2004 High Coolant Temperature 235 degrees

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Eventhorizon

Eventhorizon

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Last seen
Joined
Jun 23, 2021
Thunderbird Year
2004
Flushed system. Installed new thermostat and housing (didn't help.) Removed thermostat (didn't help). Installed new water pump. No leaks. Opened heater purge valve. Followed YouTube videos for purging air. Still coolant boils. Runs at 235 +-.
??????
 
Eventhorizon said:
Flushed system. Installed new thermostat and housing (didn't help.) Removed thermostat (didn't help). Installed new water pump. No leaks. Opened heater purge valve. Followed YouTube videos for purging air. Still coolant boils. Runs at 235 +-.
??????
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Just had my fans replaced and they still run hot and the thermostat replace and finally did the job, also 5 years ago the head gasket on 3.9 crapped out and had them replace and the head shaved and now it a race car almost, upped the Horsepower and now it's about 320-340 HP run's like a scolded cat
 
312 said:
How are you measuring the temperature ? Are you actually overheating ? Is the fan coming on normally and at the right temperature ?
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OBDII. Fan comes on. Only way successfully reduce temp is I turn heater on at 90 degrees. Brings temp down .
 
Eventhorizon said:
OBDII. Fan comes on. Only way successfully reduce temp is I turn heater on at 90 degrees. Brings temp down .
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my fan was not coming on that much and they replaced the fans and the fan sensor then the thermostat, only thing left is the water pump and that can be checked by starting the car cold open the radiator cap and see if the water circulates when it gets warm
 
If you
Eventhorizon said:
OBDII. Fan comes on. Only way successfully reduce temp is I turn heater on at 90 degrees. Brings temp down .
Click to expand...
I had something similar on a different vehicle. It wasn't until I replaced the radiator that the problem was corrected. The fact that your heater helps is also a sign. It is possible that the cooling passages in the radiator are clogged and there is inefficient heat transfer of the engine coolant. Coolant additives that prevent corrosion break down over time. Coolant is often neglected. Regular coolant changes, the use of the recommended type coolant, and use of distilled water are necessary to prevent deposits on the inside of the core tubes. Flushing typically doesn't help much or not for long because the deposits stick or passages are completely clogged. A test that may help diagnose could be preformed with a infrared laser thermometer. Read the temperatures of the upper and lower radiator hoses to see how much cooling is being done. Guessing, inlet coolant would be about 150*F or less on an efficient, well working system, depending greatly on the ambient air temperature. Note that air flow while driving adds to the cooling process.
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Our baby birds run very hot and have a tiny engine compartment. Heat is Not a good Thing!
I have my 2003 with 10K miles, is garage kept only used in good weather here in CT.
When I'm done driving I put the bird in the garage, open the hoop, yes its hot however it makes the engine cool off faster, and may prolong gaskets etc.
Also anyone looking into my garage windows wanting to "borrow" the bird for a joy ride will be discouraged as they will think its being worked on.
 
DrDISK said:
Our baby birds run very hot and have a tiny engine compartment. Heat is Not a good Thing!
Click to expand...
You can find out the coolant temperature via the OBDII & an app like Torque. Without this information it's just pure speculation. There are tons of threads on here about running hot check out the search page.

forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com

Survey 2002-2005 Coolant Temperature gauge readings via OBDII

If you have an OBDII reader and an app like Torque (Andoid Download) (Apple Download), post your coolant temperature after the engine is running a while. Also note, the ambient temperature and model year of your car. Below is a short video that shows you how to make a screen with the Ambient and...
forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com
 
There is no radiator cap and the expansion tank (aka degas bottle) is in line and pressurized. The system is designed to remove air from the cooling system including the heater. If there is an air block, you won't get proper coolant flow. Is the level in the tank proper and is there flow? Venting procedure is in the book. Personally the clogged radiator sounds like the problem. So many gremlins. Sheese.
 
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I had something similar on my 2003 Bird. It wasn't until I replaced the reservoir cap that the problem was corrected; no more boiling. Please note that my engine was not overheating, just had coolant boiling in the reservoir tank. I bought the OEM cap at my local Ford Dealership; cheap and simple fix, Hope this works for you. Be sure to follow the standard bleeding procedure on these Birds via bleed hose, after replacing the cap or adding coolant.
 
When I drive my Thunderbird and park it, I soon hear a boiling or bubbling sound in the coolant reservoir tank. My temperature gauge reads normal, and there are no check engine lights. I have bled the coolant system several times and I don't think there's any air in it, and there are no leaks. Fan has been converted to electric and I hear it running. Seems to get worse when I run in the a/c. Any thoughts as to what I should check?
 
I agree. Ck the cap. These engines run hot. My 04 runs at 220 per the OBDll. That means there must be 17 psi in the system to keep it from boiling. This is a closed coolant sys. and the degas bottle, aka reservoir is pressurized. If you did the system vent procedure that is in the owners manual and you level is correct, it should be ok. As a back up. Get an OBDll and ck coolant temp. Good luck.
 
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