95 escort overheating

Please help!!!!!

I have a 95 escort that i just bought, VERY cheap. It needed a new battery, which I replaced. Then a couple weeks ago it overheated, throwing boiling water out of the radiator overflow cap. I suspected thermostat, replaced it. Problem fixed. Then literally a couple days later it overheats again! I smell melting plastic and smoke. Pulled the fuse box cover under the hood mounted to the fender to find a totally melting fan switch relay. Also, the fan ran continuously after about 10 seconds and never shut off, hot or cold. I replaced that relay and it was getting very hot after the car warmed up. I then went to replace the temperature sending unit, only to find it wasnt plugged in. That fixed it. This is where it gets good.... Someone had bypassed the heater core under the hood. My guess is because it leaked. I hooked the hoses back up and sure enough, it leaked. So I bought 2 different stop-leaks and they didn't seal it. Keep in mind, no overheating at this point. Then i tried adding pepper. Still leaked. so I bypassed it for now until I can afford to have the heater core replaced. Now the stupid thing is getting hot again! around town, short trips it's fine, as soon as you hit the freeway it hits the red. The fan starts after it warms up and never shuts back off due to the high temperatures I assume. A mechanic said my head gaskets blown, but there are no leaks and no water in the oil. CAN SOMEONE PLEEEEEASE HELP???

All that stop leak you put into the cooling system may have clogged the radiator. Check the radiator for debri, bugs in the fins that would restrict airflow. You may have blown the headgasket between the combustion chamber and the coolant passage therefore no water in oil. Does your exhaust have a coolant smell? What are the condition of your radiator hoses? Old radiator hoses can collapse and restrict the flow of coolant.

Thank you so much for your info. I flushed the radiator a few days ago to see if the stop leaks may have caused the problem and it flows like a river. I put a new antifreeze mixture back in. The hoses are all like new. no debris or bugs, however, the exhaust does smell like coolant. So blown head gasket? I can't afford the repair. If this is it, will that K & W block seal work?

Coolant from the exhaust is a blown headgasket. I have heard of people using bars leak or other products to temporalily stop the leak with success. Are you mechanically inclined? Look at a repair manual and see what is involved in replacing the headgasket yourself.

Repair manuals are available for purchase from a wide variety of sources. If you do not wish to purchase one yet, check your local library. Also schools and libraries subscribe to online databases that may include automotive manuals. They can be accessed from home using a student ID or library card number.
autozone.com may also have a basic repair guide available

I am mechanically inclined and have tools and a haynes manual. That is quite a job though! Thanks again.

You can always try retorquing the head.

will do! thanks

Don't be too intimidated by the head gasket...

Follow your Haynes manual to a certain extent... but save yourself a little time by removing the head, intake and exhaust manifolds as one piece. You may need a buddy to help you lift it off. This will save you a few bucks since you won't have to replace manifold gaskets.

Also... be sure you drain the coolant from the block before pulling the head. There is a plug near the front behind the exhaust manifold. This will keep coolant from spilling out of the head and into the engine.


Something you might be able to check before taking things apart... when the engine is cool you can remove your radiator cap. Start the car up and wait for a bit... when the thermostat opens watch and see if you can see bubbles forming at the top of the radiator. If it is blowing bubbles it is another way to be sure you are doing the right thing by changing the gasket.

The overheating may be the result of the bad gasket since the cooling system can't hold pressure. You also might want to check your radiator cap. If the seal is worn, replace it.

Thank you very much!!! I love this website!