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!

 

[spyderdrifter]

So as I was cleaning my garage today, I decided to move my Spyder over to one side in preperation for my girls new bike we're getting. Sterted it up and it sounded rough as hell and almost died. I tapped the gas to keep it running, which it did, but the idle was very choppy and I looked at the water pump area under the car and it was leaking coolant faster than usual. Could the bad water pump be causing the choppy idle? It was running like it didn't want to run. I don't know how else tp explain it.

 

[scottyhops]

sounds like head gasket problem, also thermostat go out i know mine did and it cause over heating because it was stuck closed..changed it and haven't had a problem since

 

[spyderdrifter]

sounds like head gasket problem, also thermostat go out i know mine did and it cause over heating because it was stuck closed..changed it and haven't had a problem since

I've already replaced the t-stat. Drove 15 miles home right after replacing it and that's when I finally noticed the cold rad hose.

 

[swiftdeathtsi1]

It all started with a hose blowing up and causing my car to overheat. I replaced the hose and bled the coolant and it still overheated after driving it for a few minutes. Then i replaced the thermostat, the fill cap, bled the coolant system again and it still overheated. It will be fine driving it for about 15 minutes but then it starts overheating. By the way it does this at night too when its 30 degrees outside. Usually my car will stay cool even without the fans on when its that cold. While it is beginning to get hot the heat goes out like it lost all the coolant but it never smokes, i dont smell it burning coolant, and it never really loses that much coolant unless i let it get too hot and it all comes out of the overflow. some times out of no where though the temp will drop back down a bit and the heat comes back. It acts like the thermostat gets stuck some times but i have tried two new ones and a couple of other ones i had laying around and it still does the same thing. I do notice when i shut the car off when its hot coolant boils out of the overflow but im sure thats only because it is hot. Im starting to think the head gasket is blown but i dont ever see the car smoking. Also there is no coolant in the oil.

 

[DSM1G90]

A good chance of a Blown Head Gasket since you did get it overheated.

It doesn't have to blow white smoke out the tailpipe since a minute crack can develop in the gasket itself where the coolant doesn't go into the chamber but close where the coolant does get super hot and boils over into the overfill.

With a new radiator cap, did you clean the two gasket surfaces smooth where you add the coolant so the gaskets in the cap can seat correctly?

T-stat mounted with the spring down, and using a 195 degree t-stat?

How's the water pump - new or needs changeout with the belt?

 

[swiftdeathtsi1]

The cap seals perfect, new water pump, new belts, 195 thermostat. Its gotta be the head gasket.

 

[luv2rallye]

Do a compression test - should tell you if HG leak.

 

[PsToLeRo]

do your fans turn on like they should ?... check your water pump by squeezing the top radiator hose and accelerating the engine if a surge is felt the pump is good, if its bad it wont circulate cool water through your cooling system ; you should also check for a lower collapsed radiator hose because they have a wire that keeps them straight and if it gets damaged it wont allow cool water into the system if these all check out good its an electrical problem

 

[PsToLeRo]

do you get bubbles in the coolant expansion/over flow tank ?

 

[jmelocik]

when you bled the cooling system did you have the heat on full, fan on and used the overfilled funnel technique? When you said it comes back down and the heat comes on intermittently it sounds like you still have air in the cooling system.

Josh

 

[MrCii]

+1 ^

the intermittent heating issue screams air pocket

 

[jmelocik]

+1 ^

the intermittent heating issue screams air pocket

Agreed, you can get a funnel and adapter for properly bleeding the cooling system if this hasn't been done already. Not trying to insult the OPs intelligence but it is often overlooked having the heat on full and fan on while trying to purge the air out of the cooling system.

Josh

 

[DSM1G90]

What I've done with the air lock thing is (if the t-stat doesn't have the jiggle valve..) to drill a .050 hole in the t-stat flange.

This definitely rids the system of air lock and helps burp the system.

It's a thing that I've learned with some cars that mounts the t-stat vertically and the system cannot rid of the air lock. DODGE "K" cars were good for this air lock problem.

 

[jmelocik]

Dodge "K" cars were good for a lot of problems!

Josh

 

[1983gsp]

We owned a dodge "k" car once upon a time. I'm getting old. Lol.

 

[swiftdeathtsi1]

Thanks for the input. I have tried using the funnel and the heat and fans were on. Im thinkin head gasket. Im going to do a compression test and a leakdown test today see whats goin on.

 

[Tamatalon39]

Ok so my 95 TSI over heated last week. and I had to have it towed home. took it apart and from what I could tell, the problem, was loose head studs (ARP). now this could be because of the copper headgasket or maybe from the actual over heating, caused from a faulty waterpump. Not sure.

My question, is I just put on a new turbo when I put the head back on. and I did not hook up the waterlines yet, because I broke a plastic T someone had n the water return down near the oil cooler housing/

I bypassed it, so the system was sealed., could this cause the overheating? because it has been acting up since I put everything back together. itll drive for about 20 min. and then the water is gone most likely from the overflow bottle/

I was thinking a bad waterpump but wouldn't the temp just rise constantly and not be driveable for even 20 min.? sorry if this sounds confusing but, its the best i can do to describe it.

i an effort to troubleshoot, I took out the thermostat, am running all water, replaced my radiator with one from my eclipse, put new gates blue hoses on, and a new cap.


I didnt send the head to the machine shop, i just put a straight edge on it and everthing looked good. needed the car for work. now I got another car so I can do it right.

 

[JuGs]

blocking off the coolant to the turbo should not cause overheating. I have ran a turbo that way for months and never overheated. Its not good for the turbo but it works. With overheating I would check and replace water pump and t stat. flush the rad for possible clog in it.

 

[nek]

If your water is leaving yoursystem it means that your hg has failed and your pushing coolant out. That or your rad cap is junk and not sealing properly.

 

[spyderdrifter]

Just got a new water pump and head gasket. Got the gasket just to be on the safe side. Gonna get a new timing belt and tensioner too, just since the old one will be coming off anyway. Now I just need time to do it all.

 

[BogusSVO]

Make sure you check the head for warp. and machine as needed.

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

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/cylinder-head-short-block/413772-how-clean-head-gasket-surface.html

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/cyl...how-aluminum-head-pressure-tested-cracks.html

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/new...face-4g63t-cylinder-head-mls-head-gasket.html

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/cyl...0613-why-not-let-your-head-belt-surfaced.html

And do...

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/341028-4g63t-head-oil-port-mod.html

 

[2gDSM6bolt]

Ok I am having a overheating problem in a 97 gst with a 6bolt swap. It only happens when I stop for a small period of time. If I start moving or even if I just rev while at a stop light it will go back to normal. I did have a problem with the wiring of the slim fans but that is fixed now and it is still doing it with the fans running. Any suggestions? waterpump maybe?

 

[NHerron]

FYI being low on coolant is well, obviously bad but there is something else to consider. When the fluid level is low enough, the dash gauge wont even register a hot engine, all the while the engine is constantly overheating... and you don't even know it. The coolant sensor works based on convection, so if it isn't SUBMERGED in coolant like its supposed to, it doesn't reflect an even close reading to what the coolant (engine) temp really is. Since the fluid level is low like that, you now have lots of air in the system, this lowers the boiling point drastically, basically boiling continously. The complicated radiator pressure cap has now just turned into a simple splash cap .

In my observation, a flickering temp gauge on the dash is a very good indication I was low on coolant

 

[CONSIGLIERI]

Can you see if the fans are turning on ?
I guess it's not the water pump, since when you rev it with the car stopped it makes the water circulate...

 

[2gDSM6bolt]

yeah the fans are turning on now