Hello,
Iam A New User And Having Problems With My 99 Ranger 3.0 Over Heating And Blowing It', Top. It Started When I Noticed That The Over Flow Tank Had Rusty Looking Antifreeze In It And Went To Have The System Flushed. When Flushing They Found A Leak Thinking That It Was My Water Pump. Brought It To The Garage And They Said That The Sesors On The Block Were Rusted And Changed Them. They Fushed The System And Changed Thermostat. Next Morning While Driving The Truck Warmed Up Then The Guage When All The Way Down And Started To Blow Cold Air. Then The Guage When All The Up And Blew Anti Freeze Out Through The Overflow And The Temp Went Normal. Stopped And Added Anti Freeze And Drove All Day Putting About 100 Miles With No Problems. Next Morning Same Thing. Went Back To Garage And They Changed Radiator Cap. Still Same Morning Problems. Changed Thermostat Because Garage Used Secondary Market One And Refilled System And Tried To Bleed Out Air. Truck Ran O.k. For About 3 Days Then Started Again To Blow It Top. It Seems To Happen Before The Thermostat Opens. Checked Oil And No Water Or Foam. Helpppp!!!!!!

 

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The temp gauge going to "zero" and the heater blowing cold air usually means
there is air in the cooling system. That could be because you are losing coolant
somewhere or all the air was never bled out when it was flushed.

When you added antifreeze, did you add just straight antifreeze? The motor
will overheat faster with a higher ratio of antifreeze to water, since ethylene
glycol doesn't carry heat as well as water. 50/50 is recommended. My manual
for the 4.0L says not to go more than 60 antifreeze to 40 water. Your's probably
says the same.

 

It sounds to me like air is repeatedly building up in the cooling system.

Which "sensors" on the block were changed? What other part(s) of the cooling system did the garage tinker with?

 

Does it overheat on the highway or only at slow speeds, this would indicate a bad fan clutch?

How does the radiator look inside, might be clogged?

Do you get heat, this would indicate the water pump is moving the coolant?

 

Howdy richind
Ethylene glycol is used in the desert without water to cut it because there is no risk of freeze. In it's 100% state ethylene glycol will not boil till it reaches 395 deg F. However at around -10deg F ethylene glycol begins to form a "slush" in
the engine and radiator. Adding water increases the freeze point (strange isn't it?) until a maximun of about 70% mixture is reached. However this mixture will boil at around 250 deg F.
Here in Texas many of us run straight ethylene glycol it inhibits wear on the pump seal and the water pumps last a very long time. It seems to be a nationwide myth about needing water to cool.. That is a complete untrue myth.
Big Jim

 

Hello,
To Reply To All Of Your Questions. The Truck Blows Its Top Usually When On The Highway Going About 40-50 Mph And Also Did It After I Pulled Over One Time. After The Pressure Blows Into The Tank And It Can Go All Day After I Fill It Back Up. My Mixture Of Antifreeze And Water Is All Wrong Because I Have Been Just Adding Striaght Antifreeze To System. The Garage Guy Changed 3 Fitting And One Sesor On The Engine Block. How Do You Get All The Air Out Of The System?
Thanks, Pat

 

Thanks Big Jim.....Still true that you learn something new everyday!
Amazing how many "car repair" sites mention this myth....

 

Paerhardt I betcha them mechanics put the thermostat in backwards or installed a faulty one!
Or maybe they left air in there the first time and when it overheated it blew the thermostat. I think I would install a brand new 195 deg thermostat in there and make sure it is not upside down! They have arrows stamped on them just so they will not be installed backwards.
As your engiine was not giving trouble till the mechanics got to it your problems lie there. Also just a warning. The ends of the sensors that are in the coolant might be nearly any color and the color does not matter all they do is tell you and the computer what the temperature is! Rusty coolant did not hurt them one bit. The mechanics knew this and sold you work you did not need and of poor quality to boot.
Oh yeah I have a 3.0 00 Ranger and it has 2 temp sensors each does a different job and each is on a different side of the thermostat! It is wuite possible to get them in the wrong place and screwup that way too! The one after the thermostat has an element that is shaped like a fat pencil lead! The one on the HOT side of the thermostat has a sort of ? pimple or nipple? looking element.. I'd check them out too. Although the electric plugs on the top of these looks the same at first blush they are just different enough that one would have to try real hard to cross plug them.
Big Jim

 

Yeah I know and I read it every day. But there is not any research to back it up! What I gave you is the real-deal! Boils at 395 deg! We don't even need a pressure cap..
Big Jim

 

Hello,
Just an update on the overheating problem. Yesterday I drained the cooling system and flushed the whole system out. Also flush the heater core. refilled system with 50/50 mixture and took it for a spin. It did not act up. Today I took it for a run and the temp guage went to normal then cold then leveled out at normal. It blew about a pint of fluid into the overflow. Tonight took it for another run and it did the same thing but blew about a quart of fluid into tank. When I unscrewed the radiator cap it let off alot of air pressure and stopped. I drained the over flow and refilled the radiator. One thing I did notice is that the upper radiator hose is hot and the lower is cool. Is this normal? Any more help will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Pat

 

The lower hose should at least be warm while the engine is warm. Sounds like you have a clogged radiator.

 

Howdy Rockledge
The more clogged his radiator is the warmer the return hose will be! He is up there in PA. If it is cold outside the bottom hose will be cold. the longer the coolant is in the radiator in cold weather the colder the coolant will get.
Big Jim

 

Ok I am thinking more and more you have a leaky head gasket. Do this for a test.
Park the truck in such a way that the radiator cap is higher than the rest of the top of the radiator. Take the cap off and fill the NECK full of coolant. Then start her up and let her idle while you stand there with a container of coolant. keep pouring coolant in the neck as it needs to be refilled to stay in the neck. What you will be doing is watching closely for small bubbles coming the the surface of the coolant.. These will be compression bubbles from the head gasket. If they are there you need to check the plugs to see if you can find a plug that might have some rust on it.. I am pretty sure you will find the bubbles.. If you do find them it is gasket time pronto! If you linger you will have to purchase at least one new head.
Big JIm

 

Hi Jim,

My thinking is as follows: An engine at operating temperature should be passing enough hot coolant through the radiator and back to the water pump to keep the lower hose at least a little warm. On the other hand, if there is little or no coolant flowing out the lower rad hose, then that hose will be cool.