Coolant Woes...

[ArticNemesis]

Alright.. About a week ago, my car decides it is goign to start overheating.(not bad, but enough to make me panic) so, my water pump decided it's goign to start leaking.. No big deal. Changed the water pump, timing belt (and all the related accessories). Flushed the radiator just to make sure it's nice and clean.. the car still overheats, but only if i'm in stop and go traffic. It won't do it at idle, and it won't do it while driving constantly.. I can turn the heat on to make the temp go down, but it's summer time(you get the picture). I replaced the thermostat, and radiator cap. And it still overheats in stop and go traffic. The fan comes on eventually, (maybe not soon enough) so i'm going right now to install a switch to control both fans. I'm almost positive it's not the HG, short of a compression test, there is no white smoke, no coolant in oil, and there isn't any coolant loss. However, if i run the car with no radiator cap on, the coolant swells up and over the side of the radiator neck. Is this normal.? Any thoughts/opinions/suggestions Please!!!! thanks in advance.
-Brad

 

[Defiant]

Originally posted by ArticNemesis
if i run the car with no radiator cap on, the coolant swells up and over the side of the radiator neck. Is this normal.?

Yes. That's the outlet side, it's being pumped out by the water pump.

As for your "overheating", how are you measuring this? By where the needle is on the factory gauge? How old's your sender? And how "hot" is it getting?

 

[ArticNemesis]

I'm guessing the sender is original equipment, i haven't replaced it. Yes, i am referring to the temp gauge in the car. And overheating is going up 3/4 of the way and then i don't give it a chance to go farther, but i'm sure it will because the movement doesn't slow.. It doesn't do it as bad, nor near as bad with both fans running now.. do you think it could be the sender that is bad.?

 

[Defiant]

I'd be very suspcious of the sender, factory stuff is good, but only until it gives out. It's a cheap (and easy) thing to go ahead and replace, much as throwing parts as a repair method is wanting.
When a car is truly overheating, but before damage occurs, you'll start getting pinging at moderate throttle. You have to stop as soon as you hear it, but doing so won't damage the engine.