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  #1  
Old 12-05-2013, 05:45 PM
CameronA CameronA is offline
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Unhappy Weird engine temperature issues

So recently I have been having some really weird problems with my heat and engine temperature.

Initially my engine temp was stuck in the lowest position, and my heat was blowing ice cold. I figured it was the thermostat, so I replace the thermostat and put in new coolant. The new thermostat went in just fine, and I had the spring pointing toward the engine just like the old thermostat. I used a gasket and some black RTV gasket maker.

That seemed to work, and there is no coolant leaking from the area around the thermostat housing.

Now when I start driving my engine temp will rise and stay in the normal range, but as soon as I turn on my heat the engine temp starts dropping and drops all the way down. The heat blows hot for about twenty seconds while the engine temperature is dropping.

I am completely stumped. Does anybody have idea?

Sidenote - I was recently having a check engine code for "P0401 insufficient exhaust recirculation flow" so I replaced my egr position sensor at the same time as I did my thermostat. Could that have anything to do with it?

Thanks,
Jimbo
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  #2  
Old 12-05-2013, 06:12 PM
Jaws Ranger Jaws Ranger is offline
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The engine temp will always drop when the heat is on since you're sucking in the hot air, are you giving it enough time to warm up before you turn on the heat??
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  #3  
Old 12-05-2013, 07:46 PM
Mike In Bama Mike In Bama is offline
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Do you happen to know the temperature rating of the thermostat you put in? If it is lower than OE, your truck won't heat up nearly as quickly.
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  #4  
Old 12-05-2013, 09:47 PM
CameronA CameronA is offline
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Default Re: Weird engine temperature issues

Jack - The temperature fluctuations that I am getting are pretty extreme. If my engine temperature is normal and I turn on the heat my engine temp drops down to zero and the heat blows ice cold within 20 seconds. If I leave the heat on when I am driving it will blow ice cold, and then once every couple minutes the engine temp goes up and it blows warm for about 10 seconds, but the engine temp just plummets again after that. It will even happen if my vehicle has been running for a long time and I am driving down the freeway.

Mike - I believe that the temp rating of the thermostat that I put in is 192.
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  #5  
Old 12-05-2013, 09:48 PM
Jaws Ranger Jaws Ranger is offline
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That's OEM... Hmm this is odd... I would ignore the gauge and start with the heater problem
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  #6  
Old 12-05-2013, 09:55 PM
stateranger stateranger is offline
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Default Re: Weird engine temperature issues

You need to burp the cooling system and add coolant. Have you ever changed the coolsnt.
DPFE for The egr has nothing to do with this.
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Old 12-05-2013, 11:50 PM
CameronA CameronA is offline
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Default Re: Weird engine temperature issues

Nate - I did burp the cooling system and add coolant. I drained it completely and added fresh stuff.
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  #8  
Old 12-06-2013, 09:11 AM
TiptronicFrog TiptronicFrog is offline
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Default Re: Weird engine temperature issues

I think once you fix your coolant temperature problem your heater will work correctly, so i would concentrate on keeping your temperature gauge at operating temp... i am experiencing the same problem and i have no heater core, im in the middle of trying to figure this problem out as well, will keep you posted if i find something and will be following this thread.. sorry for the no help now haha
*granted you dont have a plugged or restricted heater core.. it may be an electrical issue and not a mechanical, make sure all the connectors are plugged in properly.. my gauge drops pretty fast and there's no way that engine coolant can cool down that fast in an engine
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Last edited by TiptronicFrog; 12-06-2013 at 09:34 AM.
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  #9  
Old 12-06-2013, 10:06 AM
RoberticusMaximus RoberticusMaximus is offline
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Default Re: Weird engine temperature issues

alrighty, this may not be your case, but here we go lollol!

ok about the engine coolant reaching op temp & then plummeting: i had this issue, and the fix was replacing the cheap t-stat with a motorcraft t-stat. the cheap one simply took forever to open & close. Problem was worse for me when using the heater of course.

so, when it would open up, it would let all of the hot water out of the block like it's supposed to (temp guage would read normal here). Problem with the t-stat was that it would close way way after the cold-ass water from the rad had already made full circ in the block (guage would read cold). that t-stat also had a fairly large opening when fully open. i'm guessing that's part of the reason it took so long to close again.

i compared it to a motorcraft OEM one (hot water test on the stove in the house): the OEM one opened & closed much faster & had a smaller gap iirc.

problem went away completely after putting oem t-stat in.

----------

left is the cheap one, right is OEM.
see how far open the cheap one is haha!


Last edited by RoberticusMaximus; 01-06-2014 at 01:19 PM. Reason: moar info!
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  #10  
Old 12-10-2013, 06:59 PM
Bob Lee Bob Lee is offline
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Default

When the heater stops blowing hot air and starts blowing cold air, does it happen almost instantly, and does it sound like the air is coming out at a faster rate? If so check the vacuum to your blend door. Figured you could at least rule this out if its not the problem
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  #11  
Old 12-29-2013, 08:08 PM
gatorboy gatorboy is offline
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Default Re: Weird engine temperature issues

Do the back flush on the heater core and burp air out of system all will be good. This solved my problem that was the same as yours. A big thank you to the forum for this info.
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  #12  
Old 12-30-2013, 10:47 AM
cowboybilly9mile cowboybilly9mile is offline
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Default Re: Weird engine temperature issues

Step 1) make dead certain you have bleed ALL air from the system. I saw you said you did that, but your symptoms fit air in system rather well, so DO make sure there is no air in it and that the coolant level in the radiator and the burp tank are correct. I like parking with the front end up to help clear the air when bleeding the system.

Step 2) With the engine fully warmed up and running, heat on and set for max warm, and the heater fan on high, go feel both heater hoses under the hood and at the firewall. One should be hot, the other warm. If both are cold, you have a problem with coolant flow thorough the heater core (could be air in there). If they are both hot, then you have a blend door issue.
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  #13  
Old 01-06-2014, 12:32 PM
CameronA CameronA is offline
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Default Re: Weird engine temperature issues

I ended up replacing the cheap thermostat with a Motorcraft one and that fixed the issue! Thanks for the help everybody!
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