Tricky cooling issue.

[kamuletoe]

Hey guys! I'll lay out the ground work on what my car has then I'll get into what it's doing!
I have a 2000 GTP around 130k miles with a 190 t-stat. No performance mods other than my intake. My AC went out a few years ago so I had the shop remove it and place a pulley in it's spot. My temps were almost always between the bottom mark (160) and second mark though they would fluctuate if I wasn't moving much... I also hardly ever hear my fans kick on...

Yesterday I was driving home from a large distance. About a 2.5 hr drive home. It was hot as balls yesterday. ~95 with 50% humidity - wasn't fun. On my way home yesterday everything was going great. Car was driving just fine. Mostly highway speeds 60 the entire time home. Last stretch of the road (maybe 1-2 miles) is highway where I could get up to 75. When I got off the interstate I stopped at the light then smelled coolant. I looked down and my temp gauge was sitting at 210 mark. Didn't go up, didn't go down. Got home and there was coolant all over inside the engine bay. I'm chalking this up to poor radiator cap. I could be wrong for sure. I did replace my water pump last year or previous year so I'm hoping it's not that again. I topped off coolant this morning and started to very carefully drive it down the road to check on it. The temp went up to 210 fairly quick, but it stayed rock solid the entire drive. I drove for about 30 minutes. I did drive a little bit with the fan on inside my car. I just cranked the knob to 60 and as usual the auto light comes on and so does the AC light. I clicked the AC light to go off because I didn't know if this had to do with any of the issues.

Any ideas? Could I have had a clog of some sort and it blew it open so now I have proper cooling temps and there's nothing to worry about so my car can make 100+ more hps??? lol! Thanks for reading!

 

[rickisrad]

may be Radiator cap, coolant temperature sensor, or bad thermostat. Are the fans kicking on when its that hot?

 

[FordMan77]

I'd keep an eye on the coolant level. May have something leaking that you haven't found yet. Also, it may be a good idea to try and bleed the cooling system as there could be some air in it now, which may explain the quick rise to 210.

 

[cheatah faheatah]

Your overflow tank can... overflow too. And it's on the belt side of your engine bay, so it will get flung all around under your hood. A weak rad cap would allow too much overflow. Also, cheap fix. Edit : For every pound the rad cap is worth, you gain +/- 2* in the boiling point. Average rad cap is like 15/16 pounds. So if it's not holding pressure 210* is awful close...

 

[MonzaRacer]

Actually at sea level to about 1000-2000 ft above sea level you get 3degrees for every lb of pressure, ie 15lb cap, boiling point of 257 degrees F at sea level, as you go UP boiling point goes down. Checking for leaks, make sure cap is actually holding pressure. If your running DexCool its probably crud, or crap got loose from inside block and plugged up the radiator.
Also make sure fans operate. Fan one most likely comes on at around 220-230F unless you had fan turn on changed.

 

[ColdWarVet607]

Your problem must be solved as the threaded ended with no other issues reported after I assume you replaced the radiator cap. Plausable it was the cap or coolant blast out from worn out hose connections at WP or Thermostat. All over the engine is pretty catastrophic event, not like just a leak from WP seal or WP bolt would drible as would the elbows unless broke wide open.

But I would have suggested to clean the old dex off the engine, refill and vent out the air, then start in you garage and let idle till fans come one at least once and check for leaks on the floor, then look at engine in usual spots like WP gasket/bolts and elbows and hoses. You could then rev the engine to 3K to get it hot and check for leaks again. You could also place paper towels in spots before turning engine on and see who gets saturated and wet and at what height. MY point being best to check for coolant leak in a controlled and stop location in your garage then checking it out on the highway. Abd I'd say safety glasses good to have on in case the cap blows while you are watching.

My '03 3800 with 121K just got timing cover coolant leak, hardest to track down but I have the passenger side engine bracket filled with coolant and could see it dripping from bottom of timing cover next to PS pimp and oil filter interface area.

 

[darknight76]

Even if you changed out your radiator cap and the leak seems to have been fixed, keep an eye on your coolant as your "Coolant Elbow(s)" could be the real issue. When mine first started to leak I wouldn't see coolant, or smell it, unless I was driving for more than 30 minute in stop and go, or over and hour at freeway speeds then stop and go.

 

[coolone]

When you changed the WP did you flush the cooling system? Replace the Dex-Crap? Replaced t-stat?

I'd flush the rad and as much as I could, I'd replace cap, refill, remove any air, clean engine, let dry, and look for leaks...
AC light coming in dint mean a thing because you removed AC compressor. But you aren't going to overheat unless something is blocked, or WP is dead when driving as you mentioned. If car is sitting and no fans turn on, it could overheat. But again, air in system, so no pressure, or blockage, or no flow. If you clean/dry engine and start it up you can leave cap off and wait until it gets up to temp and see if there's flow.