This issue has been resolved but i wanted to post it for the benefit of other members because it threw me for a loop. 2014 Explorer sport started to overheat in traffic, roughly 75k miles. Mods where a intake, tune and thermostat. Got the car home, fans where working, coolant was a little down from expansion tank. Let it cool off overnight, next day let it idle, fans kicked on, no codes, upper radiator hose got to a similar temp as lower hose, coolant dropped from normal level in the expansion tank so i thought it wasnt a thermostat, oil checked out as well.
I had to leave the following day for vacation so i dropped it off at the dealer, they called later, said it was fans. Picked it up a week later with new fans but that didnt fix it and it was still overheating, so i took it back. They called again and said it was the thermostat and that it was bent and barely opening. Hopefully this helps someone else troubleshoot there overheating issues.
interesting that the coolant level dropped. since it is supposed to be pretty much a closed system, wonder where it went.
How does a thermostat get bent? If it was bent from the time it was installed, the car would have overheated from the get-go.
I smell a rat...or maybe just a mouse....with that diagnosis.
my thoughts exactly. oil looked fine so idk.
Weak housing structure per say. Time and heat cycles. The spring (material my company makes) flexes and warps the structure enough to cause it to bind up and not move. Thats the only thing I can think of.
I have seen bins of these come back in for remelting. So if they failed at the Mfgr. What caused them to?
The worst is seeing the guns come in from NYC Police. 4 to 5 Rolloffs Filled a couple times a year. Sad.
Did you get the old thermostat from the dealer?
Post pics please.
Is the overheating fixed?