Most challenging Fix ever

[marcredd]

Tell her to get a trickle battery charger for her winter storage and it will pay for itself many times over in batteries that dont need to be replaced. I would first start by putting a new battery in and seeing where things stand. These cars are very finicky about weak batteries.

I use a floating charger on the car(and bike when I had it...just sold a month ago) during the winter and whenever I know it is going to be sitting for more than 2 weeks. It has always done the trick and keeps the battery fresh for when it comes time to drive it. The Harbor Freight charger has served me well for a few years and is less than $12.

**Do not leave the floating charger clamped to the terminals unless it is plugged in to an electrical outlet. Otherwise, it will discharge a battery. Common mistake some make.

 

[joegr]

I'm not sure your overheat has anything to do with the fan to pull air through the radiator based on just putting it into gear to move it in the driveway, but not being there makes it hard to tell and this may be wrong.

I'm wondering if you have a water pump problem or air in coolant problem. Just moving around should not be generating such a high thermal load whereas the thermostat opening up and pushing water through the radiator (without airflow) that engine protection should kick in. Especially if you are at 3°C. If you let it idle for 15-30 minutes so the motor was up to thermal mass, then maybe. But I've done what you stated in my wife's LS without the electric fan kicking in.

The radiator doesn't radiate very well with no airflow at all. We know the fan is a problem and he will have to fix it to get very far. If he still has overheating after fixing the fan, then things like the water pump can and should be looked at. Either way, fixing the fan won't be a waste (it has to be done anyway), and he may get lucky and find that it is the only problem.

 

[TooManyToys]

The car is overheating within two minutes of idling or as soon as the in-gear load is placed on the motor and fuel load is increased. That's a pretty quick thermal change within the heads. I'm not considering there will be any air to coolant heat exchange, but when the thermostat first opens there normally is a drop in ECT due to the heat absorption into the radiators colder coolant volume. If coolant is flowing normally throughout the block and heads I would expect there is enough thermal heat sink to not exceed the overheat condition, more so IF the T/S is even opening within that short of time.

 

[joegr]

My reading of his post is that he let it idle long enough for the gauge to reach the half way mark. Sometime after that, engine running the whole time, he started moving the car around at low speed and it overheated.

So i then got up and turned the key all the way and that car started. The engine was incredibly loud and made noises but after 5 minutes run time it quieted down.
I let it idle for more time and the heat meter stayed at half (which is about where my car sits so it seems normal)
...
It hasn't been driven for couple years... so i began to move it up and down the drive way.
The heat meter went striaght up to the max and the message board wanred me. I IMMEDIATLY shut down the car to avoid damaging the engine.

He specifically says this isn't within two minutes, it after at least five minutes.

In any event, you may or may not be right about there being a problem with the coolant and/or pump, but I still think that we know for sure there is a fan problem. Fix the problems you know for sure are there first, then go for the ones that probably are there.

 

[TooManyToys]

Joe,

I took it from his first post and didn't read fully the other post. Again, we ain't there.

...... 2) Over heats after 2 minutes Running (if ur lucky and it starts).......

I'll see if I can get some data off my wife's LS tomorrow when it's cold.

Agreed that if the fan isn't working it needs to be fixed.

 

[joegr]

I really do suspect that he has more than just a fan problem. To me, it will be easier to diagnose and fix any other cooling system problems after the fan is fixed and not confusing results.

 

[centason]

I agree with joe here. Fix the fan first. It would be best to get a diagnostic done at the dealership as stated. That $100 may save you in the long run, instead of fixing everything. The second thing that I would do is drain all the coolant, backflush the system, and replace with new coolant that is to manufacturer specs. If it still overheats after that, then I would move to the thermostat. It may be getting stuck closed. If it still overheats, then it's time to start looking at the water pump as a possible issue. I think joegr is tring to save you a few bucks here by starting at the known issue, and then working towards the more costly issues, starting from the lowest dollar amount.

 

[Lincoln_exe]

About my first post,
My Brother tested the car 6 months ago and told me it over heated after 2 miunutes.
Now, yesterday, I personally tested the car, and it ran for 5 minutes idle without overheating. So my brother was wrong.

the thermostat guage remained at half when it was idling. It wasnt until i placed it into gear and accellerated that the thermostat climbed beyond half, eventually reaching max. thats when i shut the LS off.

Anyways im off to work on it now. Ill check for things you guys posted and get back to you when im done. Ill be a few hours.

 

[Lincoln_exe]

On a side note, my brother tested it 6 months ago, and the temperature outside was warmer. When he tested it and claimed it overheated in 2 minutes in idle, outside was like 16 degrees celsius.

When i tested it yesterday, outside was 3 degress. Dont know if weather is throwing me off.

 

[centason]

Did you read my above post? I would start where joegr has stated. He is very knowledgable with the LS.

 

[Lincoln_exe]

UPDATE***

So i went to look at the LS.
Ok So i checked ALL fluids, everything is topped up. Including the Steering fluid.

K so the fan Does NOT spin AT ALL. No fan moving. Not in idle, not even in drive. The powersterring works just fine. No whining sounds or anything from it when i turn the wheel.

An observance:
I Let the LS idle for a bit.. then I drove it in the driveway and the heat immediately began to rise up fast as i accellerated. Once the heat meter passed Half way, i turned on the Ventillation heat, and cranked it. The heat immediantly climbed down, below half. Even though i was accellerating. With the heat pouring out of the vents, the LS remained cool. Even though i was driving it in the driveway.

But no fan.

Any thoughts?

 

[BlackLS06]

The fan needs to be replaced.

 

[joegr]

UPDATE***

So i went to look at the LS.
Ok So i checked ALL fluids, everything is topped up. Including the Steering fluid.

...

You do know that the power steering is completely separate from the hydraulic fan. The hydraulic fan has its own pump and reservoir. What about all the things I asked about the fan reservoir? (Fluid level, condition, movement, ...)