Hey All!!! Temperature prob!! not the obvious

My girlfriend has a 93 Tbird LX. The headgaskets were replaced about a year ago. However, she still has temperature problems. Sometimes it will be normal between to O and R. On longer trips however it will go well past the M and sometimes go back and sometimes not. The ac is not on during this time so I know that can't be the problem. I recently put in a new thermostat, the lower temp one, and it is still having the problem. What else could it be? Or is it normal that it fluctuates that much and to such a high degree?

Thanks in advance,

Mtnbikerd2

A good radiator shop can flow test the radiator for you. If the antifreeze hasn't been changed at regular intervals it can lead to overheating due to corroded cooling system. If you don't know when it was changed last, try having the system flushed and put in fresh antifreeze before removing the radiator to have it flow tested.

i flush mine in all my cars every year just to be safe.15 bucks worth of antifreeze compared to a new radiator or something more serious. Id say just flush it and fill it with 60% antifreeze, then 40% water, and see how that works out.

No need to go heavy on the antifreeze. If anything, go heavy on the water. Water has better cooling qualities than antifreeze. Just make sure your mix still contains enough antifreeze to not freeze during winter. A 60/40 water antifreeze mix is usually sufficient, except in Alaska.

thanks for the comments,

I already flushed it and replaced the thermostat and put in a 50/50 mixture. It is still giving me the problems. not always. just sometimes it likes to go well past the "m" and sometimes it goes back to normal and sometimes not. Is there any way that i can clean out the radiator and check for blockage, or is it absolutely necessary to take it to the shop?

Thanks in advance,

Mtnbikerd2

Back in the days before electric fans you could run your hand across the radiator to see if there were any spots that were significantly cooler then the rest of the radiator. This would indicate a blockage in the core. With the electric fans right up against the radiator this method is far from reliable, IMO. Not to mention if you forget to unplug the fan you may get a nasty surprise if it turns on! So, if you don't have a flow bench, take the radiator to a shop that does have one. I always run a 50/50 mixture but a 60% amount of antifreeze will give you about a 5 degree higher boiling point. Read the label on the type of antifreeze you buy.

The fan that she has on her car is beltdriven not electric. So i can try that, but I am not sure how reliable that would be. We shall see I suppose.

The fan that she has on her car is beltdriven not electric. So i can try that, but I am not sure how reliable that would be. We shall see I suppose.


You wnat believe this, but my overheating problem for my 94 T-bird turned out to be the alternator (it was putting out low voltage).

The gauges are electronic, and read high when the voltage goes low. Is your oil gauge also reading high? Check the alternator voltage output.