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!

 

[ESleazy]

Burping the system...?

 

[Dsm4lyfe12]

Burping the system...?

Typically, we have a check valve that doesnt need to be bled.

 

[Clutch450]

I have had this overheating issue occuring ever since I put the 6 bolt swap in my car last year. Only happens when the weather temps outside get warmer(75+ degrees). If I'm sitting in traffic on a hot day or boosting down the highway I notice my temp will rise a good ways past halfway. I turn on my heat and it settles back down. Can not run the A/C because the temps just skyrocket then.

In the past year I have completely rebuilt the engine- new pistons, rods, MLS HG, waterpump, etc. I bought a new Misimoto Radiator, New Thermostat, Flushed the system, used Antifreeze additives, run the fans on constantly through DSMlink. But nothing helps.
I'm stuck now and need help.

My only leads so far are that every now and then when I check the coolant overflow bottle I see that it is lower than when I last checked, like the engine is using it, but if you pop the thermo cap it is full! The HG is good- 180 lbs across all 4 cylinders.

And the second is that when I got my head machined/decked the mechanic said it was out of spec and he couldn't garauntee it. But the valves do not touch the pistons. Would this be causing my problems? Do I need a new unmolested head to work with?

Any help or advice would be apprieciated!
My profile is up to date with my mods before anyone asks.

 

[1997_GSX]

Check your base timing if the timing is retarded to much it will over heat and run hot.

 

[Clutch450]

I should be advanced 5 degrees on my base timing right?

 

[1997_GSX]

I should be advanced 5 degrees on my base timing right?

5 Degrees BTDC. If you have adj cam gears make sure the intake one didn't slip a bit. Also verify base timing with the timing mode in ecmlink checked.

 

[dsmornothing]

Ok you've done all of this stuff, have you replaced the water pump?

 

[Clutch450]

Ok you've done all of this stuff, have you replaced the water pump?

Yes waterpump was replaced.

 

[1997_GSX]

What fans are you running? A S-Blade SPAL 12" flows 1360 CFM of air which is greater than FAL fans and the crappy ebay or mishimoto garbage.

 

[Clutch450]

5 Degrees BTDC. If you have adj cam gears make sure the intake one didn't slip a bit. Also verify base timing with the timing mode in ecmlink checked.

Yes I did make sure I checked it in Link, I don't have adj gears just stock. I used whiteout on the marks with a timing light. For advanced 5 degrees when the timing light flashes the marks would not be perfectly across from each other right? The exhaust gear is about a half-one tooth higher than the intake? Correct me if I'm wrong. I remember seeing a video somewhere.

 

[DSMReviver]

did you loose any of your coolants?

 

[Clutch450]

What fans are you running? A S-Blade SPAL 12" flows 1360 CFM of air which is greater than FAL fans and the crappy ebay or mishimoto garbage.

I actually dont know. Haha that's sad to say. I bought them from a local guy. I was in need of slim fans when I ran a 60 trim turbo

did you loose any of your coolants?

I believe I may be. The thermostat is always full when I check it. But the overflow bottle seems to be lower when I check it since the time I checked it before so i just top it off.
But I have scanned over my car hundreds of times, no leaks at all. And like I said the HG is brand new- 5k miles on the new motor. And not one of my cylinders is below 180 lbs of compression

 

[1997_GSX]

Yes I did make sure I checked it in Link, I don't have adj gears just stock. I used whiteout on the marks with a timing light. For advanced 5 degrees when the timing light flashes the marks would not be perfectly across from each other right? The exhaust gear is about a half-one tooth higher than the intake? Correct me if I'm wrong. I remember seeing a video somewhere.

You need to check your timing off of the crank pully there is a nick that is cut into it, take white out and put it in the groove.

The marks you line it up with are on the lower timing cover.

Put the timing gut on the cylinder number 1 the plug closest to the timing belt.

I believe that is your issue if you are checking it off the gears, its possible but not as easy. Don't worry about the terminal that guy is talking about you have link so all you have to do it check the check box
Engine Timing

 

[Clutch450]

You need to check your timing off of the crank pully there is a nick that is cut into it, take white out and put it in the groove.

The marks you line it up with are on the lower timing cover.

Put the timing gut on the cylinder number 1 the plug closest to the timing belt.

I know exactly what you mean. I will check it out tomorrow.
I know there is more than one mark on the lower cover though. Which one is it that I'm lining the pulley up with?

Thank you for the link. I will do that first thing tomorrow and then get back on what I find.

 

[1997_GSX]

I know exactly what you mean. I will check it out tomorrow.
I know there is more than one mark on the lower cover though. Which one is it that I'm lining the pulley up with?

Thank you for the link. I will do that first thing tomorrow and then get back on what I find.

Between the T and the 10 there is a make that is the one that you want.

Good luck man I hope this was the issue since its a very easy fix, your car will run 10x better and have more bottom end too if its way off.

 

[DSMReviver]

Pushing the coolant is another problem with installing mls gaskets. if you head and block is not smooth/straight enoughs you are going to be pushing coolant. This happens with the thermo opens because of the pressure form the pistons compressions and if there is enough pressure it may push the coolants pass the thermostat and into the reservoir. if there is enough of coolant in the reservoir its gonna over flow out of it. I would also do a proper coolant check and see if there is any pressure drops. if there is you have a coolant leak.

 

[Clutch450]

Pushing the coolant is another problem with installing mls gaskets. if you head and block is not smooth/straight enoughs you are going to be pushing coolant. This happens with the thermo opens because of the pressure form the pistons compressions and if there is enough pressure it may push the coolants pass the thermostat and into the reservoir. if there is enough of coolant in the reservoir its gonna over flow out of it. I would also do a proper coolant check and see if there is any pressure drops. if there is you have a coolant leak.

How do you go about doing a coolant check? Is there a write up anywhere?

And I'm almost positive my block and head were perfect. The machince shop I took them to decked and resurfaced them, they were like a mirror finish. But then again who knows.

 

[TWOpointFORliter]

I believe your problem lies with your fmic. Do you have proper ducting so air can get to your radiator? Also you could try sealing the area between the radiator and core support so the air can't go around it.

Are you running a heat shield, wrap or coating on your exhaust manifold?

 

[Clutch450]

I believe your problem lies with your fmic. Do you have proper ducting so air can get to your radiator? Also you could try sealing the area between the radiator and core support so the air can't go around it.

Are you running a heat shield, wrap or coating on your exhaust manifold?

I am using a heat shield on my mani.
I understand what you mean but the problem only came about once I installed the 6 bolt motor. With the 7 bolt I never once had a problem.
How would I go about directing more air towards my radiator?

 

[Alan11]

The Front mount can be blocking the airflow to the radiator.

 

[olddsmer]

If you set your adj timing light to 5* advanced, the marks on your cam gears should line up.

Good Luck
Greg

 

[Clutch450]

If you set your adj timing light to 5* advanced, the marks on your cam gears should line up.

Good Luck
Greg

I would do that but my timing light is not adjustable.

 

[kilmore]

My DSM recently showed me once again why she and her entire line of family prove to be unreliable at times. I came to a stop, turned my car off and I start hearing something shooting from under my hood, I even saw smoke. I popped the hood and saw that coolant was shooting out of an area I couldn't determine at the time because it was a little too hot to get messy. It looked like it could have been coming out of the bottom radiator hose but I had just replaced it with a silcione hose or the side of the block where the thermostat sits at.

For the mean time, I added half a gallon of water since I lost a lot of coolant and I was no where near an autozone. I begin to drive home and I could hear a whistling noise coming from underneath my hood an the heat gauge came up to 75%, flirting with overheating. I turned off the car each time it hit that mark for several minutes before continuing home. I made it home, whistling noise proceeded to do what it did and now water was leaking from the same area that I still could not determine due to all the heat.

My friend says it could be a bad thermostat. Me, I just don't know.

 

[Quicksilver1695]

water rusts thermostats shut usually. so i would drain that soon.

Wait until it is cool and check all hoses. Clamps tend to wear holes in the rubber. My radiator got a pinhole in it today. The pressure of a hot motor is the only way it would leak. There are people who pressure test them. A bad thermostat will make it overheat and boil over but not like you are describing... only a $10 part though.

edit. the whistle means pinhole in a hose or the rad. A thermostat that is stuck shut will create too much pressure blowing holes in the hoses or rad making a whistling sound.

 

[LambdaJoker]

You recently showed me once again how somebody that doesn't know how to do regular maintenance on his car will cry about how "unreliable" a dsm is. Maintenance is key to any performance oriented vehicle. I haven't had any reliability issues with my gst. Want to take a wild guess as to why that is?

And drain that water out of ## cooling system ASAP. Water has a lower boiling point than antifreeze, well when mixed with water anyways. I believe just pure antifreeze may have a lower boiling point, if my mind serves me right.