Overheating Problems

20Snake01

New Member
Oct 19, 2009
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Hey guys I am in desperate need of some help. About two weeks ago my car overheated and to make a long story short, it ended up being the tstat. Ive been driving it the past couple of weeks no problems and still great power. So this past weekend im driving it and while im stopped at lights the car was sputtering and staled on my a couple times when I took my foot off the clutch (im a good stick driver so this was odd). Then about an hour later my fan starts going on so I knew there was a problem and sure enough about 10 min later car starts to go towards the red again. I let the car cool then drove home, all while never letting the car go into the red. I get the car home let it sit a couple min, then checked oil which was about a quart low, if that. I put in a quart of oil then went to start her back up and the car and it wouldnt crank, at first it tried to turn then, then it was less and now wont even try to turn. I thought battery but lights and radio still work and with the overheating before it kinda just left me clueless. I really need some help here because ive been trying to sell the car which is in great condition b/c im moving to California in 2 weeks and I still owe 11k on the car plus the 130 a month on insurance :bang:
 
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Test battery and starter

I am just a little confused. Are you saying that at first the starter would turn the engine over but it would not start? Latter attempts, the starter would not turn the engine over at all. Is this correct?

Let’s rule some things out and get some more information.

What model year Mustang are we dealing with?

Is the top of the battery clean? Are the terminals clean and tight?

If the ignition key is turned to on but not started, can you hear the fuel pump run? It might help to cycle the key on/off several times. Each time the key is cycled, the fuel pump should run for a couple of seconds.

What is the battery voltage before cranking? What does the battery voltage drop to during cranking? If you do not have a Volt ohm meter, turn the lights on. Are they bright? What happens when the starter is cranked (dim or bright)?

Today’s cars will not run without a strong battery. It is quite possible that a marginal battery will spin the starter but not have enough voltage to activate the electronics. Consider getting a battery charger. This will help confirm that the battery is indeed fully charged.

Optionally, take the battery to the auto parts store and get it tested. While the battery is out, take the time to clean the battery tray and the terminals.

Have you attempted to bump start the car?

Just to rule out internal engine damage, consider attempting to turn the engine over by hand. Put the car in neutral and set the parking brake. Put a 19mm socket on the front crankshaft damper. You should be able with some resistance be able to turn the engine in a clock wise direction. Will be easier if you have a longer ½” socket.

Possible that there are multiple problems going on here. However, for obvious reasons, the no crank condition will have to be dealt with first.

Good luck.
 
You said this happened this weekend. Have you tried cranking since everything has cooled back down to room temperature?

You may have had a heat soaked starter. Extreme heat is also not good for alternators and batteries. With the extra heat underhood from running hot, the alternator may not have been charging properly and the battery may not have been taking a charge either. A few times cranking after a stall may have weakened the battery some too.

As wmburns suggests, put a charger on it and make sure it's fully charged (and will still take a charge).

My first thought about overheating is that since you just installed a tstat, perhaps you had an air pocket that was lurking in there waiting for the right set of conditions to make itself known.
 
Did you ever verify whether or not your 4v engine's cooling system was properly burped, like I asked in your other thread? :shrug:

http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/798433-2001-cobra-problem-overheating.html

Remember, the 4v engines REALLY hate air trapped in the cooling system...and the overheating issue appears to still be presenting itself. The overheating could have definitely "heat-soaked" your starter as well and caused the "no-start" condition. It SHOULD start back up after cooling off completely...

Post up whether you verified if the cooling system was properly burped - if you don't know, then drain and refill it like I said in your OTHER thread and go from there. G'luck. :cheers:
 
Okay guys lots of great info thanks a lot, so yesterday I went to start the car and it tried turning and started after a couple tries. I had it run for a couple minutes and then turned it off because I wanted to check the levels of coolent which was stupid of me b/c after I shut it off it wouldnt start back and started clicking the the battery was dead :shrug:, the lights ae very bright and battery looks clean. From my last post - after I changed the tstat the car was still overheating after install, then I called a friend for advice and he let me know about the 2 separate places to put in the coolant (radiator and where that black tbar is) after putting some coolant in the other area the car ran fine, so the air pockets was indeed the reason why it was still overheating.
 
haha just read that last post i made from the first time my car overheater and 90cobragt and you were %100 percent correct it was the crossover bar where he didn't put in coolant. I never got a chance to read the post until now but thanks that was correct.
 
If it is a 4V there is air in the system, there is always air in there anytime anyone cracks open the cooling system for any reason there will be air in there and its a major PITA to get it out. To get the air out take it to a Ford stealership, its the only truly reliable way to do it quickly and easily.
 
Okay when I get home from work today im thinking what ill do is charge the battery and flush the cooling system, cleaning it and refilling it and then going from there. Seems like the most simple/basic way to start out. Ill keep everyone updated on what happens. If the problem persists I may put up a youtube video for everyone to see exactly what it is doing.
 
Important detail to know that this was a DOHC motor. When I first read this, I assumed it was a SOHC. The OP stated that it had been several WEEKS since the T-stat was replaced. On the SOHC motor, any air trapped will be removed by time a couple of full heat/cool down cycles have occured. Therefore, I excluded the residual trapped air angle.

This underscores the importance of including ALL of the details about the problem AND the ride.

To Kilgore Trout, COBRA90GT, and patman0911 great call regarding the trapped air in the coolant and heat soaked starter motor.

Question, can the DOHC cooling system be filled by pulling a vacuum and then using the vacuum to pull coolant into the motor?
 
Yes the stealership uses a vacuum device to load the system with coolant and eliminate air.

I have seen home rigs that look like IV bottles connected to the crossover plug to burp it out.

However at the end of the day this is one of those things I take it to the stealership for. I see in post #9 that the OP plans to crack the cooling system open again himself. I would recommend afterwards using a flat bed to get it to the stealership or driving short distances and then allowing the car to cool as you make your way to the stealership.
 
LMFAO Stealership! Okay well I didn't have a chance to do anything yesterday because I got off of work late and the closest place to my house is the Lamada near my house, only thing is they close at 6 everyday and are closed on weekends and I have work til 5:30 on the weekdays so ill probably have to ask for a day off next week to get everythign straightened out. Thanks a lot guys, all this info is making me want to bring the car with me to Cali but with gas, insurance, and emmisions standards it just isnt possible :cry:
 
I ended up just filling the system myself and burping it as much as I could for the time being and waala, the car is working great again! Thanks for all the help guys! Now if anyone wants to buy or knows anyone who wants to buy just lmk:D
 
I ended up just filling the system myself and burping it as much as I could for the time being and waala, the car is working great again! Thanks for all the help guys! Now if anyone wants to buy or knows anyone who wants to buy just lmk:D


Good to hear man. :nice:

I figured it was an air bubble/DOHC refilling procedure issue - MUST refill the 4v cobra cooling system at the coolant crossover tube.

:cheers: