uhoh- major problem? cracked block?
 

i bought this new mustang to me with 5000 miles on the motor. this is the first week i was able to drive it after buying it a couple months ago. i noticed that the temp goes up to about 220 when the car is at idle for a period of time in traffic. it goes down after i start to drive again though (i think it is a 180 tstat). i then checked the radiator fluid and noticed that it is filthy!! the oil was up to the correct level and it appeared to be clean. the radiator is new as well. what could have caused this to become so dirty, maybe he added some crap in the radiator fluid or something? can it be a cracked block???:mad: i think i am going to go have it flush and filled at valvoline to see what happens! Im pissed right now if this is a major problem. ill call the kid up who i bought it from and get my money back if this is a piece of crap!!!

Thanks for replies!!!!

as always, start simple. You are on the right track so far. Flush the system, check to see that your h20 pump and bearings are in good condition, check that your fan clutch is not leaking, refill with 70/30 water/antifreeze and add water wetter if you like, check all your hoses for cracks or leaks and remember that the way they look on the outside may not be the way they look on the inside. Add a new stat while you are in there- HP180 degree from Edelbrock is accurate and has a large mouth for improved flow. This will establish a baseline to work from and will enable you to diagnose from a known set of values.

i went to valvoline and they wouldnt flush it incase it was a cracked headgasket or something. I am very pissed now! is it a good sign if the oil is up and clean?

i emailed the guy i bought it from and here is what he said...

...... yes it is a 180 thermostat in the car...... it has always gone up to higher temps when idling or sitting in traffic and one of the reasons is because the motor is putting out much more horsepower than stock but still has the stock cooling system on it except for the water pump which is high flow...... I would recommend getting an electric fan and that should cure the problem. I think the reason the coolant is dirty is because of that bottle.... Ive washed it out a few times but it never got totally clean. if the block was cracked you would be loosing coolant and the exhaust would be white all the time. I just think that its dirty just due to time and that overflow bottle.... I hope I was albe to help and that you are enjoying the car.


what do i do now????????????????????? have it flushed anyways?

thanks

Flush it. Old water in a system will look exactly like what you speak of, a nasty brown mess. My wifes Taurus was that way as was another car I had some time ago.

Don't be surprised if you have to flush it a couple of times, and be sure to use an additive and follow the instructions!!

I had to do it 3 times once. And still the water didn't look real "clean". What can happen is that the crap will restrict the flow of water throughout the system and cause it to overheat, its happend to me. It can also clog your heater core and then you wont have a heater.

So, in short, flush it a couple of times and see what happens. Let us know how it goes!

you should be able to flush it yourself.. it's easy.. just go to the auto store and get a drain pan, open the pet cock and let it drain... fill with water from your garden hose, wash , rinse, repeat.... you can get an adapter too that will allow you to attach your hose to the coolant system and then you run the car with the hose going and the petcock open and it theorheticaly flushes it out...in anycase..it's cake to drain and refill.

If you dont care about the environment then you can just open the valve and drain it onto the ground.. but that's not nice
-as

turns out i was paranoid. it was just deposits and crap in there. i actually went to valvoline and wasted 50 bucks to have them do it. but at least it is freash and drained out of there. the overflow will still have some dirt in it, but atleast i know it is not a blown motor! thanks for all replies:D