MY 2002 RANGER IS HOT

Hi Nicole:
Now it gets interesting.
- What conditions are you running it under? Like really hot weather and towing a trailer with your pet elephant?
- How long since you had a tune-up? Retarded spark will make engine overheat and give lack of power?
- How do you know it's overheating? Maybe the guage or sender are defective.
- Is there the proper coolant in the engine? Straight water will overheat.
- Is the water pump functioning properly?
- Has a radiator hose collapsed?
- Will Rhett marry Charlotte?
Cheerfuls.

You have to have a thermostat in the system. Have a compression test done to check for head gasket or cracked head/s. Check the flow rate of the radiator ( blocked cores) check the condition of the cooling fins on the radiator. Check the radiator cap. Check if the fan is working when hot.. If you have a viscous fan hub on the fan then replace it . run the fault codes to check for air/fuel problems . Check for load and speed conditions as high speed when fully loaded will cause your problem . Check that it is actually engaging over drive and not over reving the engine.

IF you have a viscous fan hub driving the fan then replace it with a new unit. IF electric fan/s then check fuses and fans for correct operation. Have a coolant system check done and have a flow test done on the radiator. Ensure that the radiator fins are not blocked up with mud/snow or paper/plastic. Have a compression test done to check for head gasket or cracked head.

its most definately a circulation problem has the thermostat been changed or the water pump checked try the stat first. strange prob cos heat rises so its

you have wasted money on fixing what has not consequence on the oproblem
overheating is from 4 things
1--- no/insufficient water in the cooling system--air lock in system- fill radiator to cap level and bleed air out
2--blocked radiator cores -- have a radiator shop do a flow test
3-- fan not working--no power from relay, ECM. coolant temp sensor , fuses-- have an auto electrician check the circuit
4--- blown head gasket /cracked head-- have a compression test done

The thermostats in the 4.2L motors are known to fail. Usually they open too early setting a code. In your case it sounds like it's not opening or opening very late causing it to overheat.

When its hot, there should be HOT air coming through the radiator, If the air isnt HOT, the radiator may be plugged.

Faulty thermostat, failed water pump, inoperable radiator fan, low coolant due to leak, faulty radiator cap, leaking head gasket, low oil, major exhaust leak near front, exhaust blockage, or incorrect ignition timing. If there is crust around radiator cap, cap is leaking. How long does it take to overheat? If it runs smoothly when cool, and all fluids are at correct levels, you can rule our head gasket, radiator cap, and ignition timing. If it overheats very quickly and fluids are correct, it is probably thermostat or water pump. If it seems to do better at higher speeds, it is probably radiator fan. You can check this by allowing vehicle to run in Park with hood open. Monitor engine temp on dash. When it is at or slightly above normal running temp, radiator fan should come on. Also note exhaust sound. If it seems loud and overheats gradually, you may have a leak before the converter. If the exhaust sounds quiet, but exhaust manifold is getting extremely hot (may glow red), there is probably a blockage. There will also be OK starting and idle but poor acceleration if exhaust is partly blocked.

When the engine is cold,and the radiator is full,starting the engine,does it blow out the radiator?If it does,then a head,or head gasket is blown.If not,bleed the system of air.The engine cooling system might have air that needs to be purged out.

If the cooling system has no bleeder valves to vent air, you may have to temporarily loosen a heater hose to get all the air out of the system...Also check to see if there is water in the oil...If there is water in the oil then it could have a head gasket problem....Excessive exhaust backpressure because of a clogged catalytic converter could also cause overheating..Also check belt tension and condition. A loose belt that slips may prevent the water pump from circulating coolant fast enough and/or the fan from turning fast for proper cooling...Another thing it could be is a faulty Water pump -- Any wobble in the pump shaft or seepage would call for replacement. In some instances, a pump can cause an engine to overheat if the impeller vanes are badly eroded due to corrosion or if the impeller has come loose from the shaft. The wrong pump may also cause an engine to overheat. Some engines with serpentine drive belts require a special water pump that turns in the opposite direction of those used on the same engine with ordinary V-belts... Also check the Fan -- With mechanical fans, most overheating problems are caused by a faulty fan clutch, though a missing fan shroud can reduce the fan's cooling effectiveness by as much as 50% (depending on the fan's distance from the radiator) which may be enough to cause the engine to overheat in hot weather or when working hard.