Ranger Overheating problems

[Jaco]

Hi everybody,

I need some help please. Last year October my Ford Ranger started overheating, very sudden, and the drops back to normal temperature almost instantly. I took it to a local mechanic to have a look, and was advised to flush the water system, and replace the water bottle, as there were rust present in the bottle. So we changed the bottle and flushed the system, but the problem was still there. The same mechanic then suggested that we must change the water pump, which we did, but again, the problem was still there.

A friend then helped me, and we plugged a computer in, and check for any faults, and then we went for a drive with it plugged in. We discovered that the bakkie ran either very cool or overheat, and with that info, we changed the thermostat (Ford original part). After this the bakkie ran at normal temp but overheat a lot quicker. We then decided to do a pressure test on the radiator at a radiator company. According to them the flow in the radiator was not good, and I had to replace the radiator. But once again, the problem was still there.....

The part sales man at Ford suggested I change the water bottle cap, and that seemed to work. I drove from Cape Town to Upington and back without any issues, and was confident that the problem has been resolved, however, this weekend, after towing a high-ish trailer in some strong wind around Cape Town, the bakkie overheated again exactly like before.

Does anybody have some advise on what might be the problem, or had a similar problem? I have spent a whole lot of money, and is very frustrated with the bakkie.

Your assistance will be greatly appreciated.

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[Jaco]

Sorry guys, it is a Ford Ranger 2.0 Bi Turbo, 2020 model

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Howzit? Tough situation - sucks. Was anyone able to rule out the heater core as the culprit?

 

[airline tech]

When you are (Refilling) the system - are you vacuum filling it and bleeding the system?

Is the system (Complete System) being pressure tested, including a Cap Pressure Test?

If I recall the Bi-Turbo also uses the (Electric) Clutch Fan, has the Clutch Fan been tested for proper operation and has the wire harness & support tube for the harness been inspected?
You can test this with a scan tool - Bi-Directional Control of the Fan Speed.

Has the ECT & CHT - Temp Sensors been confirmed accurate, these control the (Fan Speed) via the PCM from those inputs?

Has a (Carbon) test been done on the (Coolant) - Bad Head Gasket, cylinders pressurizing the cooling system (Via Leak)?

The fluctuation of the (Temp Gauge) and (PID) data while you are driving indicates that there is air pockets in the system, note this can be due to:
1. Not Properly Bled
2. Coolant Leak, Level Dropping and also sucking air into the system as well as the system inability to properly pressurize.
Note: The EGR Cooler has been known to leak, this will create a constant loss of coolant with no visual leaks, sometimes it's so small it's hard to detect with a pressure test of the system, must leak test (in place) for a few hours.

3. You can pull the spark plugs and inspect via borescope for coolant dripping down the cylinder walls. (Head Gasket - Check) or do a compression test on all cylinders
Sorry - Forgot (Disel) Glow Plugs

4. Has all the coolant hoses been inspected - for firmness, is one soft and collapsing when you are raising the RPMs?

5. Has the Transmission fluid been checked? Is is low? as if low the Transmission Oil cooler can be leaking into the cooling system or vice versa

 

[airline tech]

Howzit? Tough situation - sucks. Was anyone able to rule out the heater core as the culprit?

Good Point - as he stated (Rust) in the Reservoir could be an indication of a clogged heater core and along with a Low Flow Test Result of the Radiator (Clogged) then the Heater Core will most likely be clogged as well.

So, you could disconnect both hoses from the (Engine Bay) side going into the fire wall and then get a water hose and flush it out until you get a strong & clean flow of water.
If you get a lot of derbis, then you have found the most likely issue.
as a testing option (although) you will not have heat in the cab, is to by-pass the heater core with a (inline) hose connection of both hoses.
As the Heater Core - Replacement is not an easy task

 

[ryyck]

Must respect airline tech!

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