Overheating problem!!!

[JJP1351]

Temp is fine for over an hour of driving main rds. Get on the freeway for a mile, gauge pegged! Overheated and oil light came on. Look under hood, over flow empty. Refill, a few gallons, running great. Next day, no puddles any where, been checking since yesterday, running warm. open hood, air is hissing out of pass. side of engine somewhere. Undo cap, pressure releases, no more air hiss from engine. Put a gallon water in and its full. Runs great. No leaks, no oil in rad and no water in oil! Please inform a non Ford guy. Pulling my hair out here.

 

[stamp11127]

If there are no visible signs of leakage around the engine bay check the heater lines going to the rear heat/ac unit. If those check out with no leaks then the coolant is being sucked into the engine.

When you refill the surge tank you should also bleed the system so that any trapped air is expelled. Once that is accomplished run the engine up to temp while observing the surge tank. You are looking for small bubbles in the coolant. If none are there that is a good sign.

If you have access to a cooling system pressure tester that would be the next thing I would do after a refill and visual inspection.

There is a coolant pipe that runs in the bottom of the valley which has been prone to leaking as these vehicles age. Look at that also.