Loud Radiator Fan....LS Heating

[HANN4S]

I have a 03 Lincoln LS V8 101k and lately the radiator fan has been very loud. I also noticed that the engine temperature gauge is rising just a little bit higher over the middle mark where it normally sits but not so high. In several cases, when i'm driving everything seem normal but the moment i stop at a redlight, the fan gets really loud. A couple of times i left the car turned on in the driveway and it got very loud. I turned on the heat and it seem to help a little bit. These past couple of cold days i have been using the heat and no sign of the problem anymore. What can be causing this? is it thermostat related? Thank you!

[shorod]

I'd start by making sure you don't have restrictions in front of the radiator/condenser. If there isn't a bunch of debris, then visually inspect the radiator fan to see if it is loose or if one of the fan blades is damaged or cracked. Following that you might need to visit someone who has a radiator system pressure tester. Some of the auto parts stores may have one of these in their loan-a-tool program. Make sure the pressure cap holds the correct amount of pressure and that the system also holds pressure. You could also use an infrared thermometer to make sure the engine and radiator are actually getting as warm as the gauge indicates. Beyond these checks I think you're up to the less easily inspected items such as the water pump, thermostat, and radiator fan motor.

-Rod

[joegr]

Almost certainly, your degas bottle has cracked. The air getting into the cooling system is degrading it causing it to fall behind. The PCM is increasing the fan speed to try and compensate. This is not an uncommon LS problem, and your symptom description fits the most common complaints when this starts. If you don't fix it soon, your next symptom will be that it starts going into reduced power mode due to overheating.

[HANN4S]

Thanks shorod & joegr the car finally overheated, the temperature gauge rising high and I got the check engine temperature today. The coolant is leaking right below the coolant recovery tank and it leaks even more when the car is idling. The funny thing is that i replaced the coolant recovery tank about 8 months ago because it cracked on the side and was leaking. I bought it at www.rockauto.com and took it in to have it replaced. I think something else is causing the car to overheat and the tank is just at the worse end of it, having boiling coolant in and out causing it to degrade faster than normal. This is my 2nd LS and I fixed the problem once with my previous LS and it never resurfaced again till I sold the car.

[joegr]

Originally Posted by HANN4S

Thanks shorod & joegr the car finally overheated, the temperature gauge rising high and I got the check engine temperature today. The coolant is leaking right below the coolant recovery tank and it leaks even more when the car is idling. The funny thing is that i replaced the coolant recovery tank about 8 months ago because it cracked on the side and was leaking. I bought it at www.rockauto.com and took it in to have it replaced. I think something else is causing the car to overheat and the tank is just at the worse end of it, having boiling coolant in and out causing it to degrade faster than normal. This is my 2nd LS and I fixed the problem once with my previous LS and it never resurfaced again till I sold the car.

For the record. It's not a coolant recovery tank. They aren't pressurized. This is a pressurized degas bottle or coolant reservoir.

[HANN4S]

Aren't we talking about the same thing in the link below? Autozone and Rockauto have it under recovery tank. Thanks

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/cat...&parentId=63-0

[shorod]

I'd say this is kind of like "Freon" versus "R-12" versus "R-134a."

-Rod

[joegr]

Originally Posted by shorod

I'd say this is kind of like "Freon" versus "R-12" versus "R-134a."

-Rod

Yes, the parts stores are calling it the wrong thing too.

[HANN4S]

So I fixed the car myself for $60 after wasting $850 and the car wouldn't stop overheating, I replaced the thermostat and housing and followed the proper air bleeding procedure from the forum. I spent so much because I ended up replacing the coolant recovery tank, radiator, A/C condenser and transmission cooler. The parts were cheap but i paid quite a bit for the labor.

[bpoolson]

My daughter is having this same issue with her 2006 Lincoln LS V8 right now. Going to have a pressure test done on the coolant system asap. Car has never actually overheated but the loud radiator fan noise is constant, the temp needle is at 3/4, and the engine starts to reduce power after driving for about 15 minutes. When she had her oil changed last, they had to add some cooling fluid because it was low.

[Davees]

#1 look under car, Behind driver side wheel, about 1 foot in. If you see any liquid, run your finger through it. If it's slick, it's coolant. Your degas bottle is cracked. As the car heats up, it expands & allows antifreeze to escape. Look up the forums on how to do it. I could direct you, but it's easier following the diagrams.