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!

 

[talon14turbo]

Alright. It has been resolved. I took out the car, for a drive, and it didn't overheat. So it was the block in fact that was warped. This usually doesn't happen in cast iron block, but it's known to happen. I also sent my radiator to get cleaned and pressure tested. I was afraid that maybe, the head was cracked somewhere, and it was throwing out compression to the water, hence caussing the overheat. But now that the block has been resurfaced and the head is decked as well, im running a cometic head gasket, custom made for my application with no signs of leaking. If you have any other questions, or similar problems, for the ones looking for an answer, let me know. Thanks for all the help given.

Thanks for the update. I'm in the process of resolving my issue also. I will try changing to a stock head gasket. What can I use at home to check to see if my block or head is warped? Also, any other suggestions since it seems I will need to take the head off. Could timing be a factor? I checked it and it seems advanced passed the marker (1995 with a 2.4 6-bolt). I'm not sure if I am checking the timing correctly with the timing light because I have read that I should ground a terminal but I cannot find it and no one seems to give clear directions for a 2g with a 6-bolt.

 

[Stainbox12]

Thanks for the update. I'm in the process of resolving my issue also. I will try changing to a stock head gasket. What can I use at home to check to see if my block or head is warped? Also, any other suggestions since it seems I will need to take the head off. Could timing be a factor? I checked it and it seems advanced passed the marker (1995 with a 2.4 6-bolt). I'm not sure if I am checking the timing correctly with the timing light because I have read that I should ground a terminal but I cannot find it and no one seems to give clear directions for a 2g with a 6-bolt.

Timing should't be a factor with overheating. To check for warpage, get a straight edge, and a set of feeler gauges, and measure the gap in between, if the gap is bigger in some areas, then you have some warpage. Do this to the head and the block as well. Do a search, and you will find some info on using feeler gauges.

 

[blue98gst]

Last week me and my brother were driving down the freeway and we heard a cracking type noise from the engine. I noticed the temperature needle spike up very quickly, so I pulled over immediately. In the past, I have warped a head due to the car overheating. I had just gotten a 1g head installed, and the thermostat housing failed causing the head to super heat and warp, so I know to monitor the temp. Anyways, we pull over, pop the hood and notice that the upper radiator hose is leaking coolant, and the part of the radiator where the hose connected to had crumbled to pieces. Since we were close to the freeway exit, I tightened the hose to the remaining part of the radiator, and waited for the engine to cool. I just wanted to make it to the exit, so I drive about 40 mph staring at the temp to make sure it don't go up, and all of a suddent the car shuts off, then the temp spikes up high. I figured I was too low on coolant, but the next day I filled the car up and noticed the coolant was leaking from the back part of the engine bay. At first it was dripping slowly, but then when we started it later, I heard a pop and it began to pour. I cannot see where the leak is, and wondering where could the leak be coming from? A ruptured heater hose perhaps, maybe a head gasket leak. The car starts, but idles really rough, and high; about 1,500 rpm's. Also, would my car even start if I warped the head. By the way, I have a head from a 91 gsx on my 1998 GST.

 

[xdxoxuxgx]

If it seems like it is coming from where the head meets the block, it could be a bad head gasket. Try and trace the source of the leak, that should narrow it down a bit.

 

[LongJonSilver]

The same thing recently happened to me kinda....my car overheated then leaked from the back area of the engine but it was the waterpump it went bad so check that

 

[Snuffb20]

ok guy, i could use some help here,
lower radtior hose is cold, so i went and replaced the thermostat and still lower hose is cold so i went ahead and did the cts cause it tells the ecu when temp of thermostat from what i was told and i still have nothing on it the lower hose still stays cold but it does not overheat, also unpluged the cts and both fans kick on which would tell me that all relays and switchs are working, i flushed out the raditor thinking something was blocked in there and still nothing if i turn on the ac both fans will kick on but not with the heat. Also, i let the car run for 45 mins last night and it never went past the half way line at all, also the car wil blow hot air, i could really use some help with his if anyone has anything please help me out

 

[TALONTRAX]

In cooler weather it`s not uncommon for the lower rad. hose to be cool when the car is at operating temperature. It seems as though you`ve covered your bases as far as your fan operation which seems to be normal. As long as the engine doesn`t run hot or overheat, & your heat output is good inside the car, It`s ok if the lower hose is cool. The upper hose & heater hoses should feel warm when the engine is at operating temp . . .

 

[gpopppa]

Hi,not to thread steal,but i had similar issues.bought a talon for 1300,the guy ran water without the cap in it cuzz the rad was shot...well got it home and changed the rad,thermo,and sensor and filled it up ran it til it bubbled.put the new cap on and went to start,it started like it was a diesel and smoking out the back.the smoke wasnt sweet or even had a faint smell of it..shut it off let it set overnight.went back out and TRIED to start,wouldnt start just turned over a lil than it started and blew fluid out of my resvoir.shut it off.let cool off cuzz i had to go to work.now i come back and decide to take the thermo out JUST TO CHECK FLOW,

welll i start it up and i notice what i thought was steam coming from the thermo housing,well to my suprise it was an exhaust smell So since the dumbass i got it from drove the way he did with out barely having fluid in it i think its screwed...but all this started to happen after i put fluid in it....so inlighten me,im thinking getting a hg kit,a water pump, timing belt and the other belts, and also the decking stuff ive read about im not to knowledgeable with the internal engine stuff. should i take the head off and send it in to get it redone/? child support rapes my checks so im strapped....basically my symptoms go to it being a hg right? and i am on the right track?this is my third dsm, had a 95gs,and 90gs,but this damn thing is boggling my mind..SORRY ABOUT THREAD STEALING! and yes i read and read hours on end trying to come to a conclusion.thanks!

 

[chico904]

Driving home tonight, I noticed I had no heat. Kept an eye on temp level while I drove home, and it was dead center. I come to a stop, and the car dies out, and when I start it again I notice the temp gauge is pegged hot, so I pull it into the lot directly in front of me. I found that oil is sprayed everywhere on the passenger side of the engine, with small amounts of oil leaking from under the inner middle bolts that hold the valve cover on. There is no oil on the dipstick, and when I took the rad cap off it is dry inside, no coolant. Oddly though, my overflow is still 3/4 full. There was no big smoke cloud like a blown headgasket, and no oil trail.What is the first plan of attack? A compression test, check thermostat?

 

[chico904]

So my girlfriend just called me and told me that when I left last night, the spot I was parked in had a huge puddle of oil that extended into the 2 car spaces next to me. I know last night when I saw it had no oil after overheating, the oil drain plug was the first thing I checked, and it was still there.

 

[marcmsj]

First step would probably be to clean everything up and find out where you're losing oil. Your situation doesn't sound good though, you'll be very lucky if you didn't hurt anything.

Find where you're leaking, fix that and fill it back up.

 

[chico904]

Will do, thanks for the advice. I though it was odd that my oil light didn't come on either. I guess it doesn't work.

 

[ccb21]

Well the overflow valve would be 3/4 full from what I have herd because the motor becomes air born and forces the fuild out, as for the Bolts, I noticed when I blew my GSX that I had an a carmell color oil in the plugs and wires, also you could check your turbo if you have 1, maybe something happend there with the lines?

 

[kelly8911]

Ok so where do I start here. I just did a 6-bolt swap on my car (since my 7-bolt crank walked)and now it finally runs-but not well! My car will start and in neutral sometimes idle normal, sometimes the idle goes up and down constantly from about 1200-1700, or sometimes it shoots all the way up to 5000 and stays there. I have a BBK throttle body in it and I changed both the IAC and TPS, so it's not the sensors. And I tried playing with the throttle cable and it doesn't seem to have much of an effect on the idle. It's really annoying because every time I shift the car goes from a normal idle to 5000 and when it sits in neutral just sits at 5000.
Also on another subject which I actually don't know if the two problems are related but I drove my car for the first time last night just dealing with the high idle and after about 10-15 minutes of driving, the car started to overheat really badly and there was antifreeze leaking out but it seems to only be coming from the overflow tank. The radiator was just checked and is good. Please Help I would like to be able to drive my car for once before winter since I've been trying to fix all its stupid problems for 5 months! Thanks!

 

[ccb21]

when you did the swap? was the trottle cable the same or replaced??? Also is the car turbo'd or not? as for the car over heatting I would assume it would be the temp sensor and the motor working right because face it, 15 mins of 5k is going to make anything a bit warm inside right! But I would check the basics, the cable, and was the ECU changed 2? let us know exactly what parts ect you used for the sawp!

 

[kelly8911]

Yes it is turbo all my mods are on my profile. It's the same throttle cable and i forgot to mention that the thermostat is brand new also. Also the car actually wasn't idling high when it overheated (go figure?). It was just idling like 1200-1700 and driving normal and then out of the blue the temp gauge shot up to the top. It's a 6-bolt block with a 7-bolt rebuilt head and the ECU is a XS sport modified ECU that was in the car when I bought it. Also when I had the 7-bolt engine in it, it idled high like that too. Everything else on the car is the same stuff I had on my previous motor.

 

[BenHooker]

Any possibility you put the throttle body on backwards? I installed a spacer on my car a few weeks ago and I got high idle from it only to realize that I had reinstalled the TB backwards. Switched it around, works fine.

 

[kelly8911]

nope its on the right way i also checked the thermostat and its not that so...any ideas?!

 

[BenHooker]

You could have a boost or vacuum leak. Try adjusting the BISS screw too.

 

[kelly8911]

The bbk throttle body doesn't have a biss screw and I'm gonna check for leaks thanks!

 

[tunernewb92]

Ok so my car wont blow heat out of the vents and is overheating. Just replaced the radiator and rad. hoses as well as the thermostat. Car is still overheating. Tonight we plan on flushing the system to try and get a clog out or any trapped air out. If that doesn't work I want to try and bypass the heater core to see if that is the problem.
I found a thread that has a picture that I think shows how to bypass the heater core right here .. Bypassing Heater Core
Do I just connect a line from the two ports circled in yellow?

Thanks,
Brian

 

[Defiant]

Make sure your cooling system is actually filled, and that you aren't losing coolant from a leaking expansion ("overflow") tank.

Bypassing your heater core will reduce engine cooling.

Also, suspect a failed water pump impeller.

 

[360glitch]

To make a long story short, the engine started to overheat the other night and the heater which previously worked stopped blowing hot air. We've power flushed the coolant system and got it all cleaned out with no positive results afterwards. Still overheating. So today I did a compression test and ended up with 136, 119, 111, 119. A month or two ago they were all right at 145. Does this mean for sure that our headgasket is gone?

 

[OakStreetTuner]

Are you going through coolant? White smoke from the exhaust? I would have to guess your head gasket is probably ok, did you replace the thermostat?

 

[360glitch]

Are you going through coolant? White smoke from the exhaust? I would have to guess your head gasket is probably ok, did you replace the thermostat?

Thermostat has been replaced along with the radiator and both radiator hoses. The coolant system has been flushed. When it does overheat the top radiator hose gets very hot. The fluid in the overflow tank boils and steam shoots out of the hose from the overflow tank onto the ground.