2005 Five Hundred Overheating
 

Hello and thank you in advance for any help and advice. I have a 2005 Ford Five Hundred that has been overheating on me for quite some time now. we have replaced the thermostat twice, and have also replaced the radiator. The car is still overheating. There isn't too much information available about this car but I have read that there are tabs on the inside of the water pump or at the end of the camshaft that can wear off, causing the water pump to malfunction.

A little bit more about the symptoms. The car never overheats at idle. It will warm up to operating temperature normally which is usually right in the middle of the gauge. If we accelerate very gradually we can usually drive at about 50 mph comfortably without seeing any sign of overheating however on an incline or if the car is weighed down it will start to overheat very quickly. The coolant reservoir will start to bubble and you can clearly tell that the water/coolant is not circulating because the hoses under the thermostat housing are cool to the touch. Another problem is that the heat does not work inside the car. I'm not sure if this problem is also associated. We have been very cautious about letting the car get hot and I don't believe that any permanent damage has been done to the engine. I do not see any leaks anywhere and the water pump has not made any squealing noises that would normally be associated with a water pump failure.

I'm starting to suspect that these tabs have been worn down because I can't seem to find any other reason for overheating during my research on this issue. I'm hoping that if it is this problem, that it is the water pump and not the camshaft. Is there an easier way to tell besides taking off the water pump and looking at the end of the camshaft?
I have limited knowledge so please speak in layman's terms and again, thank you so much to anyone who is willing to offer advice.

Welcome to the site..

On the T stat replacement/s,, the system was bled of air? Filled through the fill tab?
Given the amount of driving done air should have normally purged, but pump cavitation comes into play if trapped air.

Since you have no heat at the vents ( heater inlet cool?) the lower hoses are cool, I’d be suspect of the pump..More so since the T stat has been replaced a couple times. If the T stat was removed, the coolant should circulate right away generally felt on the inlet/outlet hoses (although a cooler offset) but would take the T stat off the list. Also, a coolant flow can be checked in between the heater lines

Hello. I am having the exact same issue with my 2007 Ford 500. It has been with my mechanic for 2 weeks and he is going nuts. He cant find the cause. We have changed the T-Stat 3 times. Had a new radiator put in. Changed the radiator cap. Checked the engine block. Purged the system of Air.
The car is still there and he is taking it to someone else to see if there is an air bubble trapped somewhere in the system.
Please - Does anyone have any other ideas.?
Thank you.

overheating
 

did the same thing and its still overheating...
new t stat new water pump new radiator did my best to bleed system. upper hose. hot lower hose cold no heat from heater.

It definitely sounds like there is air trapped in the system(heater core). With different connections we were able to remove the top heater hose just enough to allow the air to escape,while the engine was idling and the trapped air went out. It is somewhat more difficult to do this with the present heater hose connections. Last but not least , if a connector with two hose clamps was inserted into the upper hose close to the heater ,you might be able to bleed the air out that way. YOU DO NOT DO THIS WHEN THE ENGINE IS HOT BECAUSE YOU COULD GET BURNED BY THE HOT COOLANT.

water pump sheered of lugs
 

water pump was leaking replaced about 6+ months ago
started overheating replaced t stat and radiator still overheating ... found water pump sheered alignment lugs on camshaft. going to replace hoping for a better outcome. Just wanted to let you know what happened with me

How did this work out? I'm having the same problem with my 07.

overheating and dash lights
 

so now i know for next time, hopefully wont be one. replaced water pump and all is well, and just so you know took it to ford they did thermostat, didnt help, then said it was radiator, i followed along with their diagnosis and replaced radiator didnt help!
replaced water pump, good as new!
no dash lights no overheating

Glad you got it squared away..Thanks for the update..