'15 Overheated on Canyon Run

[SrsBsns]

I have a '15 with about 45K.

I took it up to Palomar mountain to do a fun run on Sunday morning.

Car has: Intake filter, cat-back exhaust, AP3 (running Cobb Stage 2 OTS)


The FiST was great getting to the mountain and going up. Charge temps were never more than 15' over ambient as I wasn't really pushing hard. The turns are so tight that you don't really need to push hard to have fun.

I'm making my way up and around a bend I see a cop in the middle of the road. He points for me to pull over and tells me that he heard me driving hard and that he's going to give me a fix it ticket for my front plate. As we're talking, steam comes up from under the hood and I kill the motor.

We pop the hood and the steam is coming from behind the block but I couldn't really see exactly where it was coming from. The coolant levels looked fine. Maybe a little low. The entire time, my water temps were dead center with 2 bars.

Cop writes me my front plate fix it ticket and I hang out for a while letting the car cool off.

I change the gauges on the AP to give me oil and coolant temps and I turn around to head back home. Oil was around 180 but coolant was around 210, even when just coasting down the hill.

The whole time I'm really just babying it. No boost, under 3K rpms, clutched in and just letting the car basically roll down. At the bottom of the mountain, I hear a chime and the car stumbles a little bit. Check engine light is on, water temp light is on and my water temp gauge has gone from 2 bars in the middle to all the way pegged right.

I immediately pull over. No steam. I walked over to a gas station and picked up a little water to add to the reservoir.

I let the car cool and, although I've been using the Cobb Stage 2 OTS for a little while now, switched back to the Stage 0 thinking that if I can drive the car home, it would be better to do it on a less aggressive map. This cleared the CEL.

After some waiting, I start the car. It starts fine and idles fine. CEL is off. I start driving down the road and everything feels fine when about a mile down the road, the CEL comes back and the car stumbles just a little like before. I immediately pull over and shut it down.

I called for a tow and got her back home.

Did the car go into limp mode when it stumbled when the CEL came on?

Why did the water temp gauge go from 2 bars to ALL the bars without a gradual increase?

What do I need to check for to ensure that no damage has been done?

I need to know where to start. I'm going to do an oil change and coolant flush this weekend and want to replace the thermostat while I've drained the coolant.

I'm coming from the e36 M3 world and those motors do NOT like heat. Overheating can easily result in significant damage and I'm hoping that the FiST is not the same.

Thanks for any help with this.

 

[TyphoonFiST]

Pressure test the system.....Inspect for leaks....does still qualify for Fords 5 year 60k powertrain warranty also I do believe! Good luck...keep us informed!

 

[cplensdorf]

Unfortunately that is right in line with my series of events on both my 14 and 16 FiST. Both would jump from good to bad just like you stated. Limp mode and no percieved coolant loss. My coolant temps in the AP were around 245. Ambient air temp always 88+. It would always follow a spike in intake air of about +40 degrees. Mine didn't end well in either case on 4 different motors. Two replacement motors for each car. Have a leak down coolant test done. I'm betting you have a small leak into cyl 3 or 4. It would happen almost always after a little aggressive driving then stop for 10 or so minutes then drivr normal...ding ding...limp mode...

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[theblue]

as other said, pressure test first. you can rent a kit for free from advanced auto. If you're lucky you'll find a leak. If you're unlucky it's the head gasket probably. Thermostats is possibly but unlikely. do we have fail open or fail close style on these cars?

 

[cplensdorf]

There is a new procedure that Ford uses to test. A simple pressure test will not reveal the true problem. It needs to be pressurized then sit for a certain time frame then the cylinders visually inspected....

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[theblue]

that's going to be good for a leak you can't find, but a simple test to start might help uncover something.

 

[TyphoonFiST]

compression check #3cyl.....

 

[SrsBsns]

Another question...

After flashing back to the Stage 0, it cleared the CEL's.

Would I have any trouble with getting the warranty honored due to the AP?

 

[theblue]

if you get to the point that you are going to the dealer, I would put the car back to stock and not say anything. having or mentioning mods will never make your situation better.

 

[CarGuy]

if you get to the point that you are going to the dealer, I would put the car back to stock and not say anything. having or mentioning mods will never make your situation better.

What he said. Good luck!

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[Kawaii AF]

dont throw in a thermostat. you dont know what the problem is, as youll just waste time/money on a part you might not need. spend a little money and take it to a shop to get a good diagnosis. best of luck mate ): sorry to hear that