If your 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis is overheating, then a variety of problems could be contributing to the excessive heat buildup in your engine. Knowing a few simple tricks can help to prevent more overheating or replace some of the key components related to engine temperature regulation. If your engine overheats into the upper temperature extremes, it could lead to permanent engine failure as metal parts weld together. Remember that if you are driving and notice your engine beginning to heat up, pull over to the side of the road and turn the vehicle off before it continues to overheat.
Open your Mercury Grand Marquis car hood and inspect the coolant level. Check the coolant reservoir if the engine is hot, looking to see whether or not the coolant is between the max and min lines. If there is a shortage of coolant in the reservoir, then the entire coolant system is short on coolant mixture. Use a funnel to add more 50/50 antifreeze-water mixture to the reservoir. If you do not have any coolant mixture handy, simply adding distilled water can be used to help bring the mixture up to an appropriate level.
Turn the Grand Marquis on and keep the hood open to check for coolant leaks. Look at the hoses for any indications of coolant bubbling or gushing out. If you suspect that coolant is leaking, apply a little water to the hose or tube to look for air bubbles. Check underneath the vehicle for leaks. If there is a leak directly beneath where the lower radiator hose meets the engine, then you will need to replace the water pump. If any of the hoses are leaking, turn your vehicle off and replace them with new hoses. It is recommended to replace all of the hoses at once so that you do not solve one leaky hose, which is relatively the same age as another hose that may soon begin to leak.a
Check the air intake, which is made of plastic components and joints leading up to the air filter box. If any of the components are not properly connected or have been jostled loose while driving, then your Mercury will also experience higher revolutions per minute (RPM) at an idle in addition to heating up more quickly. This is because the air is not reaching the filter and manifold for combustion or helping to cool the engine. Use tape and zip ties to reconnect the plastic intake components if they are disconnected.
Replace the thermostat on the 1997 Grand Marquis. The thermostat is located directly between the top radiator hose and the engine. Unclip the radiator hose and unscrew the thermostat mounting bolts from the manifold. Reinstall a new thermostat, making sure that the spring is pointed towards the engine manifold. Tighten the thermostat mounting bolts and reconnect the radiator hose.
