ford escape radiator fans

Asked by John May 19, 2023 at 02:16 PM about the 2011 Ford Escape XLT FWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

i live in arizona so i have a 2011 ford escape 4cl 2.5l. i just bought it a couple of
weeks ago  so dont know the history of the car but whoever had it did no
maintanace on it ... dirtiest air filter i have ever seen ! probably had never been
changed in 12 years lol. Upon start up i get this gurgle and rattle sound and
then goes away a few minutes and then starts again . usually lasts about 30
seconds. i changed the thermastat and it seems like its gone away but i notice
my fans have yet to come on . when do they kick in? i would assume when
thermastat opens or little after it heats up but never seems to come on yet. will
the car eventually over heat if the car runs long enough? big worry for me. also
my ac doesnt run at all could that be why the rad fans aren't working? thanks
..jonyquest  

4 Answers

307,255

So I take it you didn’t have it checked over by a shop before purchase. You may have bought a real budget buster. So any way gurgles is usually caused by low coolant level, replacing the thermostat should have taken care of that problem if you got all the air out of the cooling system. The cooling fans turn on at a predetermined temperature setting, anywhere from 212 to 230 degrees, a good scan tool can show the exact setting. The AC will turn on one or both fans depending on the programming but the AC system must be operational for it to function properly. I really hope you didn’t pay too much for this vehicle cause I think your going to be spending some money on it to get it into the trustworthy stage.

202,395

I love this story..... This shows why you should never buy a used car without having a mechanic review it prior to purchase. Now you're stuck fixing all those things that the seller never paid for. Scumbag car sellers just love idiots with money..... I wouldn't be surprised if repairs cost as much as you paid for the car.

3 people found this helpful.
155,245

If you're hearing the gurgling inside the vehicle, from the dashboard area, you have air trapped in the cooling system. Some vehicles have bleeder screw(s) that must be opened when you refill the cooling system after the system has been worked on. You can also try, with the engine cold, parking on an incline with the front of the vehicle pointed upwards. Remove the radiator cap and start the engine. Fill the radiator and keep topping it off until the engine is fully warmed up and the coolant level stops dropping down. Then put the radiator cap back on and top off the plastic coolant recovery tank. As for the cooling fans, they should come on when the engine reaches a certain temperature. Usually around 220°F. Some vehicles are designed so the fans will only come on immediately when you select recirculate and air conditioning. So if the engine is not overheating, don't worry about it. The air conditioning system probably needs to be repaired and recharged. The air conditioning compressor will not come on if the system is low on refrigerant. Hope that helps! Jim

Your Answer:

Escape

Looking for a Used Escape in your area?

CarGurus has 44,577 nationwide Escape listings starting at $400.

ZIP:

Own this car?

Share your experience with others.

2011 Ford Escape

Review another car

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Bratts
    Reputation
    4,460
  • #2
    Gene Arnett
    Reputation
    3,990
  • #3
    KenF
    Reputation
    3,600
View All

Know more, shop wisely

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Ford Edge
1,452 Great Deals out of 40,579 listings starting at $700
Used Ford Explorer
2,157 Great Deals out of 62,559 listings starting at $1,000
Used Toyota RAV4
1,864 Great Deals out of 27,942 listings starting at $1,350
Used Honda CR-V
1,994 Great Deals out of 41,068 listings starting at $1,100
Used Chevrolet Equinox
2,583 Great Deals out of 49,099 listings starting at $525
Used Ford F-150
6,025 Great Deals out of 129,797 listings starting at $900
Used Nissan Rogue
1,928 Great Deals out of 52,645 listings starting at $975
Used Ford Escape Hybrid
142 Great Deals out of 3,544 listings starting at $2,500
Used Ford Focus
402 Great Deals out of 5,195 listings starting at $750
Used Ford Fusion
728 Great Deals out of 9,014 listings starting at $1,350
Used Toyota Camry
1,993 Great Deals out of 34,577 listings starting at $500
Used Subaru Forester
1,079 Great Deals out of 26,219 listings starting at $2,000
Used Hyundai Tucson
1,035 Great Deals out of 27,575 listings starting at $1,100
Used Jeep Grand Cherokee
2,548 Great Deals out of 49,034 listings starting at $750

Used Cars for Sale

2023 Ford Escape For Sale
205 Great Deals out of 4,518 listings starting at $18,425
2022 Ford Escape For Sale
331 Great Deals out of 3,398 listings starting at $13,988
2021 Ford Escape For Sale
215 Great Deals out of 2,123 listings starting at $12,995
2020 Ford Escape For Sale
331 Great Deals out of 3,716 listings starting at $9,499
2019 Ford Escape For Sale
214 Great Deals out of 2,193 listings starting at $6,000

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.