Crown Vic overheating :/ water pump?

[norman_p71]

I know this is a marauder forum but any advise could help.


Alights I have like a 5 min drive to work. Thats with lights and traffic. I decided to tKe the long way today which is a whole extra 5 min it let's me get the car nice and warm and allows me to go over 30 mph. So I drive to work and when I pull into the lot i noticed the exaust seems white. I look at the temp and the car is getting close to the H so i park. Exaust smells like something burning and is definatly kinda white. I'm hoping thermostat isn't opening. Quick fix. But I'm thinking water pump :/ which would have to wait till the weekend. My car has a
Ways got about half way up the temp gauge before the thermostat even opens. It's done this since I replaced the thermostat this summer with a lower temp one. So I'm sure I can get to work and back this week without a issue till I can fix it.
So what do you think? Pump? Or stat? Or something else? I did check the coolant level and it's fine. Just changed oil and cleaned cai this past weekend.
How hard is it to replace the pump?
Thanks.

[SC Cheesehead]

Air trapped in the system is common problem with 4V motors, have you tried burping the cooling system?

[norman_p71]

Yeah it's been done before. I may try that again but I'm just worried it's either the water pump or head gasket since there is white smoke. I just re did the coolant over the summer and I've burped it twice since.

[Blk Mamba]

I've heard, here ford water pumps are very reliable, and don't go bad.

[fastblackmerc]

If you have white smoke coming out the exhaust then you probably have a blown head gasket.

[JOEMERC]

Yeah you will actually smell the burnt antifreeze out the tail pipe.and or bubbles in the coolant over flow container .does car idle rough cause of lost compression of head gasket?

[norman_p71]

I went out on my break and all fluids are normal. No white in oil or anythimg like that. The car has always Ideled a little rough, especially when the gas tank is full. I kno weird. My friend said I could have just got a lot of water in the mufflers from the storm last night. I'm thinking I'm just going to just go drive it around after work and see if it actually overheats or just runs hot. It's got 136k on it so it could be anything.