overheating problem,,

saw a few post on this subject, just bought a used 93 thunderbird for my daugh, my /her first used car purchase , did not notice any problems on test drive, had a friend who works on cars test drive it also,, then on first 10 mile drive,, overheating, took it to radiator shop, new water pump, thermostat,, unplugged/flushed radiator, was told before work done head gasket looked ok, and that those repairs would fix the problem, well, when picked up car,, was told blown head gasket, must be problem, car after a mile, still running hot, also the air/heat(inside care) is not working, though fan blows.

after this first repair, took car to Midas, for brakes, as they also stopped working,,,, since they also do cooling systems, asked them to check the overheating, they said they didnt see anything, less themostat sticking???????

sorry this is long, before i take the car in again, wanted to ask, would the inside air/heat possibly be at all connected to the overheating problem? since its been looked at twice, is there anything other then head gasket that it could be? finally, as im new to car repair shops, is there any recourse, if they tell you something will be fixed with these repairs ($379-for waterpump, themostate, and radiatorflush) then its not,,, anything i can do?

Thanks for any ideas, insight, in advance,

Didn't you get any kind of warranty when you bought the car? Contact your state's Attorney General's office to find out what rights you have when buying a used car. Is the coolant level dropping and white smoke, water coming out of the tailpipe? When you say the air/heat doesn't work do you mean when the ac is on and the temp set low that you don't get cold air coming out of the ducts and when the heater is on and the temp set high that you don't get hot air blowing? You need to clarify the statement. If there is a problem with the ac system it is possible to overheat but it is highly unlikely that this is your problem. Does it overheat with the ac off? Also, if this car is a V6 and is overheating even after replacing all the parts you have, head gaskets are one of the most common reasons.

Welcome to the forum. :smile:
Overheating, things 2 check.
1 low coolant=leaks=puddles?
2 radiator cap doesn't hold pressure. Have it checked free @ autozone or local parts house.
3 Thermostat stuck shut. Feel top rad hose after starting engine. You will feel the heat when thermostat opens.
4 Bad clutch fan. Spin fan, should turn smoothly with slight resistance.Let me know if your model is a SC with an electric fan.

No heat in passenger compartment.
1 Low coolant.
2 Heater valve bad. Shuts off hot water supply to heater core (usually in heater hose) when AC is on. Not on all models.

Head gasket checks.
1 Check oil for foamy brown appearance.
2 Check coolant for oil. Looks like a layer/film on top of coolant tank.
3 Check tailpipe 4 water/coolant.
4 Have a compression test done. Should have been done by shop if there was a question.

Bookmark these sites. Autozone Repair Info (http://www1.autozone.com/repair_info.htm) and Thunderbird and Cougar club of America (http://www.tccoa.com/)

Now 4 the bad news. If I remeber bad head gaskets were inevitable on the six cylinder engines. Check the T-bird club link.

First take it to a ford dealer (check with friends and neighbors for a reccomendation) and pay to have the compression test/diagnosis done. Find out what it needs for sure.
Then I would call for prices on a headgasket replacement or what ever is needed to several shops and ford dealers. Armed with that knowledge I would return to the shop that did your waterpump and speak with the owner/manager. Inform him what you were told and ask what he is willing to do to make your unneeded expenditure right. Do this when they are busy and make a fuss if you have to, If he/she is willing to give a substantial discount on the work I would ok it with a written gaurantee of price and workmanship. If not research a good mechanic (you will be glad U did) and report the shop to the better business bureau.

How bad is the overheating? Let me know what model and engine is in your T-bird.Hope your daughter ends up with a reliable auto and you don't go broke doing it. :2cents:

No warranty, bought it "as is" for $500, havent noticed any white smoke or water out of the tailpipe,,,i will check that, and will watch the coolant level, just had that work done this past week. yes, i meant when air is on, no cool air comes out, when heat is on, set to high, no hot air comes out, although the fan works fine and strong.

yes, its a V6, was expecting some repairs, but not this, realize now i should of checked it out more, both driving it, and on the internet , before purchasing.

One more question if forgot to ask,, my daugh mentioned today, she drove it just a mile or so, and put it in overdrive, and it didnt run hot, i have no idea what that means,

Thanks for the reply, slowly learning about this,

Welcome to the forum. :smile:
Overheating, things 2 check.
1 low coolant=leaks=puddles?
2 radiator cap doesn't hold pressure. Have it checked free @ autozone or local parts house.
3 Thermostat stuck shut. Feel top rad hose after starting engine. You will feel the heat when thermostat opens.
4 Bad clutch fan. Spin fan, should turn smoothly with slight resistance.Let me know if your model is a SC with an electric fan.

No heat in passenger compartment.
1 Low coolant.
2 Heater valve bad. Shuts off hot water supply to heater core (usually in heater hose) when AC is on. Not on all models.

Head gasket checks.
1 Check oil for foamy brown appearance.
2 Check coolant for oil. Looks like a layer/film on top of coolant tank.
3 Check tailpipe 4 water/coolant.
4 Have a compression test done. Should have been done by shop if there was a question.

Bookmark these sites. Autozone Repair Info (http://www1.autozone.com/repair_info.htm) and Thunderbird and Cougar club of America (http://www.tccoa.com/)

Now 4 the bad news. If I remeber bad head gaskets were inevitable on the six cylinder engines. Check the T-bird club link.

First take it to a ford dealer (check with friends and neighbors for a reccomendation) and pay to have the compression test/diagnosis done. Find out what it needs for sure.
Then I would call for prices on a headgasket replacement or what ever is needed to several shops and ford dealers. Armed with that knowledge I would return to the shop that did your waterpump and speak with the owner/manager. Inform him what you were told and ask what he is willing to do to make your unneeded expenditure right. Do this when they are busy and make a fuss if you have to, If he/she is willing to give a substantial discount on the work I would ok it with a written gaurantee of price and workmanship. If not research a good mechanic (you will be glad U did) and report the shop to the better business bureau.

How bad is the overheating? Let me know what model and engine is in your T-bird.Hope your daughter ends up with a reliable auto and you don't go broke doing it. :2cents:

I havent noticed any leaks, will check out the other things, the cap was replaced when i had the work done. the overheating is bad,, runs all the way to hot after driving a mile or so, its a 93 Lx, 6 cylinder, thanks for the advice, i will take it to find out what it needs for sure, and then check around for cost, i do have a mechanic in mind, that i had forgotten about, that did some air cond work for me a few years ago, that i didnt realize did more then air, he was highly recommended.

Thanks for replying and for the advice