Replace Upper Rad. Hose, 1-Week Later Billows of Steam & Overheating

[Cody]

Hey guys, last week I blew a hole in the plastic bit of the upper radiator hose. The car had been overheating for a couple weeks, but thought it was low coolant. Well anyways I replace the hose, and now a week later (last night) my car started to overheat again. I was able to use the heater on full blast to help let off some hot air, and cruise my way home. Once home, my car was leaking and steaming from the center of the engine.

What is most likely the cause if the steam is coming from the midline of the motor, sort of under where the MAF and the intake manifold are? Is the water pump down there? I also was hearing some weird squeaky noises which could point to the water pump as well. Im sure all the plastic cooling pieces are on their way out....at about 50k miles ago I did the Throttle body, and at the same time did the thermostat and housing because it had taken a dump on me.

 

[jjcool00]

Love how no one searches or even bothers to research their issue before posting a thread. This has been covered 1000 times and probably at least 10xs this week alone. You need to replace all of the plastic cooling components and properly bleed the system according to the tech article above.

 

[Cody]

That does not answer my question, though it seems to be the go-to answer posted in threads related to overheating. I have read it multiple times since my upper hose originally took a **** on me last week. If you would re-read you would notice i mentioned in my post that the plastics likely need replacing.

My question is, what parts are in the area at the midline of the engine, below where the intake and the intake manifold meet? This is where the leak is located and the steam is coming from.

 

[joegr]

...My question is, what parts are in the area at the midline of the engine, below where the intake and the intake manifold meet? This is where the leak is located and the steam is coming from.

That's exactly where most of those plastic parts we are talking about are. Maybe this is not the case, but it sure sounds like you want help without doing much yourself. If you want more specific advice, you need to at least give your year and engine. You also need to pull some covers off, get the intake (forward of the throttle body) off, and take a flash light and locate the exact leaks and take some pictures. Of course, if you had read the other threads, you would know that it doesn't matter exactly what is leaking now. All those parts will be leaking before long. Just replace them all now and you will probably never have to deal with it again.

 

[jjcool00]

My question is, what parts are in the area at the midline of the engine, below where the intake and the intake manifold meet? This is where the leak is located and the steam is coming from.

Another thing you're not thinking of is that coolant can spray. Just because you're seeing steam or leaks coming from the middle of the engine, doesn't mean it's necessarily leaking from there. It could be the thermostat housing, the water pump, the lower radiator hose, the radiator, etc. etc. etc. So if you haven't replaced the plastic cooling components you should - all of them. Unless you want to keep creating threads every week saying "Hey guys I replaced my lower radiator hose and now 1 week later my car is overheating" and then "Hey guys I replaced my thermostat and now 1 week later my car is overheating." If you had truly read the threads you're saying you read you would see a pattern and that all of the plastic components "expire" at around the same time. Yes it sucks to drop a few hundred all at once instead of replacing them as they break - but if you don't want to damage your engine with repeated overheating or be stuck on the side of the road just do it now and be done with it.

 

[1LoudLS]

if you have any leak of coolant or overheating, you need to replace every piece of plastic that coolant flows through ...



you can get all mad all you want about the responses you're gonna get, but that is what needs to happen. you said you have read that over and over and yet still ask about it.


what parts are... doesnt matter, they all need to be replaced, of course you are more than welcome to not listen to any advice and only replace the one part (you think) is leaking, but then sooner or later (like "a week later") another one is gonna fail and you're doing the whole job over again wasting more coolant and money and time in the process. not to mention risking serious damage by having the car overheat all the time...

also if you searched as you said you did, you should have had no problem finding the couple of threads that are always linked to that not only show every part you need to order, but diagrams showing which parts are which, therefore rendering asking that question useless...



then again, you may be that one exception to the rule

 

[1LoudLS]

and since we have no ideal which motor/year car you have, its gonna be hard to tell you exactly what part you are looking for, however to be fair, he is a good thread for my year/motor combination...

it has the part numbers and pictures of most of the parts in the center line of the motor.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/fo...Cooling-System-Overhaul&highlight=overheating

 

[Cody]

Thanks guys, looks like it is time to just replace everything. I will throw in replacing the water pump for good luck's sake. Any idea on labor hours or costs? If someone is a mechanic maybe they could give a rough estimate of how many labor hours a shop would charge for a job such as this. I'd go to my trusty mechanic but I am ~450 miles away for the next three weeks, and my car can't make the trek home where I have my tools.

 

[SoulSoak]

Thanks guys, looks like it is time to just replace everything. I will throw in replacing the water pump for good luck's sake. Any idea on labor hours or costs? If someone is a mechanic maybe they could give a rough estimate of how many labor hours a shop would charge for a job such as this. I'd go to my trusty mechanic but I am ~450 miles away for the next three weeks, and my car can't make the trek home where I have my tools.

To be honest, if you can use a wrench, you're going to be just as good as your trusty mechanic when it comes to this job and this car. The common mechanic, even though very intelligent and versatile, will likely know nothing about this engine and it's maintenance/procedures. You're better off doing some research and getting answers and instructions here to do the work yourself. If you don't, your mechanic will probably end up googling the issues he runs into and will end up on this site as well.

People here are more than willing to help. As to getting your car home, you're on your own.

 

[G-RELL]

Thanks guys, looks like it is time to just replace everything. I will throw in replacing the water pump for good luck's sake. Any idea on labor hours or costs? If someone is a mechanic maybe they could give a rough estimate of how many labor hours a shop would charge for a job such as this. I'd go to my trusty mechanic but I am ~450 miles away for the next three weeks, and my car can't make the trek home where I have my tools.

since you still havent given vehicle info, and won't even put a parts list together (tough give an estimate without that)... Im gonna ESTIMATE you $1500.

 

[RigsLS]

Classic frustrated overheating thread!

To those in the future (as I leave this time capsule here), when your 10+yr old aging Lincoln LS starts to overheat and you replace only the one part that sprung a leak, you WILL find your self back within the end of the month, replacing other cooling system components. It deteriorates over time, all involved components break down together as a whole over time. You strengthen one part, it just breaks else where. Degas bottles WILL have stress cracks in it, your cooling system WILL end up with air in it, the thermostat housing fill cap WILL snap and break 93% of the time when you go to take it off to refill the system.

The solution is to completely re&re the entire cooling system, you may not need to replace the radiator it self but some have due to cracks in the plastics on it.

Drain all the coolant from the bottom of the radiator, dismantle the whole system, degas bottle and all, replace all plastic cooling parts, including Thermostat and it's housing, inlet and outlet pipes, hoses and for good lucks sake you might as well replace the Auxiliary coolant flow pump (if equipped) and the DCCV.

The water pump is fine, does not need replacing unless it's leaking there also. Water(coolant) pump generally outlasts the plastic components, not as common of a problem on the LS as appose to the plastic parts.

You won't be able to purge the system and bleed the air out of it if there are further cracks, leaks that will let air in, system does not get a chance to become air tight, thus does not retain pressure needed to work as intended, You'll purge and bleed until the cows come home and you'll never end up with a solid stream of heated coolant coming from the bleed drain tube. System MUST be air tight to build up pressure, this includes using the correct OEM degas bottle pressure cap.

Do not cheap out and purchase the DORMAN degas bottle, you'll be replacing that in no time as well with the proper OEM version. There reported issues with the DORMAN thread vs. cap. Continues to overheat.

The two GEN's vary in parts and numbers (obviously)

Do it all now or do it several times over is the bottom line.

 

[Telco]

If you have the V8 and want someone else to do it, consider the local Jaguar dealer, or if there is one available any independent who specializes in Jaguar. If your local Lincoln dealer is anything like mine, they didn't know Lincoln came out with an LS and certainly can't find any parts for them.

So far as getting it home, fly yourself home. Rent a pickup or SUV (if you don't have one) and a U-Haul trailer (NOT A TOW DOLLY, THE ACTUAL TRAILER), then drive out to pick the car up. You may have to fudge a bit to get the U-Haul trailer as they will only rent to you if your load meets their extremely conservative standards. I had to tell mine I was pulling a compact car back about a month or two back when I really had to bring back an S10 Blazer because they claimed the Blazer was too heavy for my truck. Course, my truck has a heavily modified drivetrain and upgraded brakes but their system can't take that into account.