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04 mustang is pushing water out of my overflow causing it...


04 mustang is pushing water out of my overflow causing it to smoke? Mechanic's Assistant: How many miles are on the car? Have you been losing oil or [coolant](/topics-coolant-ford/)? 171,000 ,not losing oil, maybe a littl...

04 mustang is pushing water out of my overflow causing it to smoke? Mechanic's Assistant: How many miles are on the car? Have you been losing oil or [coolant](/topics-coolant-ford/)? 171,000 ,not losing oil, maybe a little coolant Mechanic's Assistant: What is the make/model of your '04 car? 2004 ford mustang v6 Mechanic's Assistant: Are you fixing your Mustang yourself? What have you tried so far? Well all started wen I turned ac on temp would get to 3/4 or more high so turned on heater and turned off ac to get it normal again thought it was a [thermostat](/topics-thermostat-ford/) so changed it,after that a little drip came out from bolt on radiator so put some stop leak pellets in radiator than overflow started,than waterpump started dripping so just changed that ,and still have the overflow problem now my top radiator hose is sucked in ,so tomorrow going to do a radiator flush maybe its clogged and get a new radiator cap ,and water in overflow looks nasty?

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Responses

Automotive Expert
Howdy from Tennessee, I'm Chris aka Moose. Who am I helping today? I'm glad you've come here to get help. I will do my best to get the answer you are looking for. I help many customers, so sometimes my replies are delayed, I will respond once available. I try to be online at 1-5 pm and 10 pm-5 am every day. - When it is running hot, is the coolant fan running at full speed?

KCoolant fan works it doesn't get hot all the time only sometimes
Automotive Expert
Thanks for those details. I suggest you doa cylinder compression test to make sure there is not a head gasket failure. Then do a cooling system pressure test and address any parts that are leaking coolant. Now remove the thermostat, upper and lower radiator hoses, and heater hoses. Flush everything out using a garden hose and flush all things in both directions till nothing but clean water flows. Then reconnect all hoses and reassemble. Refill with coolant. Let the [engine](/topics-engine-ford/) run with the heat on and the radiator cap off till all air bubbles are purged out. Normally once the thermostat has opened 3 times. Then adjust the coolant level and restest on the road. Thank you for seeking us for help, I hope I provided what was needed. Press reply if you need to follow up. If you liked my answer please let me know so I can mark your question complete. Moose

Would my overflow water b nasty if headgasket s were blownCould radiator sealer cause this problemIf headgasket r bad can I use k seal
Automotive Expert
A cooling system that has never been serviced can cause nasty coolant all on its own, but yes a head gasket failure can make the coolant nasty. Stop leak is horrible for engines. It rarely works and often clogs up things that should be flowing coolant well.

But my oil looks perfect, no white smoke from [exhaust](/topics-exhaust-ford/) no mikey oilI've never had problems with radiator sealer but okWhy is my radiator hose sucked in

Customer attachment 1/16/2021 9:03:04 AM
Automotive Expert
A cracked head or a completely blown out head gasket would result in smoke and fluid cross-contamination. A small head gasket leak would do neither of those. The hose is sucked closed because the system is not able to flow the coolant well. The lower hose has the [water pump](/topics-water-pump-ford/) pulling coolant from it but the thermostat is not opening to allow the hot coolant to return to the radiator. Air pockets in the system can also cause this.

The smoke is coming from the radiator, I believe it's from the overflow getting on the hot radiator no smoke coming from engine areaCould it b as simple as a radiator cap
Automotive Expert
The radiator cap is not to blame. The smoke can be from the coolant being too hot.

Why is the coolant to hot,and wen I got it home radiator cap wasnt even hot at all but a little low on water?Going to do the pressure test tomorrow hopefully it's not my headgasket s
Automotive Expert
The coolant is too hot because the coolant is not flowing correctly from the air in the system and the sludge built up and the possible head gasket failure. The tests I outlined will address this.

Keep you posted goodnight and thnks
Automotive Expert
You are welcome

U thrIf my heater core is plugged up from stop leak stuff can I still drive my carEverything ok just not getting heat
Automotive Expert
Yes, you can drive with a heater core clogged, not there, or bypassed. That will not affect the cooling system.

Ok how do I unplug itWat does not there mean in yr last tex
Automotive Expert
You would remove the hoses from it and flush it forward and backward using a garden hose till it flows clean and well. Customer--If my heater core is plugged up from stop leak stuff can I still drive my car----Yes, you can drive with a heater core clogged, not there, or bypassed. That will not affect the cooling system. Not there means you do not even have to have a heater core in the car to be able to drive, of course, the hoses would have to be looped in that case because the coolant would be spraying everywhere.

Ot could it b my thermostat that I just replacedWat does not thr or bypass mean
Automotive Expert
Are you wanting to remove, bypass, or repair the heater core? Yes, new parts can be faulty straight out of the box. You can test a thermostat on the stove in water using a candy thermometer.

Should my top radiator hose b hot if thermostat is bad
Automotive Expert
The top radiator hose should be hot while the car is running. It is hot when the thermostat opens to displace the hot coolant inside the engine. The thermostat allows the hot coolant to leave so it can be replaced by cooler coolant from the radiator. The test you asked about can not be used to determine if the thermostat is good or bad.

Wat test?
Automotive Expert
I need a better explanation in your replies. I do not know how to respond to "Wat test" Today we have covered how to flush the heater core, can a heater core cause a cooling system issue, and how to test if a thermostat is good or bad.

U said I cant test thermostat that way I never asked how to test it lol

Running good drove it alot no problems
Automotive Expert
That is good news.

Ya the only thing is my heater is not working I think that sealant might of clogged my heater core
Automotive Expert
That is very likely.
Automotive Expert
You are welcome

Thnk u ,o ya is it ok to mix 2 kinds of antifreeze
Automotive Expert
As long as they are compatible with the vehicle you can.

Wat there's a certain brand for each vehicle
Automotive Expert
Ford suggest Motorcraft brand

Dam didnt know that ,will it mess up yr car if u put in wrong brand
Automotive Expert
As long as it is compatible, no.

I dont think it was compatible because I didnt know,so wat will it do to yr car

Customer attachment 1/17/2021 8:34:34 AM

Used about halfWell that's probably wat plug my radiator up I'm flushing it Monday write now just running mostly water do I need distilled water and do u think my engine is ok??
Automotive Expert
Incorrect coolant can damage the cooling system components like seals and gaskets and cause corrosion in the engine, radiator, and heater core.

wat nowWell it seemed to drive fine today besides heater not working, maybe I got lucky
Automotive Expert
What concern are you trying to diagnose and address now? I have no clue how to respond to "so wat now"

Well I didnt use alot of that antifreeze,seems to b ok so far ,so by flushing my coolant system should help the problem thnks goodnight
Automotive Expert
You are welcome

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