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!

 

[perbet]

We just had the same problem. Our Talon has never overheated and suddenly the gauge went all the way to the top. The radiator cap, hoses, and thermostat have all been changed and it is overheating within 5 minutes of being started up. We even had a pressure check on the engine which showed no damage to the block or head gasket. Hate to spend $$$$$$ on a new water pump if that's not it. Good to see all the posts here which I'll show to my mechanic. Love this little car and hate to give it up.

 

[jrprich]

Were the Throttle Body hoses changed as well ?

Does it really over heat or could it be a bad temp gauge or sending unit

 

[Defiant]

We just had the same problem. Our Talon has never overheated and suddenly the gauge went all the way to the top. The radiator cap, hoses, and thermostat have all been changed and it is overheating within 5 minutes of being started up.

Turn on the ignition without starting the car to see if it's your temperature sender or its wiring shorting out.
If not, your thermostat is faulty, or installed backward.

 

[perbet]

Thanks for the good suggestions. The car is still about 75 miles away where it broke down so I'm having to rely on a mechanic long distance but I'll certainly have him check out your suggestions.

 

[mccurdy]

Hey guys,

My car just overheated on the freeway. I have a hose that cracked (leading behind my turbo and exhaust manifold) and its spewing my coolant everywhere.

Question is, what implications could having the car overheating and driving to the shop not even half a mile away have caused to the motor? The car was pretty hot but still had fluid in it, HOWEVER, the bottom radiator hose going up to the thermostat was cold, not hot, making me think the fluid didn't even go through the system.

What problems could this overheating have just caused me? What should i look for? Warped head? What else?

 

[nytescion]

How hot did it get? Past the red? After fixing the hose did you run the car with the fill cap off to get any air that may be trapped in there?

 

[mccurdy]

the cars stock temp gauge was maxed when i pulled over. i haven't ran it again yet, i need to fix the busted hose.

I was told though that something caused the car to overheat causing excess pressure in the small hose and made that burst. Why do dsm's overheat?

Its not my fans, nor is it my fmic blockin the radiator. What are other reasons?

 

[mccurdy]

dude i can't figure out my overheating problem either.

i had so much pressure in my tstat housing it blew the hose that runs behind the turbo and exhaust manifold. coolant spewed f'n everywhere.

what are the symptoms of a blown head gasket?

 

[Defiant]

That's one of them.

 

[Wolfwood1287]

I need help, I'm driving 97 eclipse gs that is overheating. Sometimes it over heats when im driving for 5mins sometime it take a 1/2hour its different everytime. I recently had the engine rebuilt so it cant be the water pump or the head gasket. I tried flushing the system. I tried replacing the thermostat 3 times. i replace the radiator and the fan motor and all the hose. I'm running outa options. And also my check engine light came on with the code P0442 , im not think that related to the overheating im not quite sure what it could be. If anybody has idea i would appreciate it.

 

[Jeff99GS]

Well the P0442 is EVAP leak Monitior Small leak detected....I had that Same problem with my GS. It was a 7 dollar Check valve that went bad. Its on the TOP of the gas tank.

As for the Over heating issue...I would suggest renting a cooling system pressure tester from autozone and pressure test the system and also check or replace the Radiator CAP.

wire BOTH of your fans to a switch so you can turn them on when it gets hot

Check both of your coolant temp sensors
one is for the Fans and ECU and the other is the sending unit for the gauge.

also take a hose and SPRAY out the coils of your radiator...then use compressed air if possible...this will help clear out A LOT of dirt and leaves from your radiator and AC coil

 

[Bubbs Malone]

Thanks for the tip on the check valve Jeff, same issue here since I bought the car last July.

As for the overheating, I recently replace my 200K motor with a used 420A. I had a minor heating up problem since, but it seems to be under control now. I agree with the radiator cap, I bought one recently and it was faulty. One of my heater hoses failed and the minor leak was undetected until things heated up. Make sure the coolant is full and at least 50/50 mixture. Let it run about ten minutes with the cap off to make sure you don't need to add more. I just hope you don't end up with a leaky head gasket, good luck.

 

[gordy3683]

+1 on the cap, a faulty cap can lower your coolant boiling point.

also make sure you burp the system to get the air out. keep tapping the radiator to get the air bubbles to rise up.

 

[nytescion]

mm I never had the car overheat and bust a hose. Though I've had a hose burst and then overheat.

 

[93_tsi_fwd]

Did you check your termostat and water pump?

 

[viprez586]

A hose could've burst due to lack of maintenance, overtime old coolant tends to form electrolysis which eats away at the rubber and weakens the hoses. Oil dripped or spilled on the hoses will also make them weak and very mushy feeling when you grab them. You should check your hoses routinely and replace them if they begin to feel mushy.

Oh yeah, the only way a cooling system could build excess pressure is if the radiator cap failed in a way that it seals past its designated pressure rating(not likely), a blockage occured in a passage way, or the thermostat stuck shut.
There are many ways a cooling system can fail but I would not go ahead and say that excess pressure was the prime cause. Investigate & test if you want the real answer.

Just replace the bad thermostat(if defective) & hoses if not all of them, and hope you didn't warp your poor aluminum cylinder head.

BTW which hose failed?

 

[siceclipse]

hope the head is not warped.


dont worry, you'll find out soon enough.

just keep a bottle of coolant in the hatch.

 

[dsmmatt28]

Dont drive the car. If you havent warped the head yet the fix the hose fulsh the cooling system and do the mantance that is required before you drive it. It will cost alot more if the head is warped. If you want to know if the head is warped see if the car starts then chances are your head is still good. Dont drive it like that please that is just away for you to check if your head is still good. Fix your hose and do what is needed.

 

[Talonracn50]

sounds like he already drove it to the shop overheating. I saw one that overheated so bad it melted the plastic in the plug wire ends, and it pooled around the spark plug.
***********
whats done is done, but next time, push pull or pay to have the car towed. You may have just caused a lot of headaches over not wanting to pay 100 for a tow.
*************
as for what could have happened, could have warped the head, pistons could have scored the cylinders, could have lost enough oil pressure from getting so hot that it killed the crank. Really depends on how long it was driven the first time before you noticed the problem, then add the time of getting it to the shop -- lots of room for stuff to have gone wrong.

 

[mccurdy]

Heres an update guys.

Thermostat housing was bad, stuck shut, and popped a coolant hose, draining my coolant and caused the car to overheat.

I let it cool down, then drove it to a mechanic 1 mile down the road. When i got to the mechanics shop it was at about 80% overheated and climbing. I parked it. He fixed the thermostat and hose and hasn't leaked since. To be sure i added RTV around the rubber coolant hose that leads to the turbo.

1 week later my alternator fried, im guessing from coolant getting on it. I replaced that, secured the belt, and all was good.

Yesterday, was my first day of driving it since i replaced the alternator. I drove it home from work, got home and noticed some knocking noises and a high pitched whine. I pull into my drive way and theres a layer of oil all along the front of my block, along my power steering, ontop of my alternator, and dripping down past my manifold. The bottom of my engine bay is covered in a layer of oil and grease as well now..

I didn't notice it dripping oil when it was parked and running, but it was oozing from somewhere. can't tell if its from the TB cover area, or where the head seals, or what.

Anyone have any recommendations?

I DON'T see smoke from my tailpipe, the car still starts and runs strong and fast (or did b4 i parked it, i havent driven it yet since i noticed the oil leak), and i don't have milky oil. I don't think its the head gasket, but who knows.

I also tried starting it with the radiator cap off and i DIDN'T get a geiser from the pressure, so it doesn't look like my cylinders are pushing coolant.

Please help guys. Am i totally screwed?

 

[dsmmatt28]

Have you determined where the oil is comming from. Could be your headgasket, The knocking and whining could be the lifters I would rule out a spun bearing. If i were you i would get some brake parts clearner and clean up a bit start the car and determine where the leak is comming from. First. Then go from there.

 

[ontario AWD]

Sounds like your waterpump kicked the bucket.Is it spewing coolant out the weeping hole making a mess?

 

[laynbdyon20s]

i forget what it's called, but they sell an additive that you put in your oil and you use a black light with special glasses and it will show up a neon color. that will help you determine where your leak is coming from.

 

[mccurdy]

no its not my water pump. Coolant is no longer leaking. Oil however is all over my engine.

I drove it thursday night, and it drove hard, however when i got home, i smelt oil. I popped the hood and a layer of oil was all over the front side of my block, down along the exhaust manifold. Some sprayed on the driver side fan, alternator and power steering pump. It almost looks like its comming from the line where the head sits, but I could be wrong. I'm confused here guys, and not sure what my next step should be

 

[mccurdy]

i havent checked the valve cover gasket,but if it was that, then id have a pool of oil surrounding my spark plugs. I find the oil on the front side of my block and along near the exhaust manifold where it meets the turbo.

So far, i haven't seen any signs of a cracked HG. no smoke from tailpipe, no overheating, and i didn't push a stream of coolant from my tank when i started the car w/ the coolant resovoir cap off.

Where the hell could this oil leak be comming from. What leaks and causes oil to be on the front of the block? Not the top, but the front..right above my heat shield