Ford F-150 - 1997-2003 :: Truck Overheating Because Temp Just Keeps Climbing
Jan 30, 2016
Truck runs cool when driving around town about 177. Get on the highway and the temp goes to about 195, go up a mountain pass she climbs to about 210 and I feel that If I dont back off the gas the truck will overheat because the temp just keeps climbing. Go down the highway again on a flat stretch of highway and it drops to 195, get into town temp drops to 177 and even lower when i just let the truck idle.
Truck has a brand new 195 thermostat, fan clutch is only a month old, water pump is about 2 years old, this truck has had head gasket issues in the past but every year I put in the bars stuff and have not had a problem with it since, I started doing the bars stuff about 4 years ago. This is the stuff you flush the system first with not the pour in stuff. 1997 f150 4.6l
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I am looking at a 1997 F150 with a 5.4 in it, guy who owns it says if you drive it down the street the temp gauge climbs and then the truck goes into limp mode but if you check the engine temp under hood it is nowhere near overheating. Where I should start to look for a problem here? If this is too complicated I will pass on the truck, its not worth it to me to get this truck if it is going to be a nightmare. I have a 2000 with a 4.6 that runs great so this would just be a spare for me, but would like to have it because its in such nice shape.
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Experiencing cooling problems with a truck this new? My 2 month old supercrew 5.0 began over heating on a road trip last week. After about 400 miles of driving I see coolant temp start climbing until the overheating warning popped up. Pulled over, turned engine off, popped the hood and did not notice any obvious signs of overheating. Ended up waiting about 15 minutes, started truck up again, temp gauge reading 1/2.
Get back on the road, within 5 min temp starts climbing again, reaches ~ 3/4 then all of a sudden returns to 1/2. Continue on 10 min later temp gauge climbs from 1/2 to overheating quickly. I pulled over again same situation no obvious signs of overheating, but allow sometime to cool off. Started truck again temp gauge reads 1/2. Continue driving and temp gauge seems possessed, going from 1/2 to 3/4 back to 1/2 to almost overheating as I nursed it to the next dealer that I could find.
Dealer tech was able to mimic the problem and believes that coolant is not flowing properly. Thermostat replaced, water pump pulled and inspected, air bleed out of the system, all with no improvement. Now heads are being pulled/replaced to see if this solves the problem. Its depressing to have my new truck with 2,382 miles sitting under the knife at the dealer.
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The other night I passed a car overheating (Subaru) and checked my temp gauge and saw my needle was gradually climbing towards the half mark. This is not normal for my 96 Honda Accord. No lights coming on, so I blasted the heater and needle immediately returned to it's normal position. Filled the coolant, it was low, but the problem remains if the heater isn't turned on to at least 3. This doesn't seem extreme enough to be the thermostat. Could my fan be out?
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1998 f150 4.6 4x4 auto 180k .... Runs 100% other than a strange and inconsistent overheating issue.
On cold startup truck will warm up. Then the temp gauge drops to practically 0. After 15-20 seconds gauge shoots up to max and then falls back to normal after 15-20 seconds. Then it'll go back to driving normally. At some point it pukes.
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I've got a 2001 F150 and lately, since the weather has warmed up, I've had a problem. After a few minutes on the road, the engine seems to be lacking power and is running hard. It also seems to shake a bit too. It's not overheating and the gauges don't show signs of high temp. My drive to work is 40 minutes and by the last 10 or 15 minutes it seems to be OK. ... A month or so ago when the weather was cold, I had problems keeping coolant due to leaks but that problem seems to have diminished. I don't know if any of that is connected to the original problem or not.
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03 supercrew 5.4. I've been having problems climbing hills. I'm on a trip and the truck surged fron do then to drive and stopped. Let it sit for 30 mins or so and it was good. Drove another 500 miles ans started again going up some hills. The first time it was 110 out and the 2nd it was 90. I'm pretty sure it's a cop but of course no cel. It does not seem to of over heated either. Can the cops overheat? Do you recommend a diagnostic, will this show up if no cel has show?
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2006 fx4 f150 5.4 flex 52,000 miles ... Just got home from a 800 mile round trip vacation, seems I've developed a miss or a tranny problem. The truck runs/idles fine, shifts fine, everything is as normal. Except maybe 12 times while under a load, like climbing a hill, the truck would "bump" that's the only way I can describe it. I only noticed it in Drive/Overdrive. I hoped I had water in the gas so I added gas treatment at 2 fill ups, still seems to do it occasionally. Where to start? I'm going to get a fuel filter today, the one that's on it only has about 12k on it....
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I am having an engine temp issue when climbing steep hills. The gauge goes from normal to the red line but not into the red. The VDC OFF light is on but the CEL is not one. Once I reach the top of the hill the engine begins to cool off and returns to normal. Yesterday I had the radiator flushed and the thermostat changed. Am I looking at a water pump or head gaskets?
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I have a 2002 Nissan Frontier with a non supercharged 3.3L v6. The truck is a crew cab, long bed and 4x4. I have had this truck since I bought it used in 2004 with 26k miles. The truck now has 196k miles and I have done a little modifying to make it a bit more off road capable.
I have done all the work to the truck myself, until last fall when I finally broke down and took it to a dealer, who was not able to find my problem, but I will get to that...First of all, the truck has steel bumpers, a winch, a tool box, onboard air system and large tires, all of which make the little 3.3L work hard. However, for three years since I quit making modifications, the truck ran perfectly cool and the temp needle never once went above the normal operating position, even through thick sand at the beach, mountain trails and towing heavy trailers, until last summer.
Late last summer, on 90+ degree days, I noticed the temp needle would start riding above normal when I had the AC on. It didnt matter if I was on the highway, the city streets or idling in the driveway. When I turned off the AC the needle went back to normal. This started happening occasionally at first (once every 2 weeks) then towards fall it started happening more frequently, almost every 90 degree day. Soon after I noticed the problem, it would happen even with the AC off, but not get quite so hot.
After a few weeks of this, I started chasing the problem. I replaced the radiator cap, the thermostat (tested the old one and tested the new one before installing,) I took the radiator to a rad shop and had it boiled and flow tested, I replaced both coolant temp sensors, and then finally the water pump. When none of those repairs made a difference I built new radiator fan shrouds and that made no difference. At this point I was starting to get discouraged so I borrowed a scan tool from a friend and drove around for a few weeks with it plugged in. I was reading live temperature readings of the coolant and verified that the gauge was working correctly.
The truck ran about 200 degrees with the AC off most of the time, then, when I turned the AC on, no matter if I was sitting in park or driving on the highway, the temp would steadily climb until it got to 222 degrees and I would shut off the truck, at that point the needle was near the danger zone and according to several nissan dealership, the highest normal operating temp is 204, but it should stay around 195. At 205 degrees, the needle would start to move above the normal position, so the gauge seems to be fine. As summer turned into fall, the truck started running cooler as the days began to drop into the 70's. I finally got fed up with chasing my tail and took the truck to a dealer with my main concern being a blown head gasket or cracked head.
The dealership inspected the head and tested the coolant for hydrocarbons and said that the head and gasket are not the issue. They advised that the only other thing it could be is my fan clutch. After that dealership visit, the days were cool so I drove the truck all winter without changing the fan clutch. Then, 2 weeks ago, on a 70 degree day, I hooked up my truck to an empty trailer (maybe 1000lbs) and towed it 15 miles. When towing up hill with the AC on, the temp needle started moving. I immediately went to napa and replaced my fan clutch. Confident that was the issue, I drove the truck to the mountains for a camping trip last weekend. While climbing the hills at 40mph and about 2500 rpm, the temp needle climbed to the near danger zone.
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I have a 2004 Grand Prix and it is displaying the symptoms of overheating but the temp gauge is not going above normal operating temp. I replaced the thermostat twice, and after driving for about 10-20 mins coolant comes out of the overflow. I'm at a loss, I'm thinking temp sensor(?) But I don't want to keep throwing unnecessary money into it. The fans work fine, the heater blows as it should.
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The other day, I started having problems with the truck not starting when at operating temp. Went for a drive and stopped a a scenic overlook, and spent about 30 minutes taking pictures. Went back to the truck, and it wouldn't start. Outside temp was about 95 degrees.
I tried for about half an hour to start it, but all it would do is turn over. There was a work crew there with their heavy machinery, and I was able to borrow their starting fluid. One quick squirt into the intake, and it fired right up.
Although I do have an oil leak from the right valve cover, when I checked the oil, it was just off the full mark. The truck was parked on a slight angle with the driver side being about a foot higher than the passenger side.
2003 F350 w/6.0, 180,000 miles
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2003 ford explorer 4.6L. This truck will start and run rough high temp low oil light come on and temp gauge is pegged hot. Oil gauge is fine though, checked oil its fine.
I checked coolant reservoir its ok.
If I shut truck off and restart it will run ok and rev like normal and then all of a sudden go into limp mode and will misfire etc...
What sensor seems to be the main culprit?cht sensor???
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'01 F150 XLT 5.4L EFI 207,000 miles
I've had this truck since '03 @ 45,000 mi and have loved it ever since. It hasn't failed me yet, until now. Living in TX with no A/C is the pits,
He first replaced the large hose assembly (with a non Motorcraft part) due to a pinhole then recharged the system. It cooled great until the pressure pop off valve (or whatever it's called) blew all the freon out.
His first suspicion was the fan clutch, which was replaced with a motorcraft fan clutch. Next he used his a/c machine to evacuate/flush/recharge the system - problem persisted. Lastly, he cleaned the radiator and condenser fins and recharged again. The system still overheated and lost the freon.
While the freon is in the system it cools like never before but after driving it, parking for a while, then re-starting it overheats within minutes.
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I have an 1997 F150/4.2 V6/220,000 miles/4x2. During hot weather (over 90F) the engine slowly overheats. While driving on the interstate (from Indy to Fort Wayne), the coolant temperature shows normal on the gauge. Slowly the temperature gauge creeps up to close to the red area. I am running the A/C.
When I switch the heater on and the heater fan at max, the temperature gauge drops pretty quickly to a normal range. I switch off the heater and the A/C back on, then it takes 30 minutes for the temperature gauge to start rising again.
When I open the hood when the gauge shows close to the red area, the upper coolant hose has a lot of pressure (can not squeeze it), which would mean that the thermostat is open and the water pump is working. Also the fan is running fast.
The coolant was changed out a few weeks ago and the coolant level is at normal level when the engine is cold. At lower ambient temperatures, there is no overheating. I am puzzled what the problem can be. I am thinking of a restricted coolant flow.
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I have a 2003 F150 4.6l triton v8.... I started over heating yesterday. Got home, let it cool down and found Oil in Coolant. No coolant in oil or transmission fluid. What could be wrong?
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1999 F150, 6 cyl. 4.2L, 233,000 miles. My temp gauge went way high on the interstate so I assumed I had a bad thermostat. replaced it with a genuine Ford themostat, added coolant and here's where I'm at.
1. Let it idle up to operating temp. When it was warm, the heater was blowing cold air.
2. Thermostat opened up, top radiator hose was hot and full of coolant, still no heat in cab.
3. Took it for a ride on the hwy. Heat started to work in cab, temp gauge went way up. I slowed down and went home down a side road. Temp gauge went back to normal and stayed there. Only driving about 30 mph.
I don't get why I'm overheating at 60mph. My best guess is I have some sort of obstruction in the cooling system.
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I have a 2003 F150 4.6 Triton V8.... My truck started over heating again after replacing the Thermostat and Water Pump later this summer.... Well I checked Coolant and I have Oil in the Coolant. I see Nothing wrong with the Tranny Fluid and see nothing wrong with the Oil.... What could be the problem??????
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2003 F-150 Supercrew w/4.6 V-8, 2-wheel drive, 219,000 miles and very well maintained. I'm getting an intermittent overheat condition that I can't figure out. Coolant level is good and I just replaced the thermostat. My OBDII app showed it running at a constant 207 degrees (195 thermostat) after the thermostat. Appears to have good pressure at the cap. It ran great for 30 minutes at idle and then did fine for a five mile test drive.
The next day in the morning it overheated within 3 miles of the house (heat was on) and you could smell it. Pulled over and let it sit for 20 minutes and started back up and it stayed constant at 207 all the way to work (11 miles). It sat at work for about 7 hours and ran great all the way home (without heat, with heat, with air cond). Then this morning it did it again, overheating about 3 miles from home. This time I pulled over and shut it off for about three minutes. Turned the key on without starting and the temp was already dropping again. So I started it up and it continued to drop down so I drove to work with no more issues. This afternoon again went home and it never overheated.
I'm expecting it to overheat again in the morning. I'm gonna go live on the OBDII for temps during the drive tomorrow.
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I own a 2000 F150 4.2L (I think off the top of my head) v6 XL model. For the past couple of years I've had an issue with overheating. So far I've had the following replaced:
Radiator
Thermostat
Radiator Cap
Water Pump
The intake manifold has been repaired, that was the first item to have some work done to it. The shop I took it to said the coolant hose that runs into the manifold was corroded at the entrance to the manifold. They stated there was no way to actually replace the hose, but they gave me two options:
1. replace the entire manifold or
2. cap the existing entrance port, drill a hole into the manifold next to the port, and run a new hose.
I chose the cheaper option which I suspect is part of the problem. Now to the problem.
I can drive around town all day long no problems even in 100+ degree Oklahoma summer heat. I left it idling on the side of a street for 2 hours during summer and no problems. The moment I get the truck to 55mph it starts to overheat. Not just overheat, but peg completely out in just over a mile after hitting 55mph.
Once I drop the truck down to about 40mph the temp starts to lower, but will fluctuate between normal and 3/4 to max.
What I need to look at? I've been told head gaskets, but there's no leaks and no water in the oil. I've been told to replace the engine, which if I could afford that I could afford a down payment on a new truck. It's a bit frustrating at best.
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I have an 1997 F150/4.2 V6/220,000 miles/4x2. During hot weather (over 90F) the engine slowly overheats. While driving on the interstate (from Indy to Fort Wayne), the coolant temperature shows normal on the gauge. Slowly the temperature gage creeps up to close to the red area. I am running the A/C.
When I switch the heater on and the heater fan at max, the temperature gauge drops pretty quickly to a normal range. I switch off the heater and the A/C back on, then it takes 30 minutes for the temperature gauge to start rising again.
When I open the hood when the gage shows close to the red area, the upper coolant hose has a lot of pressure (cannot squeeze it), which would mean that the thermostat is open and the waterpump is working. Also the fan is running fast. The coolant was changed out a few weeks ago and the coolant level is at normal level when the engine is cold. At lower ambient temperatures, there is no overheating. I am puzzled what the problem can be. I am thinking of a restricted coolant flow. Looking for solutions to my problem.
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