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!

 

[laserblue]

Thanks!!
....... and does the radiator feel hot... and the hoses?
[I'm trying to determine if coolant is flowing.]

 

[fasteclipse1992]

yes they feel hot and coolant is flowing

 

[halo23]

my overheating prob was the result of a faulty thermostat

 

[nutshot]

Have you done a pressure test on the coolant system?

 

[fasteclipse1992]

i diagnosed the problem to be a blown head gasket

 

[nutshot]

How?

 

[fasteclipse1992]

air bubbles in the coolant, steam and water comin out of exhaust, when i take off the coolant cap when i 1st start engine there is built up pressure that smells like gas. but there is no oil in coolant or coolant in oil. im changing head gasket when the auto part store gets it in monday. hopefuly head isnt warped or cracked. if i still have probs out comes the 1.8 and im installin this turbo 4g63 engine, wiring harness ecu and everything else is needed like ive been plannin on doing, but wanted to wait till spring.

 

[JuiceGsTurbo024]

I got the Same Prob Right now and i am looking for Help! its coming right over the oil filter! well let me now whats going on with your car and i tell you if i fix mine i am going to my friends house right now to check it out and see if its something i can fix! Later

 

[RED_GST]

IM HAVING A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH MY 97 GST

LAST SUMMER I WAS HAVING A SMALL OVERHEATING PROBLEM AND A WATERLEAK FROM MY WATERPUMP. OVER THE WINTER I REPLACED THE TIMING BELT, SO I PUT A NEW PUMP AND GASKET ON. THE OLD GASKET WAS ROCK HARD AND YOU COULD SEE A WATERMARK ON THE OLD PUMP THAT SHOWED WHERE IT WAS LEAKING. FINALLY GOT MY CAR READY FOR THE SUMMER AND I TOOK IT OUT FOR A 15 MIN DRIVE. ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH, IT STARTED OVERHEATING AGAIN, SO I TURNED AROUND AND STARTED DRIVING HOME. IT KEPT OVERHEATING AND I DROVE SLOWLY FOR ABOUT 5 MIN WITH IT IN THE RED. I GET HOME AND TAKE A LOOK UNDER THE HOOD AND ITS STEAMING AND THERE IS WATER BOILING INTO THE OVER FLOW CONTAINER AND THERE IS OIL ALL OVER THE TRANSMISSION. ANY SUGGESTIONS. IS IT THE HEAD GASKET
THANKS
BRAD

 

[Norb85]

A blown head gasket is a possibility, but fi there is oil all over the tranny i tcould be a blown oil pan gasket or main seal. look and see where all the oil came out of. That should tell the tale as to what blew out.

 

[echo]

do a leakdowntest. check out http://www.vfaq.com on how to do it.

it sounds like a head gasket problem and the leakdown test will tell you if it is or not. you could also have a cracked radiator.

 

[2GturboTALON]

I noticed that my car over heats if i leave it on and have my car parked. The needle rises and i smell coolant but it doesnt overheat while driving . The fan works also

 

[BacknBlack92ESi]

i noticed that with mine today, when i got home from school i left it running for about 10 minutes b./c i had to change and when i came out i saw smoke/steam coming from the top of my hood, i imedialty opend it and it was smoking from the header/block, it was really really hot, so i took it to a friends house but it drove fine........im stumped

 

[echo]

well if the fan works then it could be your water pump has taken a shit. does the upper and low hoses get hot?

it's wierd that it only happens when it is in idle, but the fan still works. it seems to me that if it only happens when at idle it would be the fan or something in that area, because if the water pump didn't work it should overheat at idle or driving. open the radiator cap and while it is running, wait a couple mins and see if the coolant is flowing. if it's not then it is the water pump.

your radiator could also be clogged. when i had my overheating problem, i cleaned out my radiator (it wasn't that, but it was nasty in there. my problem was the fans). just drain the coolant and then take off the upper and lower radiator hoses and stick the hose in there and turn it on full blast and let it run through there for a good 5 mins.

 

[laserblue]

Also...check for an accumulation of garbage caught between the radiator and the A/C condenser coil. Leaves [and other crap] tend to find a new home in there and block the air flow.
Like was asked above...do the upper and lower hoses both feel hot?

 

[Depth]

I read a post that said to take out the thermostat and drive around to see if it is the thermostat that is bad. my question is do i just unplug the sensor going to the thermostat or completly remove it.

 

[Rob]

completely remove it ....... =)
Later
Rob

 

[Defiant]

They speak of removing the thermostat. You should never drive a water-cooled engine without a restrictor, such as a thermostat. The system _wants_ the water "slowed down" in the jacket.

 

[rivet0r]

So it was running fine and everything until like, all of a sudden when I pulled into my driveway, I noticed the gauge almost into the H zone so I quickly turned the car off and I hear water dripping all over, so I got out to check.. It was coolant coming from the coolant overflow tube. I've never had a problem with my car overheating, why would it all of a sudden overheat? Any ideas? I'm afraid too drive it now

 

[rivet0r]

I forgot to mention that my car used to run pretty cold, so I bought a new thermostat and haven't put it in yet.. but lately it hasn't ran cold at all, it's been almost perfectly in the middle of the gauge where it should be. Is it possible that the current thermostat could be getting stuck open AND closed? How far fetched does that sound.. just a thought, I don't know what to do

 

[Street Dreams]

My car does the same thing, but mine is non turbo... 4G63. I have a brand new Tstat and water pump. Please, any help would be most appreciated, thanks.

 

[nutshot]

How many miles on motor? Idle problems? Boost comes on smooth? (All before overheating).

 

[echo]

if coolant is coming from the overflow bottle it could be a blown headgasket. i have the same problem and people say that it is the headgasket altough i get perfect compression across the board.

it's funny, it only happens when i really get on it. like WOT through 4th gear. so maybe the headgasket is holding a good seal until the pressure of boost is getting to it and it is opening up. i don't know, this weekend i am going to rip the head apart and see what's going on.

 

[Street Dreams]

We did a compression test and it was fine all the way. Is it possible for the headgasket to hold a good seal for so long, and then leak.... I don't have a turbo, so I wouldn't think it's possible. Since the first time it overheated, I've had a fairly rough idle, my exhaust certainly sounds different, a bit deeper and rougher. My oil pressure normally, is just a little to the right of dead center while driving, and while at idle, it would dip to the left hand line and sometimes a little below. But now, it fluctuates even when I'm driving, it will get way past the line. And while driving, my temp will go up to the line... not red, but that line before it, and cool down, it will do this back and forth, and then it eventually stops cooling down... maybe a faulty relay? Please help.

 

[gotdsm?]

Ok, so I have kind of the same symptoms.

I have a 91 AWD TSi with the only modifications currently right now is my boost is set to 15psi.

My gauge, will go to 100% hot no matter how hot or cold the actual car is. Lemme explain more in detail... I can start my car after 2 days of sitting in my driveway and it will work its way up to hot within 3 seconds of being started. I can start the car 2 mins after it being turned off and I get the same symptoms.

I replaced my thermostat, had the radiator flushed and this did not seem to cure the problem. The weird thing is that I didnt seem to have this problem until 2 days after I installed my boost gauge. Anyhow, I took my car on a drive on the highway and one day it actually did overheat. I could hear the coolant in the hose boiling, and there was maybe 1 drop that came out of the coolant overflow tank.

Any ideas? Perhaps water pump? I havent relpaced the coolant sensor yet as well.

Thanks Fellas.