taurus overheating & knocking

[Vincenza]

My taurus is overheating. We have installed a new water pump, new thermostat, flushed it out till it ran clear from everywhere, and yet it still over heats! Not always though, it will be fine, then boom!..it shoots to the moon. Also, periodically, there is a vibration and knocking sound from the fan area. Help! I have to have this car to travel to work.

[KimMG]

Did you check the oil level? You may have a failing headgasket. Are you talking about the radiator fan knocking? Yes, then it maybe bad. Unplug it and spin by hand. It should rotate smoothly. If the bearing is gone on the fan motor, it may wobble. If the radiator fan is binding it will not blow cool air on the radiator and cause overheating.

[shorod]

What year is your Taurus and what engine do you have?

Some Taurii had air purge valves to allow you to purge air from your system. Since you've had so much of the cooling system opened up and flushed, there is a very good chance you have air in the system. An air pocket near the temperature sender will cause your guage to move quickly like you are experiencing. Also, some of the Taurii thermostats have jiggle valves that need to be properly oriented to allow trapped air to escape (at least that's what I think they are for). The jiggle valve is supposed to be at the 12 o'clock position.

As for the vibration, KimMG is probably correct on the fan being the problem. The bearing in the motor could be failing, or the nylon fan may be worn and wobbly.

-Rod

[taurusdude06]

hey r u wanting to sell that taurus, i need parts, sounds like you have a hell of a repare coming otherwise

[Huney1]

http://www.aa1car.com/library/overheat.htm
That link pretty well covers causes and cures for overheating.

http://www.misterfixit.com/headgskt.htm
That link tells how to test for a blown head gasket, see the paragraphs 5, 6 & 7.
Also has a simple test to determine which head or cylinder is leaking so you don't have to pull both heads.

Best not be driving it overheating because you could crack a head, engine block or cylinder wall.
Good luck and I hope your repair bill isn't to expensive.

[Willyum]

Did you check the radiator flow? Where I live tap water/coolant mix will restrict the core in 18 to 24 months and it can't be removed by flushing.

[Huney1]

Originally Posted by Willyum

Did you check the radiator flow? Where I live tap water/coolant mix will restrict the core in 18 to 24 months and it can't be removed by flushing.

Great googa-booga! If it can't be removed by flushing then how do you clean the cooling system? You must have some really nasty tap water and be running GM DexCool also known as DeathCool. Never heard of Prestone doing that before and I usually flush my Prestone coolant vehicle(s) every three years and it flows fine and runs cool. We have well water straight out of the ground with no chlorine, softeners or additives of any kind and it is very pure.

[seasonalskier2006]

Originally Posted by Huney1

You must have some really nasty tap water and be running GM DexCool also known as DeathCool.

Why is it known as deathcool. i have never heard of that before, i you dont mind could you explain it for me.

[Psychopete]

Originally Posted by seasonalskier2006

Why is it known as deathcool. i have never heard of that before, i you dont mind could you explain it for me.

DexCool is some nasty stuff. If you're running DexCool, do not switch to the green stuff. It will turn into a goopy like subtance. This will stick to the water pump and ruin it's ability to circulate coolant through out the engine. You ever heard of Chevy's having issued with leaking lower intake gaskets? The reason is that the DexCool eats away at the gasket.

Pete

[Huney1]

Originally Posted by seasonalskier2006

Why is it known as deathcool. i have never heard of that before, i you dont mind could you explain it for me.

It's just a way of getting back at the cruddy GM designed anti freeze where they tell people it will last 150K miles or five years. When it is exposed to air it causes it to turn to jelly gumming up the cooling system and GM was sued in eight class action law suits, do some research on the web and you will be surprised how many thousands & thousands of vehicles had problems with DeathCool. In the 3.1 & 3.4 engines 1998 GM put a faulty designed intake manifold gasket in them that wasn't corrected until mid 2003 and by then hundreds of thousands of vehicles were on the road and eventually the gasket started leaking and unless it was still under warranty GM wouldn't step up to the plate and pay for it to be replaced and they usually start leaking after 35K miles after the warranty is expired.

Look at how many vehicles were effected with faulty intake manifold, so many GM came out with a TSB on how to replace them. It wasn't the DeathCool that ate up the gaskets nor electrolisis, it was just a no good gasket faulty design by GM and you better believe it hurt GM big time because in a lot of forums I read, "this is my first and last GM product." IMHO, no wonder they lost ten billion dollars and are in dire straits because like the man said, "You reap what you sew." http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/inde...T&f=81&t=50614

[Psychopete]

Ic, I have a co-worker with a 96' S-10 that has had issues with using DexCool. He ultimately told me that it ate away at it, but it could have more than certainly been an issue with the gasket itself. I'm not a Chevy guy, I've found that Ford's don't give you any crap if you take care of them. But I suppose that's true for most cars. My friend's parents also had issues with the lower intake gasket on a 98' 350 Tahoe, but it seems that's a different issue entirely.

More complaints:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/autom...m_dexcool.html

Pete

[Huney1]

Yeah, roger all that PsychoPete. And what totally escapes me is after many years of problem after problem with DeathCool they are STILL using it in their GM vehicles. I mean like, I have sen some really big DDUUHH's before, but GM laid the biggest rotten egg DDUUHH of the automotive century with their DexCool. Really a dumb stupid thing on their part because when they saw it jellifying and causing propblems all they had to do was recommend switching back to good ole Prestone.

HA! Drain DexCool out of a vehicle it has been in a year or so and it smells like the most putrid, rank, stinky stale urine you ever smelled. I had a Chevy Venture van and it was one problem after the other, worst designed and engineered vehicle I ever saw and it took some real dummies to put that engine in there like that. It was one thing gone wrong then another and I'd get one thing fixed and another problem arose so I said heck with it and swapped out of that beast in to another wonderful Ford product. Never again will my buns sit in a GM vehicle we own. Fords and Hondas I can live with but GM vehicles get a big moon from me.