1990 mustang overheating - Engine Troubleshooting


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1990 mustang overheating

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telzinga
New User

Feb 17, 2008, 6:35 PM

Post #1 of 3 (3201 views)

1990 mustang overheating	Sign In

my car has been in my garage all winter now i want to drive it but it wouldnt start.i replaced the thermastat,radiator ,spak plugs and water pump.now it will run but if i drive it ,for a while it over heats.what the hell gives???do i need to take it to the financial rapist mechanics?thanks-nate in indiana

idowindows
Novice

Feb 18, 2008, 8:32 AM

Post #2 of 3 (3184 views)

Re: 1990 mustang overheating	Sign In

Nate,

Sounds like you're off to a good start with all the items replaced. Unfortunately, testing the replaced items would have saved your the money and some of the labor.

Replacing the spark plugs was not necessary but it didn't cost much so you're ok.

At this point, I am assuming the fluid in the new radiator is a proper mix of water and antifreeze AND the thermostat was reinstalled in the right direction (wrong direction will cause problems also).

The only thing I noticed no attention was directed to was; your hoses and your heater core.

Check the hoses by squeezing and feeling for soft spots - these are spots that don't feel as rigid or firm as the rest of the hose. There is a chance of a collapse inside the hose. It must be replaced.

There is the chance the thermostat is defective (known to happen), do the "boiling in water" test to confirm it is in proper working order.

Put it in a pot of water on your stove with the thermostat in and get the water heated up to a boil. Pull the thermostat out of the water with some tongs. If the thermostat is open it works. If it does not open then you have a defective thermostat.

If thermostat is good, I would try running the car without the thermostat to see what happens (of course, everything would have to be in place other than the thermostat).

The heater core is the item I hope is not defective because it is plenty of labor depending on location.

Follow the instructions here ( http://www.mustangmonthly.com/howto/5652/index.html ) for instructions.

Let us know how that goes for you.

slipperyslope
Novice

Feb 23, 2008, 12:53 PM

Post #3 of 3 (3174 views)

Re: 1990 mustang overheating	Sign In

I have never seen a heater core cause an over heating condition,of course unless it was leaking. Not saying that it`s not possible, I`ve just never seen it. Don`t most cars have some sort of by-pass that allow only a small amount of coolant to pass through the core? Just wondering. Did you have an overheating problem before you opened the cooling system? Perhaps there is air trapped inside , not allowing coolant to reach the thermostat.

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