 Weird Problem
Hope someone can help me with a weird problem I am having with a 2001 Ford Explorer with the 4.0 SOHC engine.
Seems like when them temperatures outside get hot, say in the summertime my explorer will start getting warmer than normal and then the engine will idle up, and then the trans will start to shift weird because of this high idling. The engine then continues to run at above normal temps. The thing is in the fall, winter, or spring, it will not do this, and everything is normal. It is sometimes even hard to stop when trans do not want to downshift when the rpms are not normal. The clutch fan seems to be fine, the cooland seems to be fine, but can't seem to figure this one out. It will not do this on the highway or when constantly driving, only when stop and go, and when temps. are high outside. Is the computer supposed to idle up so much to try and circulate the cooling. Everything just seems to be working normal, but must not be. With summer coming I hope to figure this problem out. I wash thinking Idle control valve, but this would not explain the temperatures running high. Thanks for anyone shedding some light on this situation.
I guess a good radiator flush would help also, but just think if clutch fan, or radiator was clogged it would do this year round, not only in summer. Thanks again. | 
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