Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Maintenance waterpump replacement

if you think your waterpump is bad stop driving the damn car! you're only going to damage something. Sorry to say it but if you think the waterpumps bad driving the car is the dumbest thing you could do.

Post 98 waterpumps show failure by weeping. That is a large amount of coolant will be puddled under the passanger side front of your car. do the easy and cheap stuff first.

In order to force your coolant to circulate better turn your heater on as you drive the car.

Replace the thermostat. At the same time put fresh coolant in your car. This did all the wonders in the world for mine.

Do this before you wonder if the waterpump is not working. Again if it is not "weeping" then it has not failed. Are you loosing coolant anywhere in any amount?

yes there is a small leak from the lower radiator hose got one on order.replaced the tstat once and i boiled it befor i put it in to make sure it opened.there is one other small leak that looks like its coming from the under side of the tstat from the sensor that is there. just noticed those leaks today went out to go to store and thay were there.also my heat works fine.

how old is the T-stat and where did it come from? Most of the run of the mill T-stats are crap and the spring can stop opening after only a few months. Get one from NAPA or the dealership. Definitely do a full flush with prestone "super flush". You don't really need the water wetter, but if you wanna run a product like that I personally prefer Royal Purple Purple Ice.

You say both fans spin when you turn on the AC right? So, that means their good and getting power.

You also say your running near the 'L' right? IMO at least one fan should be on at this time - and - here is where your suspecting you have a problem right?

If yes, I suspect your ECT sensor or t-stat might be bad. Can you get access to an OBD II scanner that can monitor the ECT via the tool? If yes, the ECT should be around 180 or 195 - depending on the rating of the t-stat. If it's high, your t-stat might not be opening. If it's low, you could be low on fluid, or the sensor might be bad.

Also, your radiator fins (where the air pass thru) could be getting plugged with dirt & debris. I'd suggest you first get underneath the radiator and pound on the support (with a hammer on a piece of wood) and beat as much of the dirt out as you can. Then I suggest you get a garden hose and reverse flush the crud out. I think this may reduce your operating temps (but I still think somthing is wrong with either the sensor or the t-stat).

ok i will try to get nother tstat and flush the system . the ect has been changed 2 times also i noticed that the top heater hose has alot of presser on it when it warms up so you my be right about that tstat.when i unplug the ect after about 20 seconds both fans come on and run.does that mean the ect is good or bad.

You changed the correct sensor - right? IIRC there are 2 sensors. One is for the gauge, and the other is for the PCM. The 2nd one is the one that, if bad, could be causing the fans not to come on.

IMO, your better off getting a reading of the ECT, via a scan tool, before you change anything else. This will save money/time in the long run as it will tell you what the PCM is 'thinking'.

when i unplug the ect after about 20 seconds both fans come on and run.does that mean the ect is good or bad.
Before I answer, Are you sure your full on fluid? One easy way is to remove the cap when cold, and idle for about 15 minutes, filling as needed. Doing this will remove any air from the system.

If I had to guess, I'd think the sensor is bad? The reasoning being, if it's not on when your hot, and you pull the connector, and then the PCM reads an open on the ECT then turns on the fans, that makes me think the sensor is 'lying' about the real ECT.

i changed the ect that is on top of the t-stat housing that is the one for the fans .i changed it 2 times already.here in a few min im going to go and get a new t-stat and fluid.but i did just change it about 2 months back but willing to do anything to get it fixed.

ok i just got done backflushed the system.replaced the lower radiator hose,t-stat,waterpump and fresh cooant and still no fans when it warms up.the car does not run any cooler still on the A and L.how would i go about running the fans to a fuse to only come on when i start the car and them go off when i turn it off.that is the only thing left i know that i could try.

I told you my opinion already. You need to find out what the ECT temp is before you keep changing stuff.

Perhaps the ECT temp is right, and the gauge (or it's sensor) is off, and all the stuff you changed was for nothing