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  • Is the coolant at the proper levels?

    Is the coolant 'fresh' - still has most of the original color (green, yellow)

    Note: One symptom of a leaking head gasket is "milky" looking coolant ?

  • Next, let the engine warm up, feel the top radiator house, if it's not hot/really warm...

    * Thermostat may have stuck closed

    * Cooling system blockage - flush it

    * Water pump -

    * Metal water pump impellers are prone to rusting away if the coolant hasn't been changed often enough.

    * Plastic/nylon impellers tend to wear away, or even break (ala original Ford Contours)

  • If that's ok, let the engine run and make sure the cooling fan comes on, if it doesn't, check: fan fuse; the temperature sender; or the fan may have failed.

    Turn on the a/c and the fan should come on immediately (you could possibly have a bad pressure switch in the a/c system that would keep the fan from coming on, but that's unlikely)

  • Next turn off the engine and feel the lower radiator hose, it should be very warm, if not you possible have a flow issue, either the water pump or a clogged radiator core.

    The best way to check for lack of flow is to remove the radiator hoses and run water through it, comparing inlet volume/time to outlet volume/time.

  • If these are all good, could be a head gasket. The 1995-1997+ 3.8L Windstars are prone to head gasket leaks.

    A test is to get a smog test station to check for HC's (hydro-carbons) in the cooling system by removing some coolant and sticking the "sniffer" in the radiator neck while in manual gas reading mode. there should be no hc's present. any reading warrants removing the heads for further diagnosis.

Other ideas?

Possibly your heater flaps are stuck in "hot".

First determine if the engine is really running hot if it is check to see if you are low on water, or could be the thermostat is not opening.The thermostat allows water to enter the engine block after it reaches a certain temp.

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Q: How do you diagnose over-heating problems on a Ford Windstar?
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