ok here it goes, my car overheats within minutes of being on. the radiator was stock, so i replaced it with a brass 3-core rad. the problem still wasnt gone so i replaced the thermo with a 180* mr. G. The previous owner told me the heater didnt work, so i bypassed the heater core like i heard some of the guys on here do when they dont want to replace it. the car still overheats, i tried burping the system but im not sure how long im supposed to let it run? do i take the cap off or just untighten it? i had it off and tried burping it out, but it still runs hot? whats left? fan/clutch? or waterpump? i've smelled the exhaust and it doesnt smell like coolant, and it doesnt smoke like its a blown head gasket. what could it be? please help me out in any way. thanks.
Cooling Problems.
- Thread starter p.exeter_bleu
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Icepick
Founding Member
i'd make sure the thermostat is opening the pump is working by:
1. starting it up with radiator cap off when car is cold.
2. let it warm up to where the thermo should open @ 180, you should see movement in the coolant as it pulls it in and pushes out, if you don't see that then check that the thermo is in the right direction, and try burping some more.
1. starting it up with radiator cap off when car is cold.
2. let it warm up to where the thermo should open @ 180, you should see movement in the coolant as it pulls it in and pushes out, if you don't see that then check that the thermo is in the right direction, and try burping some more.
88GTtom
Member
thats strange that it overheats within minutes, i had my car started today with no fan and it still took a good 5-10 minutes to get warmed up. Are you looking at the stock gauge? are their any other symptions other then the gauge reading
Make sure the spring on the thermostat is facing the lower intake...
That is strange how it overheats so quickly...
Here is how I burped it...I just started the car with the cap off...(already filled the system with 50/50 water/coolant)...and just pumped the upper radiator hose for about 3-4 minutes and it did it for me...and I would squeeze the bottom one also...then I would turn off the car and install the cap and I'm done...
Now did the overheating problem come over time or all of a sudden one morning (night)?
The guage could be off also...but its good your being careful...how long have you had the car...has it did it since you bought it?
That is strange how it overheats so quickly...
Here is how I burped it...I just started the car with the cap off...(already filled the system with 50/50 water/coolant)...and just pumped the upper radiator hose for about 3-4 minutes and it did it for me...and I would squeeze the bottom one also...then I would turn off the car and install the cap and I'm done...
Now did the overheating problem come over time or all of a sudden one morning (night)?
The guage could be off also...but its good your being careful...how long have you had the car...has it did it since you bought it?
sorry by minutes, i meant like around 10 mins. but yea, i know i put the thermo in the right way because i've read these boards countless times where they say to make sure and the mr. g thermo has the arrow of which way it goes in. as for seeing coolant do you mean in my coolant bottle? what brand of coolant do you guys recomend and what mixture is good for my region? my city hardly ever has snow in the winter and right now its still in the 90s. thanks for the help, i really want to get this problem fixed, and oh yea it is on the stock gauge, but i fixed the sending unit so it should be somewhat accurate.
when i bought the car(little over a year ago) the car was already overheating, but i thought it was just the upper rad hose, because it was bubbled and had a hole in it. so i replaced that, and it seemed to fix the problem, the temp gauge didnt work back then so i didnt know for sure, i only drove it for 10 mins at a time if that so it never overheated again(maybe it didnt have the time?) but recently i started working on it and when i drove it from my sisters house(where i was keeping the car) to my house a good 20 mile drive the car overheated badly and shut down. i let it cool, put some water(didnt have any coolant for a long ways away) in it and got it home for the last mile, it ran normal when i drove it home, so im not sure where the coolant went in those 20 miles? thats why i suspected a bad headgasket, but then i read posts on here where you guys would say you can smell the coolant when your running the car or it smokes out of the exhaust, and i had neither problem. ok now i hope that helps that i've told you my horrible problems with keeping it cool for the past year. 
good stuff so far. does it overheat at speed or only in traffic/idling? if your fan clutch is original, it could be on its last legs. there are a couple subjective tests one can perform on it.
i second the gauge question. the stocker sucks (mine does anyhow). get a real gauge, even if only a 10 buck parts store gauge.
for bleeding: i jack up the driver front end a bit. then i take the cap off and run the car for a bit (generally 20-30 mins) - probably overkill, but i should be able to idle for that long (possible in traffic), so i want to test it. plus it really gives the air a chance to be purged.
that stat is a great piece - i would doubt you have any issues with it (it is not in backwards, right? i had to ask
).
what mix of water/coolant are you running? El Paso heat cant be easy for the car to cope with (remember that the less the delta across the coil, the less opportunity to cool there is).
good luck.
i second the gauge question. the stocker sucks (mine does anyhow). get a real gauge, even if only a 10 buck parts store gauge.
for bleeding: i jack up the driver front end a bit. then i take the cap off and run the car for a bit (generally 20-30 mins) - probably overkill, but i should be able to idle for that long (possible in traffic), so i want to test it. plus it really gives the air a chance to be purged.
that stat is a great piece - i would doubt you have any issues with it (it is not in backwards, right? i had to ask
).what mix of water/coolant are you running? El Paso heat cant be easy for the car to cope with (remember that the less the delta across the coil, the less opportunity to cool there is).
good luck.
p.exeter_bleu said:
Well I live in Arkansas (were in the 90's also)...and I use a 50/50 mixture...Prestone antifreeze (doesn't really matter what brand) and distilled water (you can get it at your local grocery store)...it has more rust resistance particles than your regular tap water would...
On my thermostat it pointed towards radiator...don't know how the Mr. Gasket is...
Do you have the stock fan or electric fan?
Does it overheat at idle or highway speeds?
Make sure you have a clean area for air to penetrate the radiator...
Edit: You want to look at the coolant "under" the radiator cap...not the overflow tank which is bolted on the outside of your radiator...
you guys all posted before i sent my first post -so disregard my answered stuff.
in tucson (similar to El Paso), i run 50/50, but will bleed down to as much as 30/70 (coolant to water). water is a much better transfer agent than coolant (coolant is needed for boilover, freezing, lubrication and anti corrosion protection).
just a thought - make sure your rad cap is up to snuff. they are cheap and if you are lacking pressure, you will boil much sooner than otherwise. (if you already replaced it, again, my bad. i gotta run and did not read all the posts closely).
good luck.
in tucson (similar to El Paso), i run 50/50, but will bleed down to as much as 30/70 (coolant to water). water is a much better transfer agent than coolant (coolant is needed for boilover, freezing, lubrication and anti corrosion protection).
just a thought - make sure your rad cap is up to snuff. they are cheap and if you are lacking pressure, you will boil much sooner than otherwise. (if you already replaced it, again, my bad. i gotta run and did not read all the posts closely).
good luck.
Icepick
Founding Member
with engine cold, take off radiator cap and watch for movement of the fluid at about 180, that will let you know if you're exchanging coolant or not, and i do the "Squeeze the upper hose" also to "prime" it.
p.exeter_bleu said:
Yeah the N O R M A L guage has a very broad range...lol...
Just check and see if you installed the t-stat correctly, burp the system, and check that fan clutch...it might not be performing to it's full potential...
But the problem could be as simple as you living in Texas instead of Michigan...
p.exeter_bleu said:
so far you have gotten some good advice. if you run nice and cool at speed (if you are in 100* temps with a 180 stat, i would expect to run 190-195 w/o a/c on. with it on, all bets are off). if this is the case, your rad sounds alright. if not, AZ and Pep sell 3 core rads for 150-200 bucks.
so if you only run hot at idle, i would bet your fan clutch has seen better days. the fan should be relatively easy to turn with the car cold (ONLY DO THESE TESTS WITH THE CAR OFF!!). with a warm motor, the fan should have more resistance. if your clutch is worn at all, i would suspect it. you need a perfect Heavy duty clutch to break even in your temps (i see the same temps in Tucson).
or if you see fluid running out of the clutch, the silicone is leaking out - also indicates replacing it. if you have a 3G alt, this might be the time to swap to an elec fan (good fan clutches are expensive). i would not go with less than a Mark 8 fan in your temps (SN fans seem to be marginal down here).
and first thing would be to replace the rad cap - it is so cheap and easy to do. i doubt it fixes your problem, but you never know. it should be done anyhow.
when checking the clutch, check your fan. the plastic fans are known to crack. while not a huge cooling performance issue, it is a huge safety issue - you dont want blades to let go at 4K rpm. you can get metal replacements for 30 bucks - i got one and it is great.
or you can cruise over to tucson and i ll wrench with ya.
good luck.
Icepick
Founding Member
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