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!

 

[1990EclipseGSX]

any other ideas?

 

[c5chris]

Im interested on this thread too. Im gonna put an FMIC soon and i would lnot want to run with my temps higher.

What about a lower temp thermostat? It helped my other car run from 220 stock to 178 with just this mod and a reprogrammed fan. I can add a manual fan controller, do u think it will help?

 

[Prodigy]

Almost sounds like and old radiator, or try the thermostat... i think in most states its illegal to drive around with no front...also try turning ur boost to stock and see if u over heat...Dsm are funny cars could be something so small...but so big...also when was the last time u change ur (50/50 W/A). Also what type did they u use? also are u running really heavy oil..

 

[Cliptic619]

I am also having the same problem... I haven't got time to really trouble shoot yet... but since the FMIC was installed ... can't sit idle long and can't drive it hard either... went to the dealer for help.. so called experts treated me like a dumbass for changing perfectly working IC with FMIC... I think I finally insulted their intelligence when I suggested new radiator and fan would make a difference... their suggestion was to take FMIC off... sarcasticlly offcourse.... by the way not point any fingers but it wasn't Mitsubishi dealer in San Diego on national city blvd... if any one solve this issue already.. help us

 

[1990EclipseGSX]

Lets see... Radiator, fans, and coolant have all been changed out in the last month or so, along with the oil which is Mobil 1 10w-40. I now have a fluidyne and 2 12" slimline fans. I was going to try a lower temp thermostat, but my fans are turning on, they are just not cooling down my engine, so I don't know if it would really help. As time goes on I am leaning more and more towards the FMIC being the source of my problem. I talked to some other reputable intercooler manufacturers, and I was able to find out that Victory Performance Equipment (like PTE) uses Garrett cores which have more fins per inch and allow for a lower pressure drop, but also block entirely too much air to the radiator and cause overheating on DSM's. I know that there is at least one other DSM FMIC manufacturer out there who did some testing with the Garrett cores but decided not to use them because of overheating problems. As soon as my car gets out of the body shop it is going straight to a mechanic so I can get a compression and leakdown test and make sure the rest of my car checks out fine, and the FMIC is really the root of my problem. Scott, the owner of VPE, seems to be convinced it is my car that is the problem, and so far has been utterly worthless in problem solving, supplying only two names of other people running my kit successfully, and neither had a front steel bumper, and one had holes drilled in his bumper cover for ventilation. I disagree with Scott, but we will see what the mechanics say. Unfortunately, I must say that because of my past experience with Scott, being lied to several times and recieving a faulty core to begin with, I must say I am not surprised with his lack of assistance. I'll keep you guys posted.
Thanks for the responses,
Chris

 

[Ludachris]

Three suggestions if you want to keep this thread opened:

1. Let's not make this about Scott, let's make it about solving the problem at hand. If you post any more complaints about your dealings with the vendor, no matter who it was, we'll lock this thread like we do all other "complaint-type" threads. Focus on trying to get the problem solved.

2. Whatever conclusion you come to, let us know what finally worked, and allow people to come to their own conclusions on the product from that data. That is what will help everyone. Not accusations or opinions/complaints about your dealings with the vendor.

3. Do not throw a tantrum when a moderator steps in and mentions the rules. We have a solid "no-bashing" policy for ALL vendors, not just the ones who advertise on our site. Whether you agree with our policy or not, you must follow OUR rules if you want to use OUR resources. The policy is NOT open for discussion by anyone here. Mouthing off to the mods publicly or privately can get you banned. State your case and save the petty insults for your friends. They are simply enforcing the rules that I've put forth.

 

[1990EclipseGSX]

OK, I have spoken with VPE and they have offered to make me a new FMIC with a more free flowing core than the Garrett core. I'm pretty sure that this will solve my problem. He said it will take 3 or 4 weeks to get, so I will post a follow up when it comes in.
Mods: Thanks for unlocking my thread.
Chris

 

[Defiant]

You do have the "floor" between the bumper and the bottom of the radiators? You need to close that area up, and possibly the sides, so that the air coming in is forced through the cores instead of just dumping under the car.

 

[12sectsi]

ok, so I was playin with another tsi on the highway today, and I noticed that my EGT was almost burried. it runs extremely hot according to the gauge....at idle it reads about 800...then under normal conditions, its running at about 10-12. but under pressure, its almost pinning. I'm running a small 16g ported and clipped, greddy small fmic, 550cc injectors, walbro intank fuel pump, and an injen intake. thats it for air fuel mods, and all my gauges and SAFC run great, and throw no signs of problems. time for a new gauge, or what? any ideas?

 

[Defiant]

How old's the thermocouple?

 

[12sectsi]

you know I do not know that ifo, it was in the car when I bought it. but another one of my friends asked me the same thing, so maybe thats the deal.

 

[1gCTgSx]

the other day i was goofin around with my car and i noticed that i let the temp gauge go all the way up....could overheating the motor that badly cause any problems in the future, the car still runs perfectly now.

 

[Lordpaxin]

clear to the H, or the top of the inside of the midrange brackets

I E

L.....[........].....H

 

[1gCTgSx]

right to the H

 

[awd4g63]

Well, you could warp your head... be careful, when you see your guage start to overheat, it's best to turn it off and let it cool down for a while.

 

[Defiant]

You're probably okay, unless it was kept up there quite a while, or it was under load at the time.

But fix whatever caused it.

 

[dsmbullet]

MY ENGINE JUST STARTING SMOKING REALLY BAD. IT WAS KNOCKING VERY LITTLE TILL FINALLY IT WOULD OVER HEAT AND SMOKE REALLY BAD. I INSTALLED A NEW RADIATOR ,NEW WATER PUMP AND A NEW THERMOSTAT BUT IT STILL OVER HEATS FAST AND REALLY SMOKES. ITS A 91 ECLIPSE TURBO BUT I THINK IT HAS INTERAL PROBLEMS.CAN ANYONE HELP ME OUT

 

[flytalon93]

Headgasket?

 

[jpolizo]

I'm assuming the smoke is white?

It does sound like a head gasket. In any case, once it's been overheated the likelihood of that or a warped head go up significantly. Aluminum heads really don't like to be overheated.

Check for oil in the coolant, or coolant in the oil. Do a compression, or leak down, test.

 

[Nj94TsiAwd]

When driving, i've noticed the engine temperature rising dramatically. i've checked the anti-freeze and its fine. i checked the anti-freeze bottle and its sometimes full when im done driving. so i filled my car w/ the anti-freeze from the bottle, so the bottle would be half full. and the the overflow tube drips a little at the bottom of the engine. anyone know what the problem could be?

 

[ECLIPSE4x4]

Check you thermostat. Also check the hoses when the car heats up and see if there is pressure on them.

 

[DSMWillyb]

Yep - Like eclipse4X4 said it's probably your thermostat... Let your car get up to normal temp. and check both radiator hoses... If one is cooler than the other your thermostat is the likely culprit....

 

[oldman]

I had the same problem last year and it was the thermostat make sure you pick up the gasket as well.

 

[DSMSPOON]

another thing to check is to make sure the fan goes on, and to burp the system to get all the air bubbles out.

 

[91jdmeclipse]

today i took of my ac belt and eveything worked fine car drove normal a little bifference in power. but on the way home the car over heated and "ate" the aternator belt. whats up with this and was it bad to take off the ac belt?