Engine not heating up
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,811
Likes: 83
From: Cedar Rapids, IA
In post #26 above you mentioned the upper hose was not firm which is why I asked about if the pressure cap has been tested and if a pressure test has been performed on the system. A bad pressure cap can cause boil over conditions (the pressure in the system raises the boiling point) but only in a system that is able to get hot enough to boil. If you don't feel your system is building pressure you need to determine if it's the cap or if it's the system that is preventing it. When you removed the cap after driving home from the dealer was the coolant level full or was the coolant level low? Yes, the shop should have run the vehicle long enough to be comfortable all the air was out of the system, but they also were likely anxious to get the vehicle back to you.
-Rod
-Rod
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,268
Likes: 35
From: Utica, Nebraska
In post #26 above you mentioned the upper hose was not firm which is why I asked about if the pressure cap has been tested and if a pressure test has been performed on the system. A bad pressure cap can cause boil over conditions (the pressure in the system raises the boiling point) but only in a system that is able to get hot enough to boil. If you don't feel your system is building pressure you need to determine if it's the cap or if it's the system that is preventing it. When you removed the cap after driving home from the dealer was the coolant level full or was the coolant level low? Yes, the shop should have run the vehicle long enough to be comfortable all the air was out of the system, but they also were likely anxious to get the vehicle back to you.
-Rod
-Rod
Back in January, the older thermostat that was in just stopped allowing the engine to get up to normal operating temp, it was down a bit. Even on really cold days, sub-zero it would be fine, so I know that it wasn't from the ambient temperature. Which is why I put in a different thermostat, albeit the wrong temp (180 instead of a 192 or the factory 195). After that, it never got above the first line on the gauge, though occasionally it would creep up, but would drop right back down while driving.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,268
Likes: 35
From: Utica, Nebraska
Cabin air does not warm up at all. Neither the front or rear heat blows hot air. I've ran both the front and back heat just to see if it would do anything and nothing. I use to have a thermometer in the vents to see how hot or cold it would get, but it quit working properly.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,811
Likes: 83
From: Cedar Rapids, IA
I suppose you could pick up one of those radiator hose pliers and then carefully clamp off the upper hose in an area away from the belts and fan. Then run the engine at 2k rpms for about 2 minutes to see if the engine comes up to temperature that way. If it does, that would pretty much point to an issue with the thermostat not correctly closing the path of coolant. Clamping off the upper hose would serve basically the same effect as having a closed thermostat. You'd want to have the temperature of the HVAC turned up with the blower on speed 1 or 2 as well and monitor the heat from the vents just in case the sending unit for the temp gauge is not working properly and the cooling system is actually getting hot. If the heat is blowing hot but the gauge still shows cold, remove the clamp to avoid overheating the engine.
-Rod
-Rod
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,268
Likes: 35
From: Utica, Nebraska
I guess I was wrong, I do get heat or at least a little bit of heat out of the vents, it's just when the fan is on half or higher, it's quite cold. Not sure if that helps at all.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,268
Likes: 35
From: Utica, Nebraska
Not finding much online about having some heat in cabin, but the engine isn't warming up at all. Even driving for well over 40 minutes and it doesn't seem to warm up at all. Only creeps up a little bit while stopped, and cools back down while driving. I need to get a thermometer for the vents again to see what kind of temps I'm getting out, my guess is about 120F, roughly the same temp as the upper radiator hose and inlet line going to the heater core.
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,811
Likes: 83
From: Cedar Rapids, IA
Not finding much online about having some heat in cabin, but the engine isn't warming up at all. Even driving for well over 40 minutes and it doesn't seem to warm up at all. Only creeps up a little bit while stopped, and cools back down while driving. I need to get a thermometer for the vents again to see what kind of temps I'm getting out, my guess is about 120F, roughly the same temp as the upper radiator hose and inlet line going to the heater core.
-Rod
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,268
Likes: 35
From: Utica, Nebraska
On an unrelated topic, found out today that I need to get 2 new sway bar links for the front and at least the driver upper control arm and ball joint. Might do both tie rod ends. Going all Moog on suspension parts, I've had great luck with them in the past.
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 11,931
Likes: 180
if the motor does not heat up then NORMALLY the coolant is leaking by the thermostat..... There is a pin hole in the thermostat to let air escape while motor is warming up.. PIn hole less that 1/8 inch diameter with a ball / pin normally plugging half the hole.... if the hole is TOO BIG or the ball is gone, you continuously leak coolant thru to the radiator and sometimes the motor never gets hot enough to open the thermostat ( in cooler weather).
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,268
Likes: 35
From: Utica, Nebraska
Well the thermostats were all working properly, however the dash gauge was not reading properly. Came up to visit my dad on Saturday for Memorial weekend and to work on the vehicle a bit more. So thinking it was a bad t-stat (Motorcraft), we replaced it with a different one. Drove it around town and no issues. Today just before I left to head back to my place in Nebraska, I had to stop at the mall to find some stuff. When I walked back out to the vehicle, there was a large puddle of coolant on the ground. Drove it back home and for the last 3 hours we've been beating our heads trying to figure out what the issue is. Coolant is bubbling into the coolant reservoir and coming out of the cap. Only thing I'm finding online is bad head gasket(s). I'm lost for words and need to figure out now how to get back home. This vehicle is becoming a nightmare at this point.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,268
Likes: 35
From: Utica, Nebraska
Did a coolant pressure test and it held pressure. Ran it again and once I shut the engine off the coolant shot out of the cap. Replaced the cap and its not going out of the cap now, however its still doing the same thing. We've eliminated thermostat, coolant cap and pressure. No leaks in any of the hoses or radiator. When I came up, we replaced the t-stat because I thought it was stuck open and not allowing the engine to warm up properly, as it turns out its probably a bad sending unit or gauge as it only moves up a little bit. We also added R134a into the vehicle because it was a bit low. But after all of that the issues just popped up.
