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!

 

[its3much]

theres a post on here somewhere if you search the guy wired his slim fans together both powers(blue wire) so they both came on when it heated up instead of one he said it worked

 

[AaronL]

Yeah both fans work. With the thermostat out it runs fine. Is it possible I just got a bad stat out the box?

 

[rcarrier]

Yeah both fans work. With the thermostat out it runs fine. Is it possible I just got a bad stat out the box?

Yes it is , i bought 3 t-stats before i got a good one (only have advance auto here )

 

[95JTalonTSI]

apparently stock fans flow 900cfm and plus they have their own shroud, so i took the Advance discount slimline fans back got my money and purchased the 12" 1000cfm fans from slow boy. Well see how it works out!

 

[hornetsnest]

...purchased the 12" 1000cfm fans from slow boy. Well see how it works out!

I bought the same fans (website says 1250cfms) but haven't installed them yet. I thought about wiring them to stay on all the time, but I heard they burn out a lot quicker. I'll probably do what 1ts3much said and wire them to come on together.

 

[95JTalonTSI]

my bad, i just need better cooling. I had one fan come in the other day it looks great and slimmer than the el chepo at discount auto stores. I hope it gets the job done

 

[eclpsegsx12]

just got my built 6-bolt in my 2g with ross pistons, eagle rods ect.....i warmed it up and everything was fine....im running a 14b turbo right now that is non-water cooled because i didnt hook the lines up....i drive it around for about 5 minutes and everythings fine but after that, the coolant temp gauge moves close to hot and keeps rising....on top of this, at 4500 rpm, it stutters and doesnt want to go any further...im thinking it could be the turbo for that one because it doesnt sound so great and it is non-water cooled..(only for break in, i have a different turbo) I replaced my thermostat to see if that was the problem and it still overheated about 10 minutes into driving it....i have 2 12 inch slimline fans that are wired up to pull air from the radiator and they originally were pushing which was one problem but i fixed it. water pump is brand new also....i dont have a clue what the problem could be for both the bog at 4.5k and the overheating.....any help is appreciated.

 

[luv2rallye]

maybe you just need a new radiator?

 

[Suparata]

There are two things that are very important at startup. Pre-lubing the engine and bleeding the coolant system. You have to make sure you have oil everywhere and the coolant system is full (no air pockets).

 

[NickMOSU]

Alright, well my car over heated the other night, and when I opened up the radiator cap (after it cooled obviously) it was low on coolant. I filled it up and it started to overheat on the way home so I ended up getting it towed. I plan on putting in a new thermostat and flushing the radiator tomorrow after I get off work. However, I drove it for about 5-6 minutes tonight and the temp gauge started to rise past where it normally sits so I shut it down. The upper radiator hose was hot but the radiator was ice cold. Does this signify a faulty water pump? If so, wouldn't it leak when it goes bad? There are no leaks that I can see. Any help would be appreciated.
Nick

 

[BISHILVR]

sometimes that means a clogged radiator, but i could be a t stat or still could be a water pump with the impeller broke loose or something......

 

[crankbender]

sounds like a water pump to me...

Pull the thermostat out then put the housing back without it (don't worry about sealing). Pull the upper radiator hose off the radiator and start the car....if water doesn't go shooting out your water pump is kaput. If it does then take your thermostat and put it in a pot of water on the stove. The thermostat should open before it boils.

 

[crankbender]

There are two things that are very important at startup. Pre-lubing the engine and bleeding the coolant system. You have to make sure you have oil everywhere and the coolant system is full (no air pockets).

Also check time..if your timing is off (cam timing that is) you could have some weird temp problems and some stumbling.

 

[jeffc]

Hey guys,

'92 1.8 - waterpump gave out, didn't have hte time or tools to replace it myself this time, so I had it done at a shop. All looked good afterwards, drove it home this afternoon.

Tonight, went to run some errands, it started ovreheating after 10+ miles. Fortunately it happened as I was passing a service station. Whipped in, I was leaving a trail from the overflow drain hose. Let it sit for a few, popped the cap, proceeded to refill with water. Let it run for a few moments, heater on, heater off, various RPMs, continuing to top it off attempting to get any air bubbles out of it. Did this with it running for half an hour with the temp guage sitting exactly where it did before the water pump was replaced. Sealed it up, contnued driving, 10 miles late rit started doing the exact same thing. Stopped, burped it again, spent anothre half hour with it running.

No smoke, oil looks clean. I did notice that when I run the heat, it still runs warmer than normal, but it doesn't try to overheat as quickly. The temp will actually head back down torwards normal (but not quite reaching it) with the heat on. But who the heck wants to run the heat when it's 90+ outside?!

This is my daily driver, and I need to get it back to normal ASAP. Any suggestions?

 

[luv2rallye]

Check/replace thermostat - it might be clogged/jammed shut.

 

[jeffc]

Check/replace thermostat - it might be clogged/jammed shut.

Thanks, I'll go ahead and pick up a replacement and replace the current one since I'll have it out, and they are relatively cheap...


but...


The car will run for half an hour sitting in the parking lot, with the temp at its normal temperature. It'll also make it 10 or so miles at normal temp before it starts to creep up. If the thermostat was stuck shut, wouldnt it just continue rising from startup until it overheated?

BTW, both fans are working properly...forogt to mention that previously, but it still wants to overheat with the A/C (2nd fan) on...

 

[luv2rallye]

The car will run for half an hour sitting in the parking lot, with the temp at its normal temperature. It'll also make it 10 or so miles at normal temp before it starts to creep up. If the thermostat was stuck shut, wouldnt it just continue rising from startup until it overheated?

Ya your right, unless it just doesn't open far enough. And get a new radiator cap (cheap). Then take it back to the shop and demand they pressure test the cooling system. There's got to be a leak somewhere.

 

[jeffc]

Had to drive it roughly 10 miles this morning to work. Plan on replacing the thermostat/cap out int he parking lot during lunch.

I checked the coolant level before leaving the house this morning. The expansion bottle was bone dry (even tho it was over full last night when I parked the car), and the level under the cap was just barely low. There was also still some pressure in the system from last night, as I heard it gasp when I took the cap off. I went ahead and filled the bottle back up (slightly over the Full line), and put a splash in up top to fill it up to the neck, put the cap on, and came on to work.

It didn't offer to overheat, the guage stayed where it normally does. The only thing I see odd is that the overflow tube has discharged about half a cup of fluid on the ground, and the expansion bottle is now VERY full, up to the top, where it was only full up to the 'full line' when I topped it off this morning.

Are these things notorious for air in the system? Do I need to flip it over on it's back and burp the crap out of it?

 

[jeffc]

An hour later, the system has cooled fromt he drive in this morning - The overflow bottle is no longer full up to the top, but is sitting very near the full line instead.

Waiting on Carquest to deliver my thermostat/cap.

 

[SuperGokou06]

Hi i just got my 95gst last weekend and since i have never owned a turbo car before, I have a very interesting question i have to ask. My temp gauge works normal and lately since Ive had the car a few days ive noticed that the temp always goes up to about 3/4 up about 23% away from hot, now the weird thing is this always happens when ive come to a stop or waiting for a light, because when i start driving again the temp drops to halfway and when i come to another stop it goes up again. Now my question is, is this normal, not knowing if the turbo temp comes into play really bothers me but thats why im trying to get some answers here, plz help. and ive already checked all the fluid, in the radiator and the other engine water reserve tank, and they are both full. Im stuck, plz help.
Much appreciated.

 

[BlakeGSX]

any awkward smell from your exhuast or alot of moisture comming from it? could be a bad headgasket...

did u just buy the car? maybe been overboosted?

 

[NickMOSU]

Thanks, that is exactly the post I needed, I couldn't think of a way to check my pump without removing it. Thanks a ton.

 

[its3much]

i see people ask this all the time heres some advice if your top radiator hose is hot then your thermo is opening. its even says it in the trusty haynes

 

[SuperGokou06]

yea i just bought it from some older dude, its in pretty good condition and ill have pics up soon, i just read another post so i dont know if its the water pump or the thermostat also, but im going to replace both of those anyway just to be sure. That will be after i replace the isc though, but i just would feel safer knowing if its nothing serious but it still worries me. I dont think its normal for the temp to go that high.

 

[eclipsegsx9797]

if you had a blown hg most likly it would over heat at any time not just at a stop. sounds like a bad fan or your fan just isnt working hard enough. also id check your thermastate. and if that doesnt work water pump. all these are known to cause problems at a stop