I am a regular visitor to the site, but rarely do I post anything. Main reason is because I dont know jack doo-doo about cars. My expertise is limited to oil changes and that is about it:claus.
First and foremost, I did search about my issue, I know there have been lots of posts about it, I think I read them all. But not being a car guy, I wanted to post to see what you all think.
Okay so the other day I leave work to head home, everything is going fine. As usual, traffic coming off base was bad and I am sitting as usual at traffic light, when I notice that my A/C stops blowing cold air. I glance down and notice that the temp on the stock dummy gauge is reading a little high. Finally light changes we begin to move again. All the way I am driving I am watching the temp gauge and its slowly rising. I figure better safe than sorry so I pulled over and let it sit awhile.
Checked under the car, nothing leaking out. After about 20 minutes of sitting I decide to see if I can make it home which is only about 3 miles from the base.
As soon as I start driving car starts overheating again and of course traffic backed up as soon as I make it off base to the highway....so I pull over and wait about 30 minutes.
I am now maybe 2 miles from my house and traffic begins moving again so I started the car up and attempt to make it home. I pull into my drive way and the temp gauge is reading towards the top but still a good way from the red.
I turn the car off and could smell what I thought was burning coolant.
I then begin searching the forums reading every post I can find on overheating which was basically all of last night and first part of today.
I head to the local stealership to pick up some Motorcraft Gold Coolant and swing by the store to pick up some distilled water (driving wife's truck - not the Mach).
Car has been sitting since I parked it yesterdayso its completely cool. So I take off the overflow/resevior cap and remove the shaker to get at the crossover plug. Of course that crossover plug doesnt want to play (read that they are a b!tch to remove from the many searches) so I take the vice-grips to it (I was very, very gentle) and it comes right off.
I take a peak down the tube and see nothing, so I begin to fill via the crossover tube my 50/50 Motorcraft Gold/distilled water mix. I add 2 gallons which brings it up to the top of the tube. I then replace the crossover plug (only tightening it hand tight) and the resevior cap.
I start the car and begin to watch to see if the dummy gauge moves. It slowly begins to climb and everything appears okay. I then turned the heater on full blast. Hot air blows out, temp on the gauge hits just below half way and doesnt budge even after 15 minutes with heater running full blast.
Since it appears that the overheating issue was resolved, I then begin to check the rest of the coolant system to see if there is anything else I can see that sticks out. Sure enough I see what appears to be water (I am assuming coolant) dripping onto the drive way into a puddle with the diameter about the same size as a baseball. I've got to imagine this is what cause the overheating issue, coolant slowly leaked out, possible causing air to get into the system...
I then shut the car off and check back periodically, and it appears that the leak slows down then completely stops once engine is cool.
Again I am not a car guy, but from what I saw, it looked like the dripping was coming from behind the pullies/belt. No visible liquid on any of the pullies or belt itself nor any of the radiator tube, just coming from behind the drive belt/pullies.
If looking from above the puddle accumulated on the ground almost directly below the alternator, most of the dripping was coming off a bar that runs across down there.
Sorry for such a long post, anyone have any ideas what it could be. From the many searches and posts read, I've seen that some people have had some problems with o-rings going bad. COuld this be the issue. I am definitely going to take it to a mechanic or the stealership for the repair and to get the system flushed/burped, just want to have something that may be able to point them in the right direction for the leak.
Also other notes...This is my daily driver, but the commute is roughly 10 miles one way (maybe 15 minutes of driving enough for car to reach normal operating temp). Car has roughly 43,xxx miles on it. I am the second owner, only mods I know of (from previous owner) are its lowered (struts/springs), shifter (not sure what kind), flowmaster exhaust, an Eaton posi-differential, and upgraded gears (not sure what ratio though). This is the first time the overheating issue has occured.
Thanks in advance for any replies.