failsafe mode is COOL!!!! GARRR@#$!@#

haha no its throttle related, not steering related.

im thinking its a bearing in the water pump.
 
drove the car to work today. did fine. it was cooler outside and i didnt have the a/c on.

when i got here i reved it a few times and it sounded like the water pump was making some weird noises. just that bad bearing sound.
 
I have the whine with mine, I know the sound he's refering to. I found it tends to whine after coming off the highway and idling along. It doesn't last too long though. The fan fluid level (there is just nothing right about that statement) is fine, its just that the pump is loud or something, like a power steering pump low on fluid. It's pitch changes with engine speed. It's been making noise for years but I wont replace a fan part until I have enough money to put the electric fan in.

I'm curious what fan people put in, a 2nd gen or aftermarket?

I don't remember the output of the alternator on the LS, but it seems like 130 amps did the trick just fine in my 94 t-bird (running every electrical feature possible including the aftermarket stereo equipment and rear defroster).
 
would bleeding the hydraulic pump system that runs the fan help at all? anyone have a write up or how to?
 
well new news...

with the a/c on, after about 1 minute to 2 it starts to make the noise. turn the a/c off...after awhile the noise goes away. im guessing its the hydraulic fan not being able to keep up so the pump starts to make a whinning noise? i found a write up on hwo to bleed it so im going to try it i guess.
 
Probably air in the system then, which is common for Ford power steering systems. And the hydraulic fan pump is basically a power steering pump. It could help. I've used a vacuum pump to suck the air out of power steering systems before with good results. But it never lasts forever.
 
I got this out of the owners manual;

How fail-safe cooling works

If the engine reaches a preset
over-temperature condition, the engine will automatically switch to
alternating cylinder operation. Each disabled cylinder acts as an air
pump and cools the engine.
When this occurs the vehicle will still operate. However:
² the engine power will be limited.
² the air conditioning system will be disabled.
Continued operation will increase the engine temperature and the engine
will completely shut down, causing steering and braking effort to
increase
Once the engine temperature cools, the engine can be re-started. Take
your vehicle to a service facility as soon as possible to minimize engine
damage.
 
i flushed the hydraulic fan fluid, that got rid of the noise. so thats good. car has been doing great. no more noise.

on the darker side of things the temp gauge just creeped up as i went to the bank and back (5pm in stop and go 95* heat plus i had the a/c on the whole time). under a load i could hear what sounded like a water pump bearing. so i guess thats the culprate. ill do that and the t-stat the next chance i get.
 
The "whine"..with the windows up and it occurs, does it sound like a large truck coasting near you in first gear?( not the jake brake noise of a truck..the engine). If so, yes, thats the engine fan kicking into high mode attempting to prevent an overheat.

Air bubble in the system was/occassionally is, my cause. Now that Ive been using the A/C more regularly, it seems to have stuck the bubble that I could NOT get rid of now matter how many times I bled the system
 
Just a thought if your car is still overheating buy a new coolant cap from your local autoparts store. That stopped my problem when I was overheating. I guess the caps crack. Also check the coolant level one day and mark the level. Check it again in a few day to see if it is leaking, you may have a cracked coolant bottle.
 
Same problem fixed

It was the hydraulic cooling fan motor that crapped out on mine. $700 fix at dealer. Erratic cooling, whining of fan, overheating, etc. etc. etc. 01LSV6 it got so hot the expansion tank also cracked. $160, Now I am happy :D
 
its been doing better. i guess it was just throwing a fit cuz its getting sold. i only run the a/c on the highway now. it hasnt overheated in almost a week. also couldve been a air bubble in the cooling system that fixed itself.
 
I have an 04 v-8 and have had the failsafe mode come on before limiting me below 2500 rpm and about 35 mph. called for and he said o it just over heated. Would make some since if i hadnt just started it 3 blocks earlier. Shut it off and never had a problem since Damn ETC. Drive by wire is so much better. I dont know what would have caused it but o well no harm done.
 
I've also had that problem happen. The erratic overheating and what not. I knew something wasn't right when I was able to keep my hand on the engine and it felt cool. I just topped off the radiator coolant and it's never been an issue since.

I also have the whining/whuuuur sound. It typically shows up when I start up the vehicle. I'm still not able to pinpoint exactly what's causing it. All i know is that it doesn't sound too good. Sounds more like metal rubbing against metal. It's a low pitch and it goes up if you rev it. I'm at the point where I'm gonna redo the whole car here soon. Just savin' up some coinage. :)
 
Have similar problem: 2001 V8, 120K miles. 30 minute commute to work via interstate - everything is fine. 15-20 minutes of driving in stop and go traffic - temperature gauge begins to rise - once all the way to the "H". Pulled over on side of road for few minutes. Turn heat to 85 degrees and eventually head back to office parking lot. Get in car for afternoon commute home - no problems. No visible leaking coolant; mechanic replaced thermostat, says hydraulic fan "ok", sees no crack in coolant reservoir, has bled the system and ckd cap for pressure issues. All OK. So - what gives? Trying to avoid taking car to dealership if at all possible - but will do so if necessary. heard there is a coolant sensor that could be bad - can anyone tell me (show me) where this part is located and how to replace it? Also, where can I get a repair manual for the 2001 LS V8? Thanks for the help.
 
You sir, probably have air in the system. I have the same thing going on, and happens a lot more recently. I just need to go pick up a bottle of antifreeze, and bleed the system.

Ebay for the Ford workshop manuals. There is also a dvd-rom too.
 
hrw358 said:
Have similar problem: 2001 V8, 120K miles. 30 minute commute to work via interstate - everything is fine. 15-20 minutes of driving in stop and go traffic - temperature gauge begins to rise - once all the way to the "H". Pulled over on side of road for few minutes. Turn heat to 85 degrees and eventually head back to office parking lot. Get in car for afternoon commute home - no problems. No visible leaking coolant; mechanic replaced thermostat, says hydraulic fan "ok", sees no crack in coolant reservoir, has bled the system and ckd cap for pressure issues. All OK. So - what gives? Trying to avoid taking car to dealership if at all possible - but will do so if necessary. heard there is a coolant sensor that could be bad - can anyone tell me (show me) where this part is located and how to replace it? Also, where can I get a repair manual for the 2001 LS V8? Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...

I had this same issue. It turned out my hydraulic fan pump was going bad. Replaced it, haven't had a problem since.....however, there are other things
that could be causing this also, but this fixed my problem.
 
What did you pay for replacing the hydraulic fan pump?
 
97stscaddy said:
The fan fluid reservoir is on the passenger side of the engine. There is a picture of a fan on the cap.
Click to expand...
Mine ran low recently and I had a heckuva racket happening occasionally, especially when the AC was on. Some power steering fluid fixed that right up :)
 
Appreciate the info. Will keep trying to diagnose. Does anyone know about the coolant temperature sensor on the 01 LS V8 - as to where it is and how to replace? Thanks.
 
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