memorysan

I know this is kind of long, but I want to explain my problem with enough detail that you can help me. If you have any questions, please ask!

I recently bought a 1997 Mustang GT V8 4.6L Coupe.

There were no problems with it until today (I've had it about a week), and I was getting around to getting a tune up done to it next week when I am taking some vacation time. I don't know what maintenance has been done to the car over the past 12 years, but I do know it has less than 30K miles on it...which to me means it's practically new.

Suddenly, when I parked the car after driving it to work today...there was steam coming out from under the hood. I don't know much about cars, so when I looked under the hood, I noticed that there was a lot of wetness and the heat from the engine was burning it off. I also noticed a lot of steam coming from around the engine area.

I drove it again to exercise during my lunch break, and when I got back to the office...it was steaming again. This time I checked the temperature gauge and it was pointing straight up...so I thought that it wasn't overheating...it must be something else.

I drove it home after work (about half an hour / 11 miles mostly stop and go traffic). About half way home it was steaming really bad, and I noticed the temperature gauge was pinged past the red line at hot (all the way right).

It got me home, but the engine stopped right before I could park it. Before trying to start it again, I let it sit for a while with the hood up...so the engine could cool off and the steam could blow off. While it was cooling off I noticed that there was no coolant in the bin where you can see it without taking off the lid.

I bought some antifreeze/coolant and filled 'er up with 50/50 antifreeze/coolant and water to the point where it was overflowing under the car (didn't spill under the car until it was too full). Once it was full, I cranked up the engine and revved it up a few times. My wife was looking under the hood as I did this and told me that something splashed up that looked like water and there was steam everywhere again.

I checked the coolant level again and it was not where I could see it. I figured that what was in there must have gotten in and around the engine to cool it off, so I refilled it until it overflowed again...and I did this again (three times total). Every time the splashing happened, there was steam, and the coolant level was to low for me to see it. I let it idle for a little while (steaming the whole time) and noticed the engine getting hot again (at the gauge) and cut it off.

To me, the logical conclusion is that, when the engine revs up a little it spits the coolant all over the place. I never saw it happen when my wife revved up the engine, so I can't tell where it's coming from, and I don't know enough about cars to know where to look.

I also noticed that the engine moves when it's revved up...I know it's a powerful engine...but is it supposed to move? It tilts a little, then sits back in place when the engine is using a little power.

Please tell me what I should be looking for and where...I hope you are going to say it's something cheap and easy to fix...but knowing my luck, it won't be.

Thanks, in advance, for any help!!

MJH78

Of course the engine is going to move a little when you rev it
Next time...if you ever see the temp guage in the RED, stop the car immediately. Don't try and make it home. You can very likely destroy your engine running it that hot. Based on your description of coolant splashing all over the place, it sounds as if you just have a loose hose somewhere. You just need to locate the source.

WhiteFoxGT

Check the intake for leaks, especially around the thermostat housing and rear where the heater hose is

Jazzer The Cat

You need to do three things.... First is STOP driving your ride while it is leaking coolant as this is an easy way to seize it up and could destroy it altogether Second.... sounds like a spit in a coolant hose somewhere around the engine (there are several hoses that carry coolant around the motor.

Your water went back down after you filled it, due to water being drawn into the motor as it was completely empty. I won't get into the full explanation, as it is not necessary at this point.

Safest to tow your car to a reputable local shoppe and describe the problem for its repair. Without more info and your lack of understanding where the water is leaking, this is the best way to go.

Jazzer

EDIT: WOW... I guess I had this page open for quite a while prior to posting, huh?

memorysan

Lose or split hose. I'll look for it myself and if I can't find it, I'll get it towed to a shop to get it fixed.

Thanks for the help!

One question...if it started again after it stopped from the heat, does that meant it's not damaged? I'm not going to drive it again until it's fixed, of course, but wondering if it starting again means it'll be o.k. after the problem with the leak is fixed.

00perfredgt

Jazzer's right. That's what you need to do. Good luck.

705techno

You are lucky you don't have a little 4 cylinder, you would have caused some serious damage.


If you see steam from under your hood, ever, you need to find out why and stop driving the car. Your cooling system is a very high tech system which operates under pressure. A leak causes havoc on this, letting air in and liquid out, and is murder for your engine.

memorysan

O.K., the car sat without being cranked for over 20 hours and was cooled off.

I checked out the hoses, and they seemed good, so I filled it with water that had been sitting in the refrigerator over night. I looked for leaks and found nothing. I cranked it up for a few seconds and found water pouring quickly out from behind the alternator. I turned it off after a few seconds and saw that the leak had slowed down a lot. I filled it back up and looked at the same place again...nothing. Cranked it up...pouring out quickly again.

The leak is definitely behind the alternator, and it is a bad leak. It only leaks when the car is running.

What do I need to do to fix that leak?

Please help!

00perfredgt

That sounds like your intake manifold. There is a hose and metal tube that run underneath the intake, that could be leaking. Either way your intake will have to be removed. I would replace the intake and all the coolant hoses now to avoid future problems. Good luck.

memorysan

Is this a common fail item? I read somewhere that there was a class action law suit against Ford because the intake manifolds that come stock were constantly breaking.