98 ford escort with a over heating problem

[andrewcasino]

I’ve a friend with a 98 ford escort with a over heating problem. I've taken the car for a spin and it heats up to shy of the red within a mile. If I remove and bridge the wire from the thermostat housing so the fan is on permanent the temperature gauge returns to a normal level quite quickly. I’ve removed the hose from the top of the radiator and turned the engine over and water pumps out, which suggest the pump is working????
After all this and plus checking the thermostat, changing the fan temp sensor, and flushing out/bleeding the cooling system it still overheats with out the bridging of the fan. Can anybody suggest a reason please?

 

[chris rushton]

have you checked the timing?.

 

[^neo^]

If the pump is ok, the thermostat ok, and the water circulating and the fans working, the logical thing to be duff is the headgasket

 

[andrewcasino]

Hi Chris and Neo thanks for your response. The engine doesn't seem to be losing water, there's no white smoke coming out of the exhaust, nor cross contamination with the engine oil. This would suggest the head gasket is ok; I could be wrong. As for the timing being out could you explain what effect would this cause to the cooling system please,

 

[andrewcasino]

When I remove the radiator hose from the thermostat housing and turn the engine over, water flows out of the hose suggesting water is pumped into the radiator from the bottom. I was under the impression water would flow threw the thermosat and into the top of the radiator, would I be right in saying this? Because if not I've not ruled out the water pump.

 

[Belle427]

it does sound like a circulation problem either the stat sticking closed or a defective pump,did you test the stat in a pan of boiling water?

 

[andrewcasino]

Hi ch427. I did check the thermostat in a pan of boiling after and it opened. If it's a circulation problem would the temperature gauge read normal on a long run if I bridge the fan to have it on constantly?

 

[Belle427]

maybe it would if the water pump wasnt pumping the water round as it should,could it be something simple as a defective sender giving the wrong signal to the temp gauge?

 

[libby lou lou]

When I remove the radiator hose from the thermostat housing and turn the engine over, water flows out of the hose suggesting water is pumped into the radiator from the bottom. I was under the impression water would flow threw the thermosat and into the top of the radiator, would I be right in saying this? Because if not I've not ruled out the water pump.

Why has my post to this question gone?

 

[andrewcasino]

I've ruled out a false reading from the temperature sender unit (the sensor which provides the reading for dash display)as I replaced the sensor.

 

[MasterAbacus]

HAve you tried running a hose pipe through the radiator? sound slike it could be blocked, hence you not getting full water flow. How many million miles as this engine done? they normally do about 200k before beond salvaging....

Are both inlet and outlet water pipes getting warm when engine runs?

 

[andrewcasino]

Thanks everybody for there suggestion. In the it turned out to be faulty sensor. I replaced the sensor which controls the fan but unfortunately the new sensor was als faulty.