[Panameno]

good afternoon:
since yesterday i have this weird problem, my car are overheating but only when i rise the volume of my stereo, i only have 1 Sony explode amp (150 watts x 2 (2 ohm) and 300 watts x 1 (4 ohm) rms, 4 speaker (2 front and 2 rear), one 10" subwoofer Infinity 300 watts rms. i have 2 year with this stereo config, since then the temp gage move weird but right know it moves worst.

i can hear the high speed fan and the temp start to decrease but only when the stereo are in a normal volume, if i increase the volume (too much bass) the gage rise suddenly.

i have no leaks, good colant level (radiator and tank), and when the needle start to pass the middle i turn on the AC and the low speed fan put the needle down (1/4) then i turn off.

ah, yesterday when i stop the car in my house the temp was good, but when i close the gate suddlenly the tank or reservoir start to make noise, so i heard like boiling but no bubbles. i reffil to max the coolant, i wait like 2 hours to open the radiator and the level was ok, level in the neck and the level in the reservoir was change, lower, between max and min.

what can it be?
1- bad alternator, no juicy power to run the high speed fan with the stereo on?
2- Bad stereo ground?
3- bad high speed relay fan (CCRM)? well the fan move ok
4- bad thermostat, i've notice in the morning (like 50 F) the car don't warmup pass 10 - 20 min then the gage start to move.

please any advise

 

[FordMan59]

If it is overheating the thermostat would be stuck in the closed position, therefore it would overheat in just a few minutes after starting it. My guess would be that you're just not producing enough power to run both the stereo and the fan. Have you checked the output of your alternator?

 

[Panameno]

thanx FordMan59

i think tomorrow i'm going to check the alternator, another thing, when i put the parking flasher light the fuel pump start with this up and down noise, you know, i think my alternator don't have power to handle the flash lights and the rest of the electrical system.

well let me check the alternator and i'll write you back asap

 

[FordMan59]

The alternator might just need a new set of brushes. If it's not putting out enough power I'd try a new set of brushes before buying a new alternator. Much cheaper!!

 

[Panameno]

ok, let me check the alternator and change the brushes this weekend

best regards

 

[denisond3]

Try measuring the voltage across the battery. With the engine running at an idle, it should never drop below 12.8 volts, even with all the lights on. If it does, then either your alternator is weak, or there is a bad ground connection. My car had a strange set of connectors close to the negative terminal of the battery. There was some corrosion there too. I took the connector apart, and soldered those wires to the body, where the ground cable from the negative terminal of the battery goes. It is behind the battery and close to the wiper motor. That solved a problem I had of the temperature gauge reading too high.
There are several ground wires on an Escort, and all of them are important for something.

 

[Panameno]

thanx for the tip, i´m very concern about the ground wires, specially the amplifier ground. í don´t make the installation of the amp so i have to check it.

 

[denisond3]

The ground wire for the amplifier should probably be run to the ground terminal of the battery, or the place on the body next to the battery where that ground cable is bolted.

 

[Panameno]

well the amp are located in the trunk, behind the back seat (driver side) and the ground is down the seat

i have to send a wire from the firewall (batery ground) to the amp

 

[denisond3]

In that case just make sure the negative wire from the battery is well grounded to the body, and that the amplifier is well grounded to the body.

 

[Panameno]

well, yesterday in the night i check the amp ground wire, i put a new wire fron firewall (batery ground) to the amp, also move the original amp ground to the chasis.

today in the morning i drove the car to my job and everything was good, well the outside temp was really cold so i need to check in traffic.

today i´m wanna go to autozone to check the alternator (for free) and alse buy a new thermostat and a new thermostat housing gasket, and new coolant

 

[EscortLX97]

As long as the chassis ground is OK is not necessary to run a ground wire from the battery to the amp, if that is needed to do it means the ground wire from the battery to the main chassis ground is either weak or corroded, also there are some low gauge wire that gives ground to the computer that are on that post.

On the passenger side there is another ground link and most important driver side behind the head lamp there is the ground link for the cooling fan if it is dirty, have rust is good to clean it or high resistance will prevent the fan and lamps from operating properly.

Just some more tips.

 

[Panameno]

ok, let me check that ground (driver heaplamp)

thanx

 

[Panameno]

well i check all ground and everyone looks clean (no rust) and very tight.

i change my coolant, thermostat (failsafe 192 F), gasket and check the system, i start the car and the temp gauge from 0 move like in 2 minutes to the beginning of the small block in the cage.

then i check the high speed fan when it turns on, and the temp was very good.

BUT..i found something

the IAT connector was loose, one of the 2 pins, so when i move it, the car increase the RPM so i think i had a problem in the inyectors timing, i fix it and the car runs good. i've notice that my mileage was in problems, but i thought the issues in the cooling systema was the reason.

i need to test the car at high speed and traffic to see but i think my cooling issues are over, i hope so

let me test, and i'll write you back

 

[Panameno]

well since i´ve change the thermostat, the coolant and fix my amp ground the car have been running good.

when you start the car from cold the temp rise at least 5 min.

sometimes it rise like in the middle of the gage but the high speed fan are working.

thank you to everyone.

best regards