I have a friend who has a 97 Cobra that has recently started running hotter than usual. temp gauge usually runs between the O and the R, now it gets up to the L. You can turn the heater on and it drops to the A. Checked the fan to make sure it came on and it operates fine. He changed the thermostat hoping this would fix the problem, it did not. Had the tech check for possible head gasket, it checked out fine. We have burped the hound out of the system as per Fords instructions. The car has a Vortech SQ on it. It was installed 8 to 10 years ago. It has just recently started doing this. Does the 97 Cobra have a two speed fan, High and Low? The water pump is operating fine. When the system gets up past operating temperature the cap on the tank starts leaking antifreeze. We are just really baffled by this!!! Anyone have any suggestions?? HELP!!!!!
another 97 cobra cooling problem
- Thread starter grabber08
- Start date
The radiator on that car is junk from the factory and Boost sure isn't helping it. I would do the cooling Mod , radiator and if funds allow a new pump . One of the newer ones have better impellers . At the least get a Good Alu radiator
Thanks for your input! What would cause this problem after all these years? Thought about new radiator and pump. Just really confuses me this happening all of a sudden. The car has 60000 miles on it. driven less than 500 miles in the last year , year and a half!
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Good morning everone, thanks for the possible solutions on my problem.
As said earlier, this has me baffled. I think I have checked everthing. Here is the list and please tell me if I have missed anything.
Replaced thermostat.(195)
checked fan ( low speed on at around 190 degrees...high speed at around 205)
radiator checked for clogs, leaks and any contaminates in fluids, all check good. Using 50/50/ antifreeze (all new antifreeze)
Checked for head gasket damage, no leaks or steam/white smoke coming out tailpipe. nothing in the oil.
Water pumps seems to be ok, not leaking or making a noise.
So here is whats happening:
Start it up and let it just sit an idle, temp gauge goes up to around the R and stays, then rev up engine to about 2000rpms let stay and temp gauge starts climbing( with AC on , or with Heater on or with nether on, still risestowards the L.
Take out on highway, tem gauge slowly rises just crusing and eventully gettin on or near the L. if put it under a strain,(climbing or running it a little hard) temp gauge goes up faster. But if I have to stop at a red light or let it just idle witout moving, temp gauge starts to go down.
I have been trying to burp it but so far it is a slow process an each time I check it after cool down it needs more, and yes I have been filling it from the tube with the small screw.
Could i just not have all air out yet? I have thought about taking it to ford dealership to have them get all air out.
Also my tune has most computer checks turned off, so I don't think putting it on there diagnostic machine would help.
I may have to take to the shop that tuned it an go from there if I don't get some answers that might help, but its a ways off from where I live.
thanks in advance for any solutions and ideas.
As said earlier, this has me baffled. I think I have checked everthing. Here is the list and please tell me if I have missed anything.
Replaced thermostat.(195)
checked fan ( low speed on at around 190 degrees...high speed at around 205)
radiator checked for clogs, leaks and any contaminates in fluids, all check good. Using 50/50/ antifreeze (all new antifreeze)
Checked for head gasket damage, no leaks or steam/white smoke coming out tailpipe. nothing in the oil.
Water pumps seems to be ok, not leaking or making a noise.
So here is whats happening:
Start it up and let it just sit an idle, temp gauge goes up to around the R and stays, then rev up engine to about 2000rpms let stay and temp gauge starts climbing( with AC on , or with Heater on or with nether on, still risestowards the L.
Take out on highway, tem gauge slowly rises just crusing and eventully gettin on or near the L. if put it under a strain,(climbing or running it a little hard) temp gauge goes up faster. But if I have to stop at a red light or let it just idle witout moving, temp gauge starts to go down.
I have been trying to burp it but so far it is a slow process an each time I check it after cool down it needs more, and yes I have been filling it from the tube with the small screw.
Could i just not have all air out yet? I have thought about taking it to ford dealership to have them get all air out.
Also my tune has most computer checks turned off, so I don't think putting it on there diagnostic machine would help.
I may have to take to the shop that tuned it an go from there if I don't get some answers that might help, but its a ways off from where I live.
thanks in advance for any solutions and ideas.
My 97 was a real pain to burp. Everyone on here had stated that it was quite the process to burp and they were right. I had to do it a few times and the last time I did it I took the screw off the inlet tube and put the heater on vent/high and let it run for about an hour and a half revving it every once and a while. I would top the coolant off as well as it ran. I even went inside and had lunch and watched TV while it was running.
I think more patience in burping will solve your problem IMO :beer:
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Have you checked the radiator hoses for internal failure (blockage).
Just a thought, could your gauge be going bad? You might want to try a mechanical gauge and make sure the temps are truly going up.
thanks for all of the replies, so here is quick update:
Took it to local Ford dealership checked for head gasket problems...it cleared. Then checked for air in system, ended up having an air lock in it so they dumped the fluid, put new in and used the vacuum on it and it looks like it corrected the problem, it now runs around the "M".
Took it to local Ford dealership checked for head gasket problems...it cleared. Then checked for air in system, ended up having an air lock in it so they dumped the fluid, put new in and used the vacuum on it and it looks like it corrected the problem, it now runs around the "M".
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