Why is my 1998 ford Explorer still overheating?

Asked by Tiredofcartrouble1 Jul 04, 2012 at 01:41 PM about the 1998 Ford Explorer 4 Dr XLT SUV

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have replaced water pump , radiator , thermostat , and heat sensor. Shows no signs of cracked or blown head
gasket . What else could it be?

8 Answers

355

Have you checked in with any local maintenance shops? I know you've done a lot to try and fix it, but maybe you need a professional to check it out. And if they can't fix it, it might just be the result of aging. Hope you can fix it, and good luck!

4 people found this helpful.
73,250

Make sure the correct mix of anti-freeze/water was used during refill. When up to temperature make sure the water is curculating through the radiator. A glimpse down the mouth of the opened radiator should accomplish this. Make sure none of the hoses are crimped, bent, or collaspse. Check the front of the radiator to see of leaves or trash is blocking air from flowing through the radiator. Make sure the fan is operating properly when the engine is running. A faulty fan clutch will cause the fan to spin at a slow rate. Try flushing the system to remove thirteen years of build up crud in the system. Is there another reason you believe the engine is overheating except the guage on the dash?

2 people found this helpful.
73,250

Did you change the temp sending unit? On the v6 pushrod engine it is located on the left side of the intake maniford. On the v6 sohc it is under the upper intake manifold. If the unit is bad it would not cause the engine to overhead, rather get an improper reading on the dash.

73,250

To theck the fan rock it back and forth by hand to check for excessive bearing play. With the engine cold, turn the fan blades by hand, they should spin freely. Check the fan for substantial fluid leakage from the clutch area. If noted, replace the clutch.

3 people found this helpful.
60,215

As OJ said, check the fan clutch. Common symptoms of bad fan clutch are normal temps while driving but starts to overheat when not moving. If your overheating all the time regaurdless of movement then this probably isnt it.

2 people found this helpful.

OKAY THIS IS A LITTLE SECRET I NORMALLY DONT SAHRE CHECK ALL THE OBVIOUSE PROB. FOR MOST U MAY NOT NO BUT MECHANICS USE THIS CERTAIN SOLUTION TO SEAL HEADS. I NO CAUSE SOME TOLD ME ABOUT IT YEARS AGO NOW NAPA AUTOZONE HAS IT. THOSE ARE NO GOOD.I PROMISE U.U SAY U DONT THINK THERE IS ANY LEAK IN YHE GASKEY,HEAD ETC. GENERAL RULE HEAT GAUGE GOES UP THEN DOWN A LITTLE AFTER WHEN ITS THE THERMOS. WHICH ON MOST CARS IS NOT A PROB . FOR US 2000 ES.B FD EXPL. THAT IS A PROB.THE UNIT IS NOT EASY ACCESSABLE SO WE CHANG IT STAYS NO MESSING WITH AGAIN. CHECK HOSES, HEATER HOSES,ETC. ESPECIALLY IF NOW IT RISES BUT DOESNT FALL. MEANING STArt up go a little way blk. or so u see gauge rising and staying.but truck appears to run as if it cool. still imed. stop turn off engine, u might only have to spend .I think a year ago it was 27.00 verses 500.00- 900.00 a year later it blows wow go figure my secret is wut the auto shop uses wut auto stores claim they have all autostores knockoffs are just that. now remember even if ur car/truck does not appear to have a blown hgASKET MEANS NOTHING EVEN /IF IT DOES NOT OVERHEAT QUICKLY THAT CASE FROM MY EXPERIENCE IVE Had is my 2000 E.B FD EXP. SHE WOULD HEAT UP THEN COO; DOWN CHANGED T.H AMND THERMOSTATE CHECKED HOSE STILL WOULD OVER HEAT SHE DID NOT APPEAR TO B AS I CALL IT BLOWING HEADGASKET NOT A BLOWN A BLOWING WHICH IS TOO LATE FOR MY SOLUTION TO WORK. I SPRAYED SOAP WATER ALL AROUND INTAKKE MAN. WHERE MY HEADG. SEALL EVERYUHWHERE ON THE ENGINE LOOKING FOR ANY LEAK EVEN PLAIN WATER WOUL WOUL DOFOR THIS CHECK I ONLY DID THIS CUZ U ARE SUPPOSE TO B ABLE TO SEE WATER EVEN IF B JUST A LITTLE SIZZLING BUBBLING MAYBE EVEN OIL AROUND THESE THINGS I SPRAYEDI SEEN NOTHING, NOTHING WAS AS THE NORM FOR MY EXP. WITH BLWING HGASKETS. AND DID THE O.H CHECKLIST FOR VEHICLES AND NOTHING MADE SINCE. CONTINUE TO NEXT ANSWER CUZ I REALLY WANT TO SHARE THIS WITH MY FELLOW F.E OWNERS CUZ LULU IS MY BABY NOW THIS HAS BEEN MY MOST SUCCESSFUL MUSE OF THIS STUFF PLZ CONT.

#2 LULU... REMEMBER DO THE BASIC RUN THRU BY THAT I MEAN THERM. WATER PUMP, HOSES, CAP ETC. FROM MY EXPER. AT LEAST WITH THE 20000 THATS ALL U NEED TO DO ALL THE SENSOR STUFF IS JUST SOMETHING U CAN CHECK LATER WITH A TOOL BUT IN THE TIME IT TAKES U TO GO THRU EVERY SENOR AND STILL DRIVING U ARE BLOWING THE GASKET MORE. AS I HAVE DONE WITH SOME OF MY OWN CARS TO WHERE BY THE TIME I REALIZED IT WAS INDEED A H,G BLOWING IT WAS WAY WORSE SO THIS STUFF WORKED BUT NOT AS WELL AS IT APPEARED TO WORK ON MY F.E. I JUST TOOK THE CHANCE TO USE THIS BEFORE CHECKING SENSORS IT JUST MADE SINCE PLUS GETTING TO CERTAIN THINGS ON THIS EXP. EDITION WERE NOT ONLY HARD TO COME BY AT JUNK YARD PLUS HARD TO GET TO REPAIRING URSELF THEY WERE VERY EXPENSIVE NEW OR USED. SO I WENT TO LARSONS DRUG STORE in colton, ca. one of the only places that sell this stuff remember I said knock offs that's wut autozone,napa,etc. all ur autoparts sell knockoff starting from wut maybe 7. - 70.00 and I can just about say for certain they do not work. you might try a medical supply place that has parts for medical equipment that requires gaskets for equipment "MEDICAL" REMEMBER. 27. IS THE LAST PRICE I NO OF OVER A YEAR AGO, AT LARSONS. WALMART, KMART,ETC. OR ANY A UTOSTORE THAT I HAVE MENTIONED TO NOT CARRY THIS. ITS CALLED " SODIUM SALINE SOLUTION" AT LARSONS. NICK NAME "WATERGLASS". UNLESS YOU GET IT FROM A MEDICAL PLACE OR A PLACE LIKE LARSONS NOT WALGREENS OR CVS ETC. MEDI. OR LARSONS IT IS NO GOOD. IT WILL HAVE A YELLOWISH TINT AND THE TEXTURE I CAN ONLY DESCRIBE AS KARO SYRUP. IT WILL BE IN WUT LOOKS LIKE A MANYASISE JAR. IT WILL ON THE LABLE SAY IT US USE TO SEAL GASKETS IN MEDICAL EQUIPMENT IT WILL NOT SAY IN ANYWAY THAT IT IS USE FOR AUTOS BUT IT IS YOUR AUTOSHOPS WILL USE IT.BUT FOR US E.B OWNERS AFTER CHANGING THERMO. WE THINK WE CANT USE CUZ WE R NOT NESSING WITH THAT HOUSING AGAIN. IM ONLY SHARING CUZ I DID ALL THE NORM ON MY E.B WAS ONLY LEFT WAS SENSORS. WHICH SEEMED TO B MORE LIKELY THE PROB. BUT WITH THIS STUFF I USED IT SOMETIMES TAKE 2 JARS TO REALLY SEAL THE FIX VARIES WILL SAY 6-MAYBE IF YOUR LUCKY A YEAR BUT STILL HAVE LITTLE PROB CUZ MOST OF US ME! WAIT UNTIL I CHECK EVERYTHING INCLUD. SENSORS SO IN THE MEANTIME IK STILL DRIVE MY VEH. AND IN DOING SO BLOW MY GASKET EVEN MORE.. BY THIS TIME I HAVE PROB. WARPED HEADS but car still runs overheats and this solution works but not as well. so for me I decided.after thermo. housing oh no was I going to even think of the possiblitie changing h.g so I had nothing tol loose except I wasn't pu;;ing the therm. out after the hell it was plus changing the whole therm. unit and this stuff rquire the therm. out.i no this was a long story but for me I needed to stress do normal check u do for overheating issues, and please use this stuff. after putting this in my truck never overheated again. that= norm check and basic repairs and still issues+waterglass for me that = no sensor checks, no cost of putting on a machine to read codes no more overheating.... my only risk was not doing it going thru sensors after basic repairs were made and it continuing to overheat get worse and finally blow. its been over a year gone thru 2 summerS WENT UP NORTH UNABLE TO DO AN OI; CHANGE D4 TIMES OVER, NOT BEING ABLE TO DO A TUNE UP ON A REGULAR BASIS,ETC, AND SHE STILLS RUN COOLER THEN ANYCAR?TRUCK IVE EVER HAD. IF I HAD WAITED I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BLOWN MY HEAD GAMSKET IN THE LEAST WARP MY HEADS AND IT NOT WORK AS WELL BUT ALTHO SHE DIDNT SHOW COMPLETE CLASSICS SIGNS OF H.G THAT IS EXACTLY WUT IT WAS WA LAA

ALWAYS REMEMBER UBY THE TIME U SEE SIGNS OF CRACKED HEAD BLOWN HEAD GASKET ITS TOO LATE AS WITH OUR BODIES WE SHOW SIGNS OF SOMETHING BEING WRONG SO DO R CARS WE CHECK SO MANY LITTLE THINGS BY THE TIME WE FINALLY SEE WUTS WRONG ITS TOO LATE TO FIX. ARE VEHIC. ARE THE SAME DO BASIC REPAIRS THAT SHOULD FIX THE PROB. IF THAT DOESNT WORK TAKE PRVENTIVE MESSURES BEFORE CONTINUING SO ITS DOESNT BECOME UN FIXABLE HOSES,THERMO.HOSES TO HEATER CORE,RADIATOR STILL DOESNT WORK "WATER GASS" SODIUM SALINE SOLUTION" THEN WIRES, AND SENSORS. ITS LIKE TAKING AN ASPIRIN A DAY OR DURING MILD CHEST PAINS IT WONT HURT BUT IT MAY KEEP THEW BIG HEARTATTACK FROM STRICKING U DEAD

1 people found this helpful.

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