking more a clogged rad or a stuck t-stat. I can open up the t-stat after the thing cools and take a look. If I have to put my $ down on this I will bet on the clogged rad. I am hoping it is not the pump.

Paul

I believe the problem is thermostat related... or water pump. Water pump should be leaking if that is the problem. There is nothing that could seal off and clog 90% of the radiator... other than a misplaced tennis ball. The heat you feel in the corner of the radiator is just from the heat in the hoses.

Test the thermostat by blacing it in a pot of water that is being heated on a stove to see if it pops open when the water gets increasingly hotter.

The pump is definitely not leaking. I will post an update after I take a look at the T-stat.

Paul

I put the t-stat in water and boiled it and it did not open. Bought a new one from the dealer for $21 and it took me 10 min. to put the thing back together. Now the car runs at a steady 87 degree on the highway.

Paul

That makes me feel goooooooood!

:)