The temp gauge has been really steady , right in the middle , and hasnt budged.
I have only had this truck for about 1 month .
its a 2003 with maybe 90,000 . Looks mostly original , but who knows.

i have driven it all over , in lots of traffic, and different stituations, and no overheating problems.

But then , I decide to take a quick trip on the highway. not far really , it was gonna be a 1/2 hour drive .

Well 10 mins on the road and the temp needle shoots up to H ! ! ! ! all the way hot .

Once I notice , I start pullin off the road and , rev the engine , and it starts dropping back down.

After that , it maintained near half way , but a little above and it tried to creep upwards, and then it would shoot up all the way again .

after I stopped off somewhere , and let it cool , and then drive it again it maintained normal temperature...

there appears to be enough water/coolant.
I dont know what might have been replaced or not ...


What would most likely be the problem here??

I figure the tstat , but could it be somethig more ?

thanks

 

I would start off by replacing the coolant just so you know its fresh. Then check the hoses and make sure you are not leaking any.

Do you have a check engine light on?

 

Check the thermostat as well.

 

Yeah , I am pretty sure I have no leaks . But I am going to tear into it tomorrow. See what i can find out .


It really seemed odd to me that the temp would shoot up and then come back down , and then run a bitt hotter , like it was creep ing up -- All while I was on the highway , with out stopping .!


Does these have any water pump problems...?

 

Check the radiator fins for bugs and crap plugging it up.Also check to make sure the belt tensioner moves freely and is keeping the serpentine belt tight on the pulleys.
x2 on changeing the coolant.Whoever had it before you may not have mixed it in the right proportion or got all of the air out of the top of the system (you need to elevate the front of the truck when filling or else an air bubble will form in the top of the engine).That will cause intermittent overheating.

 

So where can we find the best prices on some of these ford parts...?

Is the thermostat replacable ? by itself without the housing? whats the deal with this set up?
Is the thermostat separate or part of the housing, for the 2003, 2.3 ?

is it true the coolant temp sensors can go bad easily ?