O/T overheating question

Hoping someone has experienced something similiar and can give me some ideas. 2002 Excort 2.0l split port engine. Other night came home from a short trip (like 1 mile) and had no noticeble problems. Turned the car off and it wouldnt start. The battery showed charged but would not start the engine. If you hooked it up to jump from another car it started right up. Bought new battery and car started fine. Drove about 15 miles and the car started knocking. Pulled off the freeway and the temp gauge was about 2/3 to H. When I slowed up at the light it died. After a few min I got it started and over into a parking lot. I stayed there for 2.5hrs and the temp did not go down. Drove it home the next day but temp rose to 2/3 to hot in less than 2-3 miles. There is no coolant leaking anywhere but the resevior overflow. Belts dont seem loose or slipping. Electic fan is running. Coolant is still bright green. Not low on oil. It didnt explode or leak excessively when I stopped at home. Can the water pump quit without leaking or wobbling? Could a thermostat cause the car to get that hot that fast?

 

YES...if it stuck closed.

 

The problem is circled on the grill. Is it really overheating? or is the gauge wrong?

 

I hear ya.

When the heat gauge goes up, it started running a little rough at highway speed but when you slow down it gets rougher and then at a stop it tries to die. After I turned it off the heat coming off the engine in waves seemed alteast twice as hot as normal.

 

The gauge is bouncing because it only works correctly if immersed in liquid coolant. Now ... Is is a steam pocket because of a head gasget or crack..
Or just an air pocket. The stuck engine symptom could point to a head gasket.

 

I've seen 3 zetec engines crack heads, on girls cars that were never driven hard. saw another one snap the crank snout off, at idle. my friend was a tech at a ford dealer in 02-03, saw lots of weird failures in escorts. gut the stat and see what happens.

 

I changed the thermostat. Ran it around the block and the temp jumped to half way and seemed to stablize there. Turned it off and started it in the driveway and it started better. However, when you turn it off, the resevoir makes a gurgling noise for about 15 sec. The water level stops at the hot fill line, but I dont recall having the gurgle before. I didnt want to drive it further tonight and risk another breakdown.

Any ideas on the gurgle?