The overheated thread

SLoe · 07-04-2006, 01:37 AM

I get tired of seeing this question, "my car is overheating what can it be?". So here are a few suggestions on how to maintain your cooling system.

Things to check:

1. The radiator cap, this has been the cause of more overheating cars than you would believe. It determines the amount of pressure in the system. Water under pressure has a higher boiling point, so if your cooling system won't hold pressure then you will have problems. It is cheap, and easy to replace. Another symptom of a faulty cap is an extreme amount of fluid shooting into the overflow tank when you hit the gas.

2. The thermostat regulates the temperature of the fluid by opening and closing with a spring. They are normally closed so that your engine can reach operating temperature sooner. Sometimes the thermostat will get stuck closed and won't allow the fluid to circulate causing overheating. It also is cheap, and easy to replace. The reverse happens if it gets stuck open, and you will be overcooling the engine then. You will get poor mileage, condensation in the oil, deposits, and more wear on the engine.

3. Air pockets in the system. Can sometimes be heard as strange noises coming from the dash (right ned?) (i.e. running water, a gurgle, or bubbling). Easily gotten rid of, some vehicles have an air bleed, but for the ones that don't: first, turn the heater selector on full hot, fill the radiator with as much fluid as possible, then over-fill the over flow tank. Put the cap back on, start the car, and as the engine heats up you should see bubbles coming out in the overflow tank as the trapped air is heated and expands. Run the engine for about a half an hour, turn the engine off and go find something else to do for a while. As the engine cools down it will suck the fluid from the over flow to replace the air that was forced out. Watch the temp as your car is running, and if you overheat while doing this just shut the car off and wait for it to cool down. Fill the over flow tank back up and watch your temps the next time you drive. This should get rid of nearly all the air bubbles, and the rest will go away during normal driving.

4. Flush, clean, and pressure test radiator and hoses (make sure the clamps are on properly and the hoses are not bent shut, and don't have holes). Also watch while the car is running to make sure the hose isn't collapsing in on it's self. Squeeze the hoses and if they are cracked, crunchy, dry, and brittle replace them.

5. Listen for knock; detonation causes overheating (cheap gas, improper timing, etc.). Overheating causes detonation too. It's a viscious cycle.

6. Faulty or leaking water pump or heater core. Check the belt also for dry rot, excessive wear, and slippage.

7. Down here in the south, in the summer when it's like a hundred and fidy degrees and you are stuck in traffic your electric fans better come on. Make sure they do come on and at the proper temperature. Under NORMAL driving conditions, a faulty fan (or one with broken/cracked blades) should not cause you to overheat.

8. Finally, Thor's favorite....blown HG. Look for drop in coolant level even though no leaks are present, white smoke, water in oil/oil in radiator fluid, and/or excessive pressure in the radiator hose. If it is blown, don't just sling another one on with out having the head and deck surfaces checked for flatness. Head gaskets blow for a reason.

This is my take on the situation after owning sooo many POS's that have overheated. If you have anything useful to contribute, feel free! If you see something you feel is in error, point it out (like I needed to tell this bunch

) Anyway this problem comes up too often here, and we need some sort of a sticky ( not that newbs will look at it). So here is my offering.

NateS · 07-04-2006, 02:19 AM

Hey thanks. I have posted 1 or 2 threads on overheating. I have been having all kinds of problems with overheating for about a week now. First it was the thermostat and now I think it may be a combination of a pinched pipe and a bad radiator cap. Sorry if I pissed anyone off with my overheating questions and such. Thanks for the info though.

SLoe · 07-04-2006, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just a GSX fan

Hey thanks. I have posted 1 or 2 threads on overheating. I have been having all kinds of problems with overheating for about a week now. First it was the thermostat and now I think it may be a combination of a pinched pipe and a bad radiator cap. Sorry if I pissed anyone off with my overheating questions and such. Thanks for the info though.

Nah, I been meaning to write this up for a while now.

I just hope it helps someone.

kjewer1 · 07-04-2006, 02:30 AM

Excellent post Loeman.

I don't have much to add, except that you usually end up with oil in the coolant, rather than the opposite. Mostly because oil pressure is consistently higher than cooling system pressure, so that's the direction the fluids go. It's pretty easy to spot. Oil will rise to the top, then end up in the overflow tank, also floating at the top. Since the siphon tube in the overflow tank is at the bottom, when the system pulls fluid back in, it pulls in coolant. This cycle repeats until all the oil is in the overflow tank, or the tank is all oil. This has happened to me on many occassions, and it's fairly common. And fortunately, it's easy to spot. This is almost always a bad HG, but for cars still running the 91-99 oil mixer, that's a likely culprit as well. I eventually got rid of the one on my 2g after replacing the HG twice, when there was nothing wrong with it

Good thread. I like these.

SLoe · 07-04-2006, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kjewer1

Excellent post Loeman.

I don't have much to add, except that you usually end up with oil in the coolant, rather than the opposite. Mostly because oil pressure is consistently higher than cooling system pressure, so that's the direction the fluids go. It's pretty easy to spot. Oil will rise to the top, then end up in the overflow tank, also floating at the top. Since the siphon tube in the overflow tank is at the bottom, when the system pulls fluid back in, it pulls in coolant. This cycle repeats until all the oil is in the overflow tank, or the tank is all oil. This has happened to me on many occassions, and it's fairly common. And fortunately, it's easy to spot. This is almost always a bad HG, but for cars still running the 91-99 oil mixer, that's a likely culprit as well. I eventually got rid of the one on my 2g after replacing the HG twice, when there was nothing wrong with it

Good thread. I like these.

Thank you, I hope someone uses it. It was just a general write up. Not meant to be DSM specific at all. You know me, a overheating POS is an overheating POS, no matter what brand.

It seems like I see the chocolate milk oil situation more often than that the oil in the fluid one. Either way, it's a bad scene. Beware!

Thor06 · 07-04-2006, 11:00 AM

Ha ha, good thread loeman. Sticky? We should do one on why a car wont start, god knows I have dealt with a non starting car enough times to have some of it figured out.

MexRocket · 07-04-2006, 01:35 PM

yah sticky it

SLoe · 07-12-2006, 09:18 PM

TTT :0

For cain98eclipse! To remove the sounds of a faucet in your dash.

ned032002 · 07-13-2006, 12:00 AM

Ya know what Loeman I don't need this shit lol.

SLoe · 07-17-2006, 06:55 PM

TTT

The cure for a water faucet in the dash ned, call the radio station!!!!!!!! FTW!!11!!!

I just playin ned

SLoe · 09-17-2006, 12:04 AM

TTT once again for sticky????

SLoe · 10-17-2006, 11:27 PM

bump

Blackcrow64 · 10-17-2006, 11:30 PM

Bump this...

Stickay! lol

visegripmech · 12-02-2006, 03:00 PM

After Ruling out all of the above, and nearly always before/during/after any major engine work, pull that perfectly good looking radiator out and have a local radiator shop do a pressure test and rod out. After overheating several times, mine was about 75% blocked. Cost about $60, Cheap peace of mind and much easier than replacing head gasket twice, or worse.

TeamRedLine23 · 12-02-2006, 06:18 PM

3. Air pockets in the system. Can sometimes be heard as strange noises coming from the dash (right ned?) (i.e. running water, a gurgle, or bubbling). Easily gotten rid of, some vehicles have an air bleed, but for the ones that don't: first, turn the heater selector on full hot, fill the radiator with as much fluid as possible, then over-fill the over flow tank. Put the cap back on, start the car, and as the engine heats up you should see bubbles coming out in the overflow tank as the trapped air is heated and expands. Run the engine for about a half an hour, turn the engine off and go find something else to do for a while. As the engine cools down it will suck the fluid from the over flow to replace the air that was forced out. Watch the temp as your car is running, and if you overheat while doing this just shut the car off and wait for it to cool down. Fill the over flow tank back up and watch your temps the next time you drive. This should get rid of nearly all the air bubbles, and the rest will go away during normal driving.

every time I turn the A/C off/on it makes a running water sound. should I be worried?

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