98 Continental Cooling Issues

[RedMerc04]

My winter beater is down. Probably a circulation problem; no leaks. The car runs normally for the first few minutes and throws heat while getting close to normal operating temperature. Once it reaches normal, the heat ceases and cold air is blown. Within a few minutes the car begins to slowly overheat. I have replaced the thermostat and the waterpump and I still have the same problem. I am afraid that I may have a blockage somewhere in the system because I observed quite a bit of rust in the coolant when I dumped it. As it heats up, the auxiluary tank overflows, it doesn't "burp," instead, its more of a steady and substantial stream. After I shut the car off the level goes back down. I initally introduced the coolant into the system via the crossover tube near the alternator. What am I missing here? Please help me! My Marauder is full of salt because of this!

[LeoVampire]

My winter beater is down. Probably a circulation problem; no leaks. The car runs normally for the first few minutes and throws heat while getting close to normal operating temperature. Once it reaches normal, the heat ceases and cold air is blown. Within a few minutes the car begins to slowly overheat. I have replaced the thermostat and the waterpump and I still have the same problem. I am afraid that I may have a blockage somewhere in the system because I observed quite a bit of rust in the coolant when I dumped it. As it heats up, the auxiluary tank overflows, it doesn't "burp," instead, its more of a steady and substantial stream. After I shut the car off the level goes back down. I initally introduced the coolant into the system via the crossover tube near the alternator. What am I missing here? Please help me! My Marauder is full of salt because of this!

Is the thermostat you replaced facing the main flow direction?

Are you filling the coolant up by the cross over tube with the cap off of the coolant resivoir?

[bawazir]

Is the thermostat you replaced facing the main flow direction?

Are you filling the coolant up by the cross over tube with the cap off of the coolant resivoir?


that should work

[RedMerc04]

Yes, to both query. I installed the stat in the same way the old one came out... I'm out of ideas...

[LeoVampire]

Yes, to both query. I installed the stat in the same way the old one came out... I'm out of ideas...

I let it heat up with the cap off of the cross over tube and as the thermo stat opend and sucked everything into the engine finished filling it up through the tube. Ya you get some spitting and sputtering out of it but it was a one shot deal and he never had a problem with it after words.

Give it a try.

[RedMerc04]

Yeah I tried that because thats exactly what happens when I do the coolant in the MM. It never seems to "burp" so Im guessing that maybe I got a defective stat. I just dread working on this thing b/c of the lack of room due to the fact that it is front-wheel drive.

[LeoVampire]

Yeah I tried that because thats exactly what happens when I do the coolant in the MM. It never seems to "burp" so Im guessing that maybe I got a defective stat. I just dread working on this thing b/c of the lack of room due to the fact that it is front-wheel drive.


I did an idler pully on the one I mentioned and it was a royal PITA seeing the spring and pully both busted and was against the timming cover!!!!

But yes you can have a bad thermostat from the get go. But if it is flowing and you can see it flowing in the tube???

Put the new one in a pot of water and use a thermometor and heat it on the stove and see when and if it opens to avoid it again. Test the old one too for Ha Ha's!

[RedMerc04]

But yes you can have a bad thermostat from the get go. But if it is flowing and you can see it flowing in the tube??? Yeah, thats the funny thing, I see the coolant flowing like crazy in the crossover tube and I have squeezed every hose around the thermostat junction causing the auxiliary tank to overflow. Ill see if I can screw with the thermostat tomorrow. I should figure it out because I have a full day off from both work and school.

[RedMerc04]

Okay, today I went outside and found my reservoir empty. No coolant on the ground so I assumed that it must have gone into the radiatior. I added coolant again and now I have constant heat and it took the car over two miles to begin to overheat. I got a "low coolant" message on the dash. I parked it and am hoping that the coolant will eventually find its way into the radiatior so I can top it off again. It seeems as if it is in fact burping. However, its taking forever. I guess that I am making progress.

[LeoVampire]

Okay, today I went outside and found my reservoir empty. No coolant on the ground so I assumed that it must have gone into the radiatior. I added coolant again and now I have constant heat and it took the car over two miles to begin to overheat. I got a "low coolant" message on the dash. I parked it and am hoping that the coolant will eventually find its way into the radiatior so I can top it off again. It seeems as if it is in fact burping. However, its taking forever. I guess that I am making progress.

The hardest part is waiting for the cool down and thermostat to close and then open again which starts the suction and blow back operation.

Some cars are easier than others. GM had bleeder screws @ one time on their cross over tubes in 2 differnt sections where bubles were known to form and I wish Ford had them on thiers as well.