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!

 

[95 'clipse RS]

ok i see what you're saying here, but the only way i see it is if it isn't blue then you are burning coolant from the turbo seals, if it were oil from the seals it would be blue smoke. maybe you are burning both coolant and oil if the turbo seals are bad, that would make it very confusing. but everyone here will tell you...

Blue=oil
Gray/black=fuel
white=coolant

Can you put this one out there? are you sure that you are not running rich somehow? if not, then it leaves out fuel. so now there is just coolant and oil left. and so you say its not blue in any way? so that leaves oil out. that means that its coolant since that would be the only one left. so your turbo seals could be it unless you aren't running coolant through it for some reason.

It could be numerous things that it could be, i'm just trying to help you determine which fluid you are burning first so it will make the diagnosis alot easier, since then you would actually know where to look. if the above statements are true, and you honestly think its the turbo seals, which could be very possible. Then check into that, if its not then you may have to look over the coolant system. hope this helps

 

[Brutus]

everyone here will tell you...

Blue=oil
Gray/black=fuel
white=coolant

+1

This is true for all cars.

 

[holo]

hello, i'm new to the forum this is my first post asking a question.
i have a 95 talon tsi awd with 117k. so here's my problem..
a couple days ago the car started idling high (2000-2500rpm.) when i revved the throttle it went back down so i just thought the throttle was sticking. yesterday the car started idling at 3000-3500 rpm and it started overheating (went almost 3/4 of the way up the temp gauge). then i noticed that my oil pressure was low. i pulled over and let it sit for a while, then took off the cap for the coolant for the engine. well it was boiling and started spraying out. i know it shouldn't be that hot. i got it towed home because i was scared i might blow my engine or something. anyone have any idea what the problem is? thanks in advance!
john

 

[assault187]

Did your fans turn on when the car started to overheat? The high idle could posibly be from the IAC/FIAV malfuntioning or from a vacuum leak somewhere.

Try this.... Start the car and see how it idles, If it idles high as it was previously unplug the IAC/Fiav sensors on the underside of the throttebody and see it makes any difference. The best way to rule the sensor out is to test it properly with a multi-meter following the directions of the manual. Let the car come to its normal operating temp and see if the fan turns on as it should. High idle with no fan will overheat the car quickly.

If the temps rise quickly and steadily untill overheating, this may be a thermostat issue and its possibly stuck closed.

Also a boost leak test is always a good way to trouble shoot a high idle problem as well to find a leaky throttle body gasket or missing/torn vacuum line.

Do some tests and swing back with your findings, With a problem so common and the scenerio so vague its tough to pinpoint exactly whats going on but here is a start.

 

[holo]

ok thanks i'll try what you said. i forgot to mention that the car starts idling high after it has been running for about 15 minutes.

 

[Jimmer307]

Alright so i have searched and read all of the coolant boiling threads, but none seem to be exactly like mine. PLEASE I NEED HELP this is my Daily Driver so if you have any clue read my lengthy post and try to help.

SO.... Here is my situation:
Before i swapped my turbo i drained all the coolant through the coolant feed line connected to the turbo. Then I swapped my turbo to a t25, and I am almost positive everything is hooked up correctly. Following my turbo swap i filled up the coolant resivior and i ran the car for about 5 min to burn off all the PB blaster on the ex. mani. When I turned off the car i noticed a bubbling noise coming from my coolant resivior. I looked in the coolant resivior and noticed it was boiling. Thinking nothing of it (like an idiot), later that afternoon i drove the car about 5 miles. Upon arrival, i noticed the boiling again. About an hour later i drove home and noticed my temp gauge was through the roof. When i got home it was dark so i could not really see, but my coolant was burning in the resivior and it appeared dark. The next morning i looked in the coolant resivior and it was nearly empty. The coolant that was left was dark like dirt was in it. I am trying to figure out if i f'd up something in the turbo swap process or if i just did something wrong? Please any help would be amazing. Thanks

 

[fwdmaster]

It's your radiator cap, it gets old and not holding pressure

 

[r1991_4g63t]

after it cools a little bit take the cap off and fill it up, let it idle for a while and keep it full, after a lil bit it will stop going down and you should be good

 

[Jimmer307]

So wait... I am going to put the coolant in the radiator cap instead of the coolant resivior? Please give me some step by step instructions, i do not want to F this up. BTW, does anything need to be replaced? Thanks for the help

 

[Backinajiffy12]

Ok so I know there a been like a billion overheating threads, but i couldnt find one that was like mine. Ok my overheating problem seems to be an intermitten thing. one day the needle will be at the 3rd dash and the next it wont go above the half way mark. and sometimes it does that in the same day. any ideas on what it could be?

 

[Brutus]

temp sending unit? do your fans come on when the temp goes over halfway?

 

[Backinajiffy12]

no and i cant figur that out either

 

[snowborder714]

Since you have DSMlink, why not look at the real temperature numbers? What numbers are you seeing when the line goes higher on the gauge? What range do you normally see while driving?

 

[Jimmer307]

Do i fill up the coolant when the car is off or idle? And do i fill up the coolant resivior at all or just through the radiator car?

 

[97boostedTSI]

fill up your radiator, fire the car up, and continually fill the radiator while the car is running until the coolant level quits going down. Top of your overflow, and replace your radiator cap. That should help and eliminate air pockets in the system.

 

[ClevelandDSM]

As it runs you will notice the the coolant will go up and down , and will\can spill some on the ground multiple times while i cycles the air out. Just keep filling up the actual radiator till it stops pushing it out or become completly full. Then move onto filling the overflow to the proper line.

 

[Jimmer307]

thanks everyone the problem has been solved... now all i have to deal with is my check engine light

 

[Backinajiffy12]

nvm my fans do work! but for my DSM link i have the software and all that stuff but i havent installed it yet because my disc drive on my laptop is being a POS and wont work.

 

[snowborder714]

Does your laptop have wireless capabilities? If so, find another laptop or desktop that has a working CD drive and share the drive over the network. Then access the drive from the laptop and vióla!

 

[Backinajiffy12]

Can you tell me how to go about doing that?

 

[snowborder714]

Here's the short version (that I somehow forgot about) on getting the DSMlink software on your laptop:
1. Go here and download the Full install version.
2. Install.



And since I went through the trouble to type out the sharing of a network drive, here it is anyway

On the computer that has a working CD drive:
1. Insert CD into drive.
2. Go to My Computer and locate drive with CD.
3. Right click on drive and click on "Sharing and Security".
4. Click on "If you understand the risk but still want to share the root of the drive, click here." It will be underlined and in a blue color.
5. Click on the box next to "Share this folder on the network."
6. Click the Apply button.
7. Click the Ok button.

On your laptop:
1. Connect to the same network the previous computer is on.
2. Make sure both of the computers have the same Workgroup name. This can be found by right clicking on My Computer and selecting Properties. Then go to the 2nd tab titled Computer Name. You'll see Workgroup listed in there. If they are different, you need to change one by clicking on the "Change..." button and typing in the matching name under the Workgroup dialog box. Then click the Ok button and restart the computer to apply the changes.
3. Click on My Network Places and locate the shared drive.
4. Open it up and locate the install file and click on it.

 

[Backinajiffy12]

Thanks alot!! but do you have an opinon on what it could be temp sensor, thermostat?

 

[snowborder714]

I would say install the software and first check your temps. Then I'd use the software to try and turn on your fans and make sure they work. Then I'd look at the wiring for each sender. It might be that a wire is just hanging on causing the intermittent readings. If that all checks out and your temps aren't abnormally high, I'd say try the sender for the gauge if you really care about it.

 

[xxxbulletzxxx]

almost sounds like you might have an air pocket in the coolant system.. Even though our systems tend to "burp" out a lot of the air it is still possible to have something in there

 

[Backinajiffy12]

both my fans work! I just couldnt here them when the car was sitting there humming...yeah i know im an idiot.