[rob-97]

Hello Gentlemen,

Just picked up a V6 1997 Mustang. My first. Bought it from a neighbor who had it for 2 years. Been going through it fixing up the normal stuff, came across some overheating.

Running it into work yesterday all is well, temp needle on the R on the 25 mile ride, AC on. Took it out at lunch and of course it's 95 in houston. Running around no problem, AC on all the time. Pull into a fast food place, sat in the car with the motor running eating. Noticed after just a couple minutes the needle climbing up. Up to M then A. I quickly fiinished up and hit the freeway, started to work it's way down, got back to M, turned off the AC and no real help...maybe some. On the way home same thing, slow moving traffic and the needle up to M. Got home and flushed the radiator, watch the thermostat cycle as the cold water entered, etc. Decent flow from that, about 1/3 of a hose worth from the top hose at idle. Noticed the fan was not coming on...never. Turn on the AC and the fan would start up. Seemed to be pulling lots of heat, fan speed not really fast. Certainly not as fast as the smaller high speed fans. I tried to jump one of the sensors but could not make it come on. I jumped the 2 sensors on the manifold, the one on the drivers side (sort of) seemed to cause the AIC kick in causing a high idle, the passenger side did nothing. I left just water in the radiator this morning, on R while moving, slow down in downtown traffic and it'lll start to come up quickly. AC on.
So question is any known cooling problems with these? Where is the sensor for the AC off fan switch. The single core radiator does seem to suck but it doesn't seem to be clogged. Water pump seems to be moving enough water but is in question. I've never replaced a water pump that wasn't leaking. NEver seen an impeller work out either. With the AC on the fan is on but it still heats up so this points to something else unless the fan is supposed to turn much faster. But being that large of a fan I doubt if it's a really high speed. Problem is I don't have anything to compare it to.

Thanks for any input you can give me.

Rob

 

[kscoyote]

Hello Gentlemen,

Just picked up a V6 1997 Mustang. My first. Bought it from a neighbor who had it for 2 years. Been going through it fixing up the normal stuff, came across some overheating.

Running it into work yesterday all is well, temp needle on the R on the 25 mile ride, AC on. Took it out at lunch and of course it's 95 in houston. Running around no problem, AC on all the time. Pull into a fast food place, sat in the car with the motor running eating. Noticed after just a couple minutes the needle climbing up. Up to M then A. I quickly fiinished up and hit the freeway, started to work it's way down, got back to M, turned off the AC and no real help...maybe some. On the way home same thing, slow moving traffic and the needle up to M. Got home and flushed the radiator, watch the thermostat cycle as the cold water entered, etc. Decent flow from that, about 1/3 of a hose worth from the top hose at idle. Noticed the fan was not coming on...never. Turn on the AC and the fan would start up. Seemed to be pulling lots of heat, fan speed not really fast. Certainly not as fast as the smaller high speed fans. I tried to jump one of the sensors but could not make it come on. I jumped the 2 sensors on the manifold, the one on the drivers side (sort of) seemed to cause the AIC kick in causing a high idle, the passenger side did nothing. I left just water in the radiator this morning, on R while moving, slow down in downtown traffic and it'lll start to come up quickly. AC on.
So question is any known cooling problems with these? Where is the sensor for the AC off fan switch. The single core radiator does seem to suck but it doesn't seem to be clogged. Water pump seems to be moving enough water but is in question. I've never replaced a water pump that wasn't leaking. NEver seen an impeller work out either. With the AC on the fan is on but it still heats up so this points to something else unless the fan is supposed to turn much faster. But being that large of a fan I doubt if it's a really high speed. Problem is I don't have anything to compare it to.

Thanks for any input you can give me.

Rob

Probably a sending unit.

 

[rob-97]

Any idea where that one is? But the kicker to that is the fan is running while the AC is on, sitting still it'll start to creep up, moving it'll stay down. My guess is the fan is a single speed.


I ordered a $7 copy ford CD manual from Ebay, that might help.

Thanks,
Rob

 

[kscoyote]

Any idea where that one is? But the kicker to that is the fan is running while the AC is on, sitting still it'll start to creep up, moving it'll stay down. My guess is the fan is a single speed.


I ordered a $7 copy ford CD manual from Ebay, that might help.

Thanks,
Rob

Follow the wire!

it should come on while the AC is on, but it probably has two switches w/in the unit, one automatic that's tied to the AC, the other tied to the thermostat. if you follow the wires from both the t-stat and the fan, you should find the sending unit.

 

[rob-97]

Have to do some digging. There is only a black and red going to the fan, looks like 10ga wire. So those prolly go back to a single relay actuated by either the AC switch or the water sensor. I need to locate the relays as well, jumping that one relay and it not doing anything makes me wonder...3rd relay? Bad wire? Maybe it's the temp gauge, didn't check that last night .

On a better note I just took it out at lunch, AC on, sitting in the garage after returning from lunch it went from R to M and stayed there. Idling for about 8 minutes and no movement.

Maybe someone can tell me where their needle stays.

Also talking to my neighbor he said it had a small coolant leak , nothing on the ground but had to add water once a month or so. Took it somewhere and they wanted $500 to fix, said it was under the timing cover..somewhere. Would NOT show him where it was leaking. He passed. After some internet searches I see there was a recall on the 95's that were leaking there. Actually several problems with the 95's. Those should have been worked out by 97, especially on an engine that is used on several cars.

BTW, also bough a fuel filter. Is that on the frame rail like other fords? Drivers side?

Thanks Again!

 

[kscoyote]

Have to do some digging. There is only a black and red going to the fan, looks like 10ga wire. So those prolly go back to a single relay actuated by either the AC switch or the water sensor. I need to locate the relays as well, jumping that one relay and it not doing anything makes me wonder...3rd relay? Bad wire? Maybe it's the temp gauge, didn't check that last night .

On a better note I just took it out at lunch, AC on, sitting in the garage after returning from lunch it went from R to M and stayed there. Idling for about 8 minutes and no movement.

Maybe someone can tell me where their needle stays.

Also talking to my neighbor he said it had a small coolant leak , nothing on the ground but had to add water once a month or so. Took it somewhere and they wanted $500 to fix, said it was under the timing cover..somewhere. Would NOT show him where it was leaking. He passed. After some internet searches I see there was a recall on the 95's that were leaking there. Actually several problems with the 95's. Those should have been worked out by 97, especially on an engine that is used on several cars.

BTW, also bough a fuel filter. Is that on the frame rail like other fords? Drivers side?

Thanks Again!

It's passenger side, if I recall, never on the side of the exhaust.

Coolant leak, you should get checked out.

the 95-98 3.8L had coolant & gasket problems until the redesign in 1999.

I haven't been able to work on my own cars since moving out of Topeka in 1998. Apartments generally frown on that kind of behavior . . .

Might be buying a house though at the end of the month. It has a heated garage, and I'll save a TON of money in shop fees!!