Hello again stangnet-
So I'm chasing my tail again trying to make sense of a weird cooling & code reading issue. I'll split them into separate questions. Looking for input and ideas from the know it alls. (Looking at you @jrichker @TOOLOW91)
COOLING ISSUE:
Info:
Stock gauge (yes, I know it's crap.. get an aftermarket etc etc etc)
New SVE radiator (3 row aluminum blah blah blah)
New Motorcraft thermostat
New lower hose
Headgaskets replaced last month
Lower intake gaskets replaced last month (Felpro 1250 - Intake ports cut correctly and sealed with Ultra Black)
Have done a leak down test on the cooling system with no noticeable drop in the needle and no puddling anywhere that we could see
Used the tester for exhaust leak and didn't change color
Symptoms:
So initially I noticed the the temp rising higher (from slightly below the middle mark to mid-way between the middle mark and 3/4 under hard pulls) than normal so I started paying more attention to the temp and to narrow down my cooling issue. Naturally, I had a bit leaking from the lower intake on the driver side just behind the distributor hole. Ok... lower intake is probably leaking both into and out of the motor due to bad gasket.
Well, made the decision to go ahead and replace and while already that far in... go ahead and replace the head gaskets while I was in there and replace head bolts with ARP for a bit of insurance.
Did the replace, sealed it all up according to guides etc... sealed all the ports, torqued all the bolts etc etc etc... and ... womp womp... still has the same exact issue. This time however, it started exhibiting a different problem. On a cold start, the thermostat seemed to stay closed until the temp went to the 3/4 mark before opening then would cool back to mid mark and back to the initial problem I started with. (running warmer than normal)
So then that got me to thinking that maybe the issue was with the thermostat... so I replaced it with a Motorcraft. While I was in there, I went ahead and replaced what looked like a cheap thin oreillys radiator to the SVE one and also changed out the bottom hose just to be on the safe side..
The car ran great after I burped it and didn't seem to show any leaks the first few drives after changing it all and I thought it must have been a bad thermostat and/or bad/clogged radiator.
But today at work, I noticed a smallish puddle on the driver side front (near the lower hose/radiator cap/reservoir area). This *could* just be overfill and I haven't verified that yet through multiple days of driving and sitting... but here's the biggest kicker to all of this.
Though I know the stock gauge isn't accurate by any means... it has been showing consistently the same behavior on cooler days vs. warmer days. On cooler days, the temp usually runs right on the mid mark.... but in the afternoons when it warms up to around 70+F... it consistently runs below the the mid mark.
Cooler days = Car runs warmer
Warmer days = Car runs cooler
I'm at a loss as to where to even begin looking next other than a poor functioning water pump or something else I'm not aware of. Maybe a clog or bad build up in the motor? Thoughts?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KOER Test:
So in an effort to pull codes, I've run the KOEO (Off) test and pull a codes:
63 - Throttle Position Sensor or circuit
67 - Air conditioner clutch switch circuit (clutch switch was jumpered so most likely the cause)
When I went to run the engine ON test, I get the RPM drop & rise... but then the CEL light just stays solid and the test doesn't go any further. No RPM rise, no nothing... just solid CEL. Not sure what that means... I couldn't find anything online related to it. I very well could have a short somewhere but just wanted to ask to see if there was something else I was doing wrong. (Yes, I pulled the jumper on the clutch switch after the car started to simulate pushing and releasing the clutch)
Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!
So I'm chasing my tail again trying to make sense of a weird cooling & code reading issue. I'll split them into separate questions. Looking for input and ideas from the know it alls. (Looking at you @jrichker @TOOLOW91)
COOLING ISSUE:
Info:
Stock gauge (yes, I know it's crap.. get an aftermarket etc etc etc)
New SVE radiator (3 row aluminum blah blah blah)
New Motorcraft thermostat
New lower hose
Headgaskets replaced last month
Lower intake gaskets replaced last month (Felpro 1250 - Intake ports cut correctly and sealed with Ultra Black)
Have done a leak down test on the cooling system with no noticeable drop in the needle and no puddling anywhere that we could see
Used the tester for exhaust leak and didn't change color
Symptoms:
So initially I noticed the the temp rising higher (from slightly below the middle mark to mid-way between the middle mark and 3/4 under hard pulls) than normal so I started paying more attention to the temp and to narrow down my cooling issue. Naturally, I had a bit leaking from the lower intake on the driver side just behind the distributor hole. Ok... lower intake is probably leaking both into and out of the motor due to bad gasket.
Well, made the decision to go ahead and replace and while already that far in... go ahead and replace the head gaskets while I was in there and replace head bolts with ARP for a bit of insurance.
Did the replace, sealed it all up according to guides etc... sealed all the ports, torqued all the bolts etc etc etc... and ... womp womp... still has the same exact issue. This time however, it started exhibiting a different problem. On a cold start, the thermostat seemed to stay closed until the temp went to the 3/4 mark before opening then would cool back to mid mark and back to the initial problem I started with. (running warmer than normal)
So then that got me to thinking that maybe the issue was with the thermostat... so I replaced it with a Motorcraft. While I was in there, I went ahead and replaced what looked like a cheap thin oreillys radiator to the SVE one and also changed out the bottom hose just to be on the safe side..
The car ran great after I burped it and didn't seem to show any leaks the first few drives after changing it all and I thought it must have been a bad thermostat and/or bad/clogged radiator.
But today at work, I noticed a smallish puddle on the driver side front (near the lower hose/radiator cap/reservoir area). This *could* just be overfill and I haven't verified that yet through multiple days of driving and sitting... but here's the biggest kicker to all of this.
Though I know the stock gauge isn't accurate by any means... it has been showing consistently the same behavior on cooler days vs. warmer days. On cooler days, the temp usually runs right on the mid mark.... but in the afternoons when it warms up to around 70+F... it consistently runs below the the mid mark.
Cooler days = Car runs warmer
Warmer days = Car runs cooler
I'm at a loss as to where to even begin looking next other than a poor functioning water pump or something else I'm not aware of. Maybe a clog or bad build up in the motor? Thoughts?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KOER Test:
So in an effort to pull codes, I've run the KOEO (Off) test and pull a codes:
63 - Throttle Position Sensor or circuit
67 - Air conditioner clutch switch circuit (clutch switch was jumpered so most likely the cause)
When I went to run the engine ON test, I get the RPM drop & rise... but then the CEL light just stays solid and the test doesn't go any further. No RPM rise, no nothing... just solid CEL. Not sure what that means... I couldn't find anything online related to it. I very well could have a short somewhere but just wanted to ask to see if there was something else I was doing wrong. (Yes, I pulled the jumper on the clutch switch after the car started to simulate pushing and releasing the clutch)
Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!