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!

 

[summerisway2hot]

Just one question AGSX- when you replaced your tstat, did you have a lot of emulsified oil around it? When I pulled mine, the entire housing had the emulsified stuff all through it. I dont know if it might just be the tstat, but even if its the tstat, I want the oil to stop getting into the coolant in the first place. I would guess that the leak is either happening as an oil cooler, HG, or cracked block. Are there other possibilities that I am not thinking of?

 

[coty]

reset the timing

 

[flaatr]

I've actually installed a Contitech belt in my non-DSM (Scirocco 16V) and it turned out to be defective... as the engine turned you could see the belt move left and right like it was warped. I replaced it ASAP with another belt, also from Contitech, and it's been fine ever since.

-Raffi

 

[ChillinGST]

I went out and bought a coolant pressure tester and found a very small leak on the upper rad hose. Fixed that and now it appears to running as normal.

 

[gst96spyderman]

Alright, so the car started overheating pretty bad. Signs point to blown HG... Now the car got to the red a couple of times and is boiling in overflow resevor...

I'm going to have HG replaced... What else should I have looked at as well as replaced? Also, I just bought car so do not know what exactly is on the car as far as internals... Here is what I know.

99 gst spyder: 6 bolt engine, Kiggly 6 bolt crank trigger sensor, Forced Performance Sleeper 16g Turbo (set at 16psi), K&N air, Greddy Race Front Mount Intercooler, Hard intercooler piping, Brian Crower intake and exhaust cams 272's, Brian Crower Springs & retainers, Third generation lifters, ARP head bolts, Wiseco Pistons on Crower Rods, Hyundai Valve Cover, Ported Exhaust manifold, Ported o2 housing, After market cat-less race exhaust (Megan 2.5" downpipe, Thermal 3" cat back), Fluidyne (All aluminum radiator), Slowboy Limited Slip Differential, ACT 2100 Pressure Plate and clutch, HKS TurboTimer, Front strut tower brace, rebuilt 1990 Throttle Body, Steel Braided Slowboy Clutch Line.

It has ARP head bolts, so shouldn't that mean there was a head job done at sometime? I was not overkilling the car, but was not driving like an old lady... I'm really hoping I do not have to replace more than HG... Also, what a recomended HG replacement? MLS and HKS are the only ones I've heard mentioned in my research... (Links please!)

So what I'm looking for is a list of parts that I'll need to purchasing before rebuild... Most of the parts on there now have less than 25000... I'm assuming.

Just found a "Cosmetic HEADGASKET" from Extremepsi.com for 67.00, and is 1.3mm. What is the difference in HG's as far as different brands and what the different sizes mean. Also found Topline Revised Lifters for $89.00, 115 gates timing belt... Hopefully minus the lifters, I'm going to get these parts. Timing belt for sure... Opinions please

 

[XiKeiyaZI]

There are several reasons as to why you would be overheating. The first would be, of course, a bad head gasket.

There are also several other things that could lead to that head gasket blowing. Too much boost, a bad head, a bad gasket, an improperly done torque sequence when installing the ARP's, running it out of water, and a lot more.

Your first test should be a compression. Then do a leak down test. You're going to pull the head anyway, so go ahead, rip it off, and check where the old HG gave out. Once you do that, you can identify, to some degree, what caused the issue. While I was doing this work, I would replace the water pump, just to be safe, and make sure that your coolant system is leaking anywhere. Once this is done, go about properly burping the system (once the engine is back together) to ensure that the engine has all of the coolant it needs and not just 2 parts coolant and 1 part hot air. Replace your thermostat, and anything else related to cycling the coolant once the engine is up and running again.

Once you go to put the head on (hopefully having it check for flatness), be sure to torque the ARP's down in the correct sequence. You will start at 30LBS, and tighten from the middle out. Then go from the outside in, this time torquing to 60 LBS, and finally, do a cross pattern from the inside out stopping at 80-90LBS. This is the way I've done it and I've had no problems to date.

Hope this helps a little.

Edit : Also, try to grab a 91-94 Throttle Body. The 90 TB is a bit smaller, if I remember correctly.

:: Definite Parts ::
Thermostat
Head Gasket (Your choice, but I'd go with MLS)
Water Pump
Timing Belt
Balance(Silent) Shaft Belt
Timing Belt Auto Tensioner
Timing Belt Pulleys
Intake Manifold Gasket
Exhaust Manifold Gasket

 

[duzer182]

i agree with keyia, check the water pump, and thermostat. i just finished putting a new waterpump in mine, and while i was down there i replaced the 2 timing belts and auto tensioner. of course yours could be in perfect shape but its something to look into.

 

[BogusSVO]

yes, check the head for warp..
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/articles-engine-fuel/341627-how-check-head-warp.html

also look at the surface finish of both the block and the head.. they need to be perfect for a MLS to seal properly
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/new...face-4g63t-cylinder-head-mls-head-gasket.html

If the head need to be milled... DO NOT let a machine shop BELT SURFACE your head!!!
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/cyl...0613-why-not-let-your-head-belt-surfaced.html

also measure the head thickness from the valve cover rail to the head gasket surface

new thickness is 5.200.. mitsu allows for .008 combined total milled from block and head, AERA allows for .015 from the head, if your head measures less than 5.185 then get a thicker headgasket.

 

[gst96spyderman]

Thanks. I'm not sure if you remember me bogussvo, but I ran into you at a gas station right before the dreaded cigeratte tax took place in 08... Black GST Spyder... got some pics of her... (RIP) anyways, thanks again. I'm going to have to put her in a shop... I'd do it myself, but don't want to mess up at replacing timing belt... I'll keep it up to date

 

[92AWDHX40]

overheating, fans not working, coolant leak, bad head gasket, not too much to it, something there isnt working right.

 

[gst96spyderman]

Fans work, no sign of coolant leak... As far as I can tell (based on the research I've done, as well as advice I've received) its the damn HG, and I'm probably going to have to have head resurfaced... shit. But to be sure, I'm going to do compression test tomorrow followed by leak down test as advised by XiKeyia. Then follow up with bogussvo's advice and resurface head. Great video too svo... Although, the photobucket links are no longer avalible.

Also, I forgot to state before that coolant is not leaking but has gone dry 3 times. There does NOT seem to be any water in oil. Dipstick check showed that there was no water...

Do I really need timing belt auto tensioner? Its a little pricey the only reason I ask

 

[summerisway2hot]

Pressure test revealed either cracked head or blown head gasket... at least I know where the problem is

 

[BogusSVO]

sorry. I do not recall you.....

what links are not working?

you may have blown the HG from water to combustion chamber.....

before you pull the head.. you may want to run a coolent pressure test.

 

[gst96spyderman]

Radiator cap... replaced with oem cap... Old one had cracks in it. Compression test show nothing off... Thanks guys

 

[unisonicz]

Ok, So my car barely blows warm air @ normal operating temps. My heater temp control is busted. With that being said there is a little white plastic arm that goes to the temp control under the dash on the bottom of the heater box and it is snapped off. I grab what is left of it with pliers and turn it so it will blow hot air but it moves itself back to the closed position so there is only cold air coming through the vents. Id there an easy way that I can make the heater only blow hot air? I do not have AC so that is not a concern. Sorry if this is hard to understand, I just can not explain it very well.

Thanks, Kyle

 

[cruisintalonawd]

yeah fix that arm so that it will stay open. It is what lets your heat through.

 

[ramsack]

Yea, the blending damper is going to be forced open to blow cold air. That arm needs to be fixed or you need a whole new heater core box.

 

[unisonicz]

Thank you for the reply. Before the arm broke I would turn the temp control knob to hot and it would be forced about half way back to the cold side. There is something wrong inside the heater box. If it was just replacing the arm, that would not be a big deal and I would not have posted here . Again, I apologize for my horrible explanation of the issue.

Kyle

Isn't it pretty much a door set on a pivot to open and close when adjusting the temp control knob? When I first got the car it worked fine, one winter morning I started my car to defrost the windows, I turned the heater control a little to vigorously and it just started it then eventually the arm snapped off.

Kyle

 

[unisonicz]

I poked around a bit to try and find a "how to" on removing the heater box so I can try and fix it. Does anyone have a link handy they could throw up for me. I know it is the "door" that controls how much cold/hot air come into the cab, it is stuck open so only cold air is being blown into the cab.

Thanks,
Kyle

 

[schotty46]

So, ive flushed the radiator and heater core. Its not the thermostat, took it out and it still overheats. Dont know what to check next!?

 

[rlacasse1]

Do your fans ever turn on??

 

[2GFWDbeast]

does it over heat and go back down then go back up? If its doing that then your low on coolant. Also make sure your fan is working. Make sure your coolant temp sensor is working. Does your overflow coolant tank get full like all the way to the top pushing coolant out or you can hear it bubbling. You could be pushing coolant and have blown head gasket.

 

[schotty46]

Yess, my fans turn on when theyre supposed to. But they keep running and it overheats. Brand new hg too.

 

[2GFWDbeast]

you didnt answer all my questions read what i asked and reply back

 

[yeti-gvr4]

are you on the highway or city when you overheat?