Car Overheated / Overheating / Overheats [MERGED]

[NTRCOOL]

OVERHEATING? The issues and their solutions have remained the same- either you don't have enough cool air reaching the rad, there's a cooling system obstruction which is preventing coolant from circulating, or your head gasket has failed and is allowing coolant to be consumed or pushed away from the engine.

Discuss all possible overheating problems and solutions here.


OK,
I just left my house to go over to my GF's,and happen to look down and see my needle right before the red mark. This just happened out of nowhere. I stop the car as quickly as i can, and pour in some coolant(Coolant a little low). Still same thing. Welp im in the middle of the road, and HAD to get it home. Im only 5 min from my house. I decided to try and make it(I really had no other choice). Welp I drive no faster than 20mph, and the temp needle is BARELY into the red the whole way.And occasionaly to the left of it. Am I ok?? Do ya think any damage was done?? And im thinking either thermostat, or water pump. For each of those, whats a round about $$ figure to get replaced?? Any info you have would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

[NEO]

WELL I THINK THE FACTORY TEMP GAUGE IS BAD MINE STAYS HALF WAY N I THINK MY ENGINE IS JACKED CAUSE OF THE FAULTY READIN ON THE GAUGE, DAMN FACTORY PARTS AINT WORTH SHIEET!

 

[LandoAWD]

Check the coolant fill cap. A 9 dollar part fixed my coolant blow by problem.

 

[thehyena]

check out the thermostat, the same thing happened to me last week.... the thermostat was bad and wouldn't open up thus not getting coolant to the engine. this builds up pressure and that is why it would come out of the overflow tube

 

[Street Dreams]

Nothing against to those who have helped, but it appears to me that quite a few of us are having this problem, and not many of the more experienced DSMers are willing to help us. If you are just reading this, and you want to contribute help, this is not meant towards you. But to the more experienced DSMers who will read this and just pass it on... thanks for helping out your fellow DSM lover. You should know very well that if you had a problem we would do what we could to help you, but since you know more, you probably see us as idiots because we don't know everything. There was a time when you educated people knew nothing, and you needed help, time to return the favor.

 

[teg21]

Originally posted by gotdsm?
Ok, so I have kind of the same symptoms.

I have a 91 AWD TSi with the only modifications currently right now is my boost is set to 15psi.

My gauge, will go to 100% hot no matter how hot or cold the actual car is. Lemme explain more in detail... I can start my car after 2 days of sitting in my driveway and it will work its way up to hot within 3 seconds of being started. I can start the car 2 mins after it being turned off and I get the same symptoms.

I replaced my thermostat, had the radiator flushed and this did not seem to cure the problem. The weird thing is that I didnt seem to have this problem until 2 days after I installed my boost gauge. Anyhow, I took my car on a drive on the highway and one day it actually did overheat. I could hear the coolant in the hose boiling, and there was maybe 1 drop that came out of the coolant overflow tank.

Any ideas? Perhaps water pump? I havent relpaced the coolant sensor yet as well.

Thanks Fellas.

This sounds like a bad gauge to me. I would try replacing the gauge and see how that goes.

 

[LandoAWD]

ummmm.his coolant is coming out of the overflow....a gauge won't help that

 

[focusedrage]

i dont think my car has gone more than 2 months without a problem... now it overheats for i dont know why... all of the suddent i notice the temp guge way up above the red zone.

i checked all my hoses and replaces the older ones, and no leeks neem to be present... im thinking its the thermostat, does the stock one fail open? or fail closed? i dont know what it is

 

[jay-d]

might be your thermostat.. it fails closed so coolant can't cycle threw, I blew my thermostat apart =D .. heheh, takes 10 min to replace

 

[thehyena]

^^^what he said. i just replaced my thermostat last week... it literally blew up, like there were chucks of it all inside the little box it's in, i burned my hands but it's an easy fix

 

[Benji]

Ok, the symptons of having coolant coming out through the overflow bottle is more than likely a bad headgasket.

I had the same symptons several months ago. Always lost coolant through the overflow bottle, even after installing a new radiator, fans, thermostat, coolant temp sensor, fan switch sensor and water pump. I had good compression, above service limit. I kept driving the car until I was only able to drive for 15-30 minutes until my complete cooling system was completely dry. Didn't have any smoke, etc ...

Teared off the head and checked for cracks and warpage. The Head was warped to .013inch. The service limit on our heads is I believe .008inch.

Hope this helps. I would be in most cases it being a bad headgasket if you've replaced/double checked all of the things mentioned above.

Thanks!

 

[thehyena]

Originally posted by Benji
Ok, the symptons of having coolant coming out through the overflow bottle is more than likely a bad headgasket.

I had the same symptons several months ago. Always lost coolant through the overflow bottle, even after installing a new radiator, fans, thermostat, coolant temp sensor, fan switch sensor and water pump. I had good compression, above service limit. I kept driving the car until I was only able to drive for 15-30 minutes until my complete cooling system was completely dry. Didn't have any smoke, etc ...

Teared off the head and checked for cracks and warpage. The Head was warped to .013inch. The service limit on our heads is I believe .008inch.

Hope this helps. I would be in most cases it being a bad headgasket if you've replaced/double checked all of the things mentioned above.

Thanks!

I highly doubt it's the headgasket..... who told you your headgasket caused your cooling problem?

 

[Benji]

Originally posted by thehyena

I highly doubt it's the headgasket..... who told you your headgasket caused your cooling problem?

I tore off the head, it was warped way past it's service limit. I was loosing coolant like crazy but ONLY through the overflow bottle. No smoke, etc ...

How much clearer can it get?

 

[thehyena]

because the headgasket shouldn't make the coolant come out through the overflow tube

 

[LandoAWD]

Originally posted by thehyena
because the headgasket shouldn't make the coolant come out through the overflow tube

It will, though I don't think this is the case here....(shakes magic 8 ball one more time)...

 

[Benji]

Originally posted by thehyena
because the headgasket shouldn't make the coolant come out through the overflow tube

Then obviously you don't understand the concept. I would explain it, but probably couldn't make it clear enough.

There is pressure between the head and block, correct? Let's say that the head is warped OR the headgasket is blown between the coolant holes in the head and/or block. Pressure will then get into your cooling system which indeed then leads to too much pressure which then will push the coolant out of the overflow bottle since it has no other way to go. It could possibly lead to completely blowing your headgasket, blowing off your radiator cap or bursting your radiator hoses, but usually the way out to the overflow bottle is easier and less restrictive.

 

[focusedrage]

AWSOME, your both right... i took out the thermostat all together and it works fine... so ill just get the new part soon enough, who ever wants to can lock this or whatever

 

[ltvarney]

Originally posted by NEO
WELL I THINK THE FACTORY TEMP GAUGE IS BAD MINE STAYS HALF WAY N I THINK MY ENGINE IS JACKED CAUSE OF THE FAULTY READIN ON THE GAUGE, DAMN FACTORY PARTS AINT WORTH SHIEET!

If it's stuck at the halfway mark even on a cold start, it's probably a bad thermostat.

 

[Street Dreams]

See, now this is real help, thank you guys. I will check my headgasket, as I'm sure everyone else will, and I'll let you know as soon as I get results.

 

[Street Dreams]

Thanks guys, this is real help. My compression checked out fine, but I will rip it apart to check my headgasket personally. Thank you very much. It's nice to see that some people have taken notice to the fact that everyone has to learn from somewhere.

 

[Street Dreams]

Sorry about that... it messed up on AOL and I didn't think it posted, so I sent it throught IE.

 

[Mitsman]

I think I have been having similar problems. After a little research I think it is probably the head gasket like you all say.

Situation, car overheated one day under normal driving without me even noticing. Drove it about and hour later without it overheating or being noticeable IE smoke pouring out from under the hood. Drove home about 2 hours later barely making it home in the red zone for about 3 miles more than to my liking. Next day purchased a new Thermostat and new plugs and wires. Installed all parts plus refilled all coolants. Drove the car about 30 miles without any problems. Got about 15 miles home and it started getting hot. Pulled over to the gas station to refill with water just to make it home. Made it about a mile or two away from the station and it was already past the red zone. Pulled it over and let it sit for a while. Tried to restart but would not turn over. Left it sit over night. Picked it up today and dumped a bunch more coolant in without noticing a hose had been split last night from excessive heat. Drove it home with some duck tape over the split hose. Made it home and watched smoke pour out from under the hood. I dont know what to do, but as far as I have investigated tonite it sounds like I have a bad head gasket. NOTE also after the thermostat install and probably days before that it has been leaking coolant from under the engine. I dont nessasarly think it is coming from the reserve tank although it could be. need some adivce and some good info on installing a new head gasket

 

[teg21]

Originally posted by LandoAWD
ummmm.his coolant is coming out of the overflow....a gauge won't help that

I was replying to gotdsm and I don't think he mentioned coolant coming out of the overflow.

 

[Omega]

When you check your oil, what color is it? If it is brown and milky then you have a bad head gasket.

You also might want to check that the fans are coming on. If they are not the car will over heat quite quickly on a hot day.

 

[Mitsman]

brown and milky ??? WTF what color is oil suppose to be.
Is there not an easier way to know if you have a blown head gasket?

 

[gotdsm?]

Normally its a neon green like mine.