first problem with the truck

[hillman]

well, ive finally had my first problem with my truck. about 2 and a half weeks ago when i was driving back to college station, right when i exit off the interstate, my intercooler temp spikes and throws the codes p1285 and p1299, which i believe is a cylinder detected overheating and also the failsafe mode. pulled over, turned it off, and let it cool down. cleared the codes and drove it the rest of the way back and for the 2 and a half weeks with no problems. thought i was done with it, but two days ago, it did it again. same exact thing. what could be going on? all fluid levels are full, IC pump still works, and it had an oil change in between the two overheatings. I was thinkin maybe the fan clutch could be going bad or maybe the connection to the IC pump wiggles free for a little causing an intermittent problem? not for sure though. any ideas?

[Ohmsby]

Check the IC pump connection.

I am sure Terry will weigh in and his knowledge is golden on these issues

[hillman]

Check the IC pump connection.
it gets power and works. i was just thinking it could lose connection for a little while im driving. Do you guys think that the fan could be causing it?

[L8 APEX]

Those codes have jack diddly to do with your intercooler. Those are cylinder head over temp and thermal protection (limp mode codes). They have nothing to do with the SVT parts of the truck. Do you have an electric fan kit?
What is the cluster temp gauge showing when this happens? It should be pegged past the red. Possibly a bad temp sensor. If it really overheats that badly it should be puking coolant, smelling coolant.
Water pump failure, should leak but could be broken internally (never seen one break).
Check the coolant level.
Possibly replace the thermostat it could be sticking.
Check the radiator for heat transfer and flow, is the fan pulling out the heat? radiator could be full of crud etc.

[hillman]

They have nothing to do with the SVT parts of the truck. Do you have an electric fan kit?
nope, should i look into that or is the stock fan enough for 6lb pulley, intake, tune?

What is the cluster temp gauge showing when this happens? It should be pegged past the red. Possibly a bad temp sensor. If it really overheats that badly it should be puking coolant, smelling coolant.
yes it pegs pass the red. as far as i can tell, it does not gradually work itself up there, just shoots up there. no smelly coolant

Water pump failure, should leak but could be broken internally (never seen one break).
not sure how to check?

Check the coolant level.
checks out good

Possibly replace the thermostat it could be sticking.
is there a way to check for this?

Check the radiator for heat transfer and flow, is the fan pulling out the heat? radiator could be full of crud etc.
radiator is clean. the fan was the one i was worried about. it works but not sure if maybe its operating slower than before? not sure throwin it out there

[L8 APEX]

Let the truck warm up and hold the upper radiator hose. See if you can feel the stat open and send hot water to the radiator. If so feel the air off the back of the fan it should be warm like the water going through the radiator. Also, run the heater inside to make sure the water pump is moving water and it is actually hot.

If the radiator hose stays cold and temp gauge pegs the thermostat is stuck closed.

If the hoses get hot but the air stays cold the radiator is not working.

If the inside heat is not working it could be a sign the water pump is not flowing.

If all of that happens then it is working fine and could be a bad sensor.

Ford cooling systems are very strong, even a crap fan clutch should cool in this weather. When you rev the truck up at temp you should hear the fan spin faster.

[hillman]

ok good deal. ill try to check it out tomorrow. thanks for the info.

[hillman]

ok time to revive the thread. if the radiator isnt clogged how else would it be bad? im kinda confused on that part. what sensor(s) are we talking about, where is it at, and what range does it read? also, i've noticed, the truck overheats only when im at highway speeds, around 70 mph or so. in the city it drives normally and has never overheated. this last time it happened, i let it sit for about 5 minutes, turned it back on and the temp was back where it should have been with it only sitting there off for 5 minutes.
thanks for the help

[L8 APEX]

I already posted what to check. You need to go back through and check for flow, puking, thermostat opening, heater core function etc..

[hillman]

ok the only two things from your list after i checked it out that could be possible is the radiator not working or a bad sensor. The upper hose is hot, actually too hot to keep my hand there after a few seconds, but the air coming off the fan is not as hot as the hose, but still warm. my question was if it is a bad radiator, what would cause it to go bad other then it being clogged? and if its not the radiator, then the next thing on your list is the sensor. i was wondering what sensor would be causing it, and what are the range of temperatures it reads? hope that clarifies a little.

[N2Otorious]

Try a radiator flush, that will clean the inside of the radiator, and help with the heat transfer from water to metal to air...

Sounds like your T-stat is working, if you ever change one out, install a Fail-Safe brand T-stat, they fail in to open position. Normal T-stats fail closed and strand you on the side of the road.

[hillman]

^guess ill start with that. i hope to get it done this weekend.

[hillman]

flush didnt work. it still overheats when im on the highway, but not driving around the city. i can pull off the highway, reduce speed, and it will cool down after about a minute. so whats this sensor were talking about?

[N2Otorious]

flush didnt work. it still overheats when im on the highway, but not driving around the city. i can pull off the highway, reduce speed, and it will cool down after about a minute. so whats this sensor were talking about?

Do you have a mechanical(stock) or and Electric fan?

[hillman]

stock fan

[N2Otorious]

stock fan

I wonder if the fan is slipping.... When the engine is up to temp, Does the fan fully engage(MOVE ALLOT OF AIR)?

[Mark #2]

I would change the thermostat, cheap and easy.

[hillman]

I wonder if the fan is slipping.... When the engine is up to temp, Does the fan fully engage(MOVE ALLOT OF AIR)?
ya its moving air. i dont have anything to compare it to, but its definitely blowing it.

[In2deep]

Sounds like the thermostat sticking

[hillman]

well i changed out the thermonstat and burped the system today and it works perfectly fine now. no more overheating. thanks for the help guys