Okay so i have an 05 munstang gt with almost 53,000 miles on it. I thas a c&l cai, hooker l/ts, bassani o/r x and frpp hot rod cams plus a dyno tne. Today i noticed the temp gauge above normal and it has just recently gotten much colder down here in florida. But i also notice that the coolant level was a little less than usual but still in the fill zone. So i get home and eat and go back out to my car and start it and the temp. gauge is almost at H. I've had problems with the gauge because sometimes it does or doesnt work. sometime it just sits at the bottom and sometimes right in the middle. I had the dreaded window leak that i got fixed back over the summer. I checked the oil and its color is fine. Also i used the heater today and could that have anything to contribute to it? I also have a short soomewhere because my angel eye headlight on the passanger side flickers on and off. I just need help and to know if the car is acually overheating or an electrical problem

 

based on what you said, it does not sound
like the vehicle is really overheating. sounds
more likely to be issues with the SJB's low
current board.

if you had an aeroforce interceptor, you could
read the cylinder head temperature and that
might give a more realistic, relative reading.

 

i also forgot to mention that whenever i start the car after its cooled down or in the morning i find water leaking through the midpipe from where the midepipe ends and also where the weld is for the x pipe. Is that normal for water to drip from there but after i drive somewhere there is no water present?

 

Water dripping from the exhaust is normal condensation finding a path. The fact that it burns off after you drive should mean that it isn't related to your temperature issue. How long have the cams been installed? A poor install could have caused a head gasket issue.

You need to determine if this is a real overheating issue. If it is, then it sounds like a head gasket. The oil could look fine on the dipstick even if you drained a sample. It's tough to find emuslified oil/water on these engines unless it's a very severe case of coolant being drawn into the lubricant.

If you've had the chronic water leak issue, then the SJB would be the next place to check as Hammeron mentioned. The water leak tends to cause corrosion at the SJB connections which have been the root cause of many electrical gremlins.

 

yes i had a chronic leak. i came out one day and i had a puddle in the back floor. i had the cams done by a reputable shop here in orlando called lamotta performance. i just think it weird that now instead of the temp. going down it rose all the way up. Is it normal to lose coolant level a little due to colder weather. down here in florida we got a cold front this weekend and i noticed the coolant to be about half an inch lower than normal but still in the cool range.

 

I'm guessing here, but I suspect it's NOT a head gasket based on your descriptions. The first thing to do is to determine if your gauge is correct and I'd start with a thorough cleaning of the SJB's connections. If the gauge continues to read eratic, then it's time to go a step further and get the real skinny if you're overheating. I might even shoot an oil sample to Blackstone Labs for an analysis to help determine if panic and dog kicking is at-hand.

Coolant level will vary in the reservoir with the engine cold based on ambient conditions. I wouldn't go adding any yet. Just keep an eye on it. If it continues to go down, even after a day or 2 of warmer temps, that's another bad indicator. Just remember that it takes quite awhile for the engine blocks ambient temp to change so even after a few warm daytime hours, the block temp won't change much if any. Have you gotten underneath and done athorough visual for any signs of coolant leaks? Coolant can leak and never leave a drip or puddle. It'll show up as dried stains on suspension, body and engine components.

 

i have not yet checked the under body to look for leaks but when the motor has just got done running and is hot the coolant level seems to be the same.

 

Just a thought...I took my '08 Bullitt to the dealer for an oil change a couple of months ago and they found signs of a leak at the water pump. They said it was a known issue and replaced it.

 

i believe it is an electrical problem because i drove about 10 miles to school today and it sat for 2 hours and when i went out and started the car the temp rose almost to H within minutes of me starting the car. is it possible for it to heat up all the way in abot 2 to 5 minutes?

 

I also suspect a water pump, I have seen many Mustangs come into my Ford Dealership and have overheating issues, the cause is usually a leaky water pump.