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OT - Coolant system on a Taurus

D

dhermesc

Well-known Member
(2001 Taurus - 3.0 Vulcan engine)

I'm driving to work this morning (about 5 degrees outside) and I notice the temp guage has spiked (almost into the red) but I'm still getting cold air blowing from the vent. Just as I'm about to pull over the needle quickly drops back to its normal operating range (middle of the guage) and I start getting warm air from the vents. I watch it closely the rest of the way into work but the temp stays normal.

Whats going on?

I don't think its a sticky thermostat since the heater hoses are before the thermostat (aren't they?). Will a failing water pump do this?
 
we had a taurus come in the shop with a poor heat, and engine running hot problem. t-stat was good, flushed out the heater core, that was good. finally took off the heater hoses and started the car. no coolant flow. pulled the water pump and here is what we found. electrolysis had eaten away the water pump impeller. dang thing looked like a saw blade. heres a couple of pics.
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<a href="http://s121.photobucket.com/albums/o234/glennster_01/?action=view&current=DCP01844.jpg" target="_blank">
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Untitled URL Link
 
Same thing happened to me last week, same year, same car. Found a small leak in the metal hose in back of engine along firewall. Sawzalled the bad section out, made a rubber hose sleeve, all is ok now. Worth a look.
 
Ford has a service bulletin on flushing the cooling system on them and checking that crazy water tube on the fire wall. I've seen plenty of them that the coolant was rusty and/or that tube rusted out and lost coolant.
 
If it was low on coolant, how did it fill itself up and start heating from the heater and the engine temp dropped? Your antifreeze is weak and got slushy and didn't circulate until it got warmed up.
 
The over flow tank is low - but not empty (refilled with 50/50). The antifreeze level is good for -40. I flushed it this summer and it checked fine then and again this fall at MIDAS when I had the brakes replaced.

The belt is now squealing so I think the water pump is on its way out (and probably leaking a bit too). I know those 3.0s are pretty much bullet proof except for the water pump. When it fails the driver usually doesn't know it until the car overheats and blows a head gasket.
 
Had the same thing happen on the wifes 99 Sable wagon. Impeller looked like a cheese knife it was so thin. The next thing to go was radiator, then a freeze plug in head, then another, then trans went to pieces. Car is gone, we only got 250000 miles out of the piece of junk, and now she has an 05 Taurus wagon, I guess we haven't learned yet :)
 
When the coolant started to boil, it can raise the level of liquid in the block just enough and the pump catches the liquid and starts circulating. Have seen it happen many times...
 
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