CaliBird
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- Thunderbird Year
- 2002
My dad had a 2002 Red T-bird with black convertible top. He bought it new when he was 79. It was babied and went in for all scheduled maintenance. He passed away in late 2013, and I inherited the car with 159K miles on it. In the six years I've had the T-bird, I've only put 10K miles on it. I want to sell it because it mostly sits around. However, the car shares one common problem with other 2002 T-birds...the (false-positive?) overheating due to either an air lock in the cooling system or a failed hydraulic fan pump/solenoid. I've read all about those causes here and elsewhere, and now I'm asking for your opinion about my particular circumstance. The car is at my independent shop, where it was fixed 14 months ago for this problem, but the symptoms are back after only 3K miles.
Between June 2017 and July 2018, which ranges between 155,436 miles and 156,925 miles, the car had been in and out of another independent shop. The symptoms were the temp guage would red line and the red light would go on. I'd get out and open the hood, but the engine was cool. A minute later, the temp was fine and I was on my way. Sometimes, if I didn't pull over fast enough, the engine's safety system would drop to using only two cylinders. But, a minute later, I was on my way. This particular shop kept saying that the cooling system needed to be bled, burped, to get any air out. This was feasible. They'd bleed the system, and it was good for a few weeks, months, or a little longer. Eventually, the symptoms came back.
At 156,925 miles, I took it to another independent shop that I had used since 1994, and they diagnosed as needing a new:
Invoice:
Pump Solenoid #XW42-3783
Power steering pressure switch
They had contacted the Ford dealer and the dealer told them this was on TSBs, and a very common problem.
My shop replaced the items above, and the car was fine until 13 months later, at 160,000 miles. The same symptoms were back.
They believe the proble is the same, and the pump solenoid needs to be replaced. The part is on national backlog, and no ETA is available for the part. I did find the part on eBay, new, but it's $492. I won't do that.
Today, while on this forum, I saw that some found the symptoms caused by an air lock in the coolant system. I am going to see my mechanic, the same on who installed the pump solenoid last year, to see what he thinks. Perhaps a burp may be the problem.
I want to get the car back on the road and up for sale. It's a nice car, but I just don't drive it enough. I have too many cars.
What is your advice or opinion?
Many thanks.
Between June 2017 and July 2018, which ranges between 155,436 miles and 156,925 miles, the car had been in and out of another independent shop. The symptoms were the temp guage would red line and the red light would go on. I'd get out and open the hood, but the engine was cool. A minute later, the temp was fine and I was on my way. Sometimes, if I didn't pull over fast enough, the engine's safety system would drop to using only two cylinders. But, a minute later, I was on my way. This particular shop kept saying that the cooling system needed to be bled, burped, to get any air out. This was feasible. They'd bleed the system, and it was good for a few weeks, months, or a little longer. Eventually, the symptoms came back.
At 156,925 miles, I took it to another independent shop that I had used since 1994, and they diagnosed as needing a new:
Invoice:
Pump Solenoid #XW42-3783
Power steering pressure switch
They had contacted the Ford dealer and the dealer told them this was on TSBs, and a very common problem.
My shop replaced the items above, and the car was fine until 13 months later, at 160,000 miles. The same symptoms were back.
They believe the proble is the same, and the pump solenoid needs to be replaced. The part is on national backlog, and no ETA is available for the part. I did find the part on eBay, new, but it's $492. I won't do that.
Today, while on this forum, I saw that some found the symptoms caused by an air lock in the coolant system. I am going to see my mechanic, the same on who installed the pump solenoid last year, to see what he thinks. Perhaps a burp may be the problem.
I want to get the car back on the road and up for sale. It's a nice car, but I just don't drive it enough. I have too many cars.
What is your advice or opinion?
Many thanks.
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