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!

 

[MNsleeper]

you would think that thats important information to give someone when they buy your car!!?? oh by the way the radiator fan switch is in the glove box!!!

 

[Incredible_Culp]

you would think that thats important information to give someone when they buy your car!!?? oh by the way the radiator fan switch is in the glove box!!!

I know right!?

 

[Incredible_Culp]

well tonight was the night i took the talon on a nightly drive.. about a 25 minute consistent drive..

over heated.. slowly, again...........

both fans were constantly on.

im now thinking it has to be a water pump and or head gasket issue..

looks like im going on ExtremePSI come saturday

if i fix those, and it STILL over heats, .. i think im going to run it off a cliff........

 

[DSM1G90]

1G's ..... where is your license plate?

If you got that plate in direct placement in front of the radiator, the plate acts like an air dam pushing the air away from getting to the radiator and you'll easily overheat no matter what you do.

Move the plate and see what happens.

 

[JusMX141]

If you're losing coolant aside from what boils out, then obviously you're having some type of head gasket sealing issue that needs addressed.

Our cooling systems are fairly simple. When you have an overheating issue, there's not much to go wrong...either the coolant isn't able to circulate (thermostat, water pump, clogged rad), or there is an airflow obstruction or lack of ducting which isn't allowing the rad to do it's job.

It's highly recommended that you run a 180* thermostat if you aren't using one already. I go a step further and remove the factory "jiggler" valve then drill the bleed hole with a 1/8" bit to prevent any possibility of an air lock between the engine and the rad.

A pressure test is about the only way to determine if you have a head gasket leaking. You can normally rent a tester at your local chain parts store with a healthy deposit.

 

[Breezio69]

My fans are wired to the A/C switch in the dash. Basically wire the two fans together

THEN, so the air DOESNT have to be on all the time (since the fan control has to be on at least low to turn the A/C on, and the fans as well), I ran a fused jump wire from the power mirror fuse under the dash to the power wire on the A/C switch inside the car (I believe it was either bottom left or top left wire in the harness, facing as if it were plugged in, use a test light)

Hope this helps and saves you from wearing out your hood latch, .

 

[2g4me]

Bad head gasket would show signs: 1. Coolant leaking outside the motor resulting in puddle of coolant on the ground, might even see a trail of water/coolant down the block. 2. It could be leaking into the piston chamber(s) and burn off inside the motor and would have white smoke coming out the exhaust and would typically have a sweet smell to it. Or 3. Leaking into the oil. May even be 2 of those or even all 3. I would check the oil first just to make sure that's not it. It will have a light brown or creamy color/texture to it.

If your unsure how old the water pump is, id just replace it along with the thermostat since its cheap anyway. Then do a compression and leakdown test for the head gasket.

 

[NHerron]

The fans are responsible for idle and low speed cooling only, anything over 30MPH you get free and better cooling known as the ram air effect. It's possible the fans being on high is doing more harm than good in this instance -driving around but the positive pressure in front of the radiator is being restricted due to the quickly rotating fans. Maybe try turning them off at anything above 30 MPH.

I know you said you replaced the cap already, but I've had them leak/weak spring right out the box and your symptoms are still pretty similar.

Have you been here yet, Mr. Lude? Just kiddin but this is a good cooling FAQ listed on a Honda site
Overheating: Symptoms and causes

 

[Spoolin92GSX]

I think a small but important detail was overlooked here.. OP, you said you jumped the fuse and the fans worked, and used a switch in place of the fuse and they worked.. Replace the fuse, there should be no need to use a switch in place of a fuse, not to mention the hazard of not using a fuse on a fairly high current circuit.

Also, another small detail I noticed: you said you filled with coolant, did you fill with pure coolant or did you mix with distilled water?

 

[PaulC]

i had the same problem the fan wouldnt run. well the guy before me wired the fan to a switch and just had it sitting in the center console. people do some odd things

 

[DSM1G90]

I go a step further and remove the factory "jiggler" valve then drill the bleed hole with a 1/8" bit to prevent any possibility of an air lock between the engine and the rad.

Learned that trick a few hundred moons ago with the DODGE 2.2L with that "waterbox" contraption and how the t-stat sits..vertically.

I'd punch a .050 in the flange. Then, with the hole at the "12:00" positon when I mounted the t-stat back in the waterbox. Definitely got rid of any airlock those things would produce. Thus, wonder if this trick would aid those 420A owners.

I still do the hole trick when I do any t-stats.

-DSM

 

[Incredible_Culp]

I think a small but important detail was overlooked here.. OP, you said you jumped the fuse and the fans worked, and used a switch in place of the fuse and they worked.. Replace the fuse, there should be no need to use a switch in place of a fuse, not to mention the hazard of not using a fuse on a fairly high current circuit.

Also, another small detail I noticed: you said you filled with coolant, did you fill with pure coolant or did you mix with distilled water?

thats what i was thinking at first.. replace the fuse..

at first (when the coolant was bubbling) i did use 50/50.. until recently i switch to pure coolant.. when the car over heated last night, i popped the hood and did not hear the coolant bubbling.. i waited for a couple minutes then opened up the over flow, all was there.. nothing leaked out.. (as it did in the past) so im thinking the 50/50 caused the coolant to run too hot and start bubbling..

The fans are responsible for idle and low speed cooling only, anything over 30MPH you get free and better cooling known as the ram air effect. It's possible the fans being on high is doing more harm than good in this instance -driving around but the positive pressure in front of the radiator is being restricted due to the quickly rotating fans. Maybe try turning them off at anything above 30 MPH.

I know you said you replaced the cap already, but I've had them leak/weak spring right out the box and your symptoms are still pretty similar.

Have you been here yet, Mr. Lude? Just kiddin but this is a good cooling FAQ listed on a Honda site
Overheating: Symptoms and causes

but then some people said that they run the fans consistently with no problems..

i ordered my t stat and cap from extreme psi.. oem.. so im sure theyre ok...?

and yes, haha i used that site before for my lude actually had the same probelm, but i fixed it with just a few steps.. tried the same thing to the dsm, no effect (cap & t stat)

Bad head gasket would show signs: 1. Coolant leaking outside the motor resulting in puddle of coolant on the ground, might even see a trail of water/coolant down the block. 2. It could be leaking into the piston chamber(s) and burn off inside the motor and would have white smoke coming out the exhaust and would typically have a sweet smell to it. Or 3. Leaking into the oil. May even be 2 of those or even all 3. I would check the oil first just to make sure that's not it. It will have a light brown or creamy color/texture to it.

If your unsure how old the water pump is, id just replace it along with the thermostat since its cheap anyway. Then do a compression and leakdown test for the head gasket.

actually when i first got the dsm.. it DID idle with light white smoke coming from the exhaust.. idk what i did to fix it (maybe when i changed the spark plugs/wires) but it doesnt smoke any more...

ill check the oil when i get out of class.. didnt think about that.

1G's ..... where is your license plate?

If you got that plate in direct placement in front of the radiator, the plate acts like an air dam pushing the air away from getting to the radiator and you'll easily overheat no matter what you do.

Move the plate and see what happens.

in oklahoma we dont have front license plates

If you're losing coolant aside from what boils out, then obviously you're having some type of head gasket sealing issue that needs addressed.

Our cooling systems are fairly simple. When you have an overheating issue, there's not much to go wrong...either the coolant isn't able to circulate (thermostat, water pump, clogged rad), or there is an airflow obstruction or lack of ducting which isn't allowing the rad to do it's job.

It's highly recommended that you run a 180* thermostat if you aren't using one already. I go a step further and remove the factory "jiggler" valve then drill the bleed hole with a 1/8" bit to prevent any possibility of an air lock between the engine and the rad.

A pressure test is about the only way to determine if you have a head gasket leaking. You can normally rent a tester at your local chain parts store with a healthy deposit.

doesnt seem im losing coolant aside from when it boils out..

i am running a 180* t stat..

but ill consider what youre telling me to do as well thanks!



ill let everyone know what my progress/solutions was tonight

 

[GRAVEDIGGER]

at first (when the coolant was bubbling) i did use 50/50.. until recently i switch to pure coolant.. when the car over heated last night, i popped the hood and did not hear the coolant bubbling.. i waited for a couple minutes then opened up the over flow, all was there.. nothing leaked out.. (as it did in the past) so im thinking the 50/50 caused the coolant to run too hot and start bubbling..

You don't want to run pure coolant. The 50/50 mixture with water actually helps it cool better than with pure coolant. With pure coolant you're loosing some of your cooling system efficiency.

 

[Incredible_Culp]

You don't want to run pure coolant. The 50/50 mixture with water actually helps it cool better than with pure coolant. With pure coolant you're loosing some of your cooling system efficiency.

welp, looks like im going to drain/flush the radiator again.. thanks

 

[Incredible_Culp]

Last night i properly drained the coolant.. refilled with 50/50

car was running consistently for about 2.5 hours after i refilled, no signs of over heating// so i thought ALL was good..

tonight, i went for another long drive to test it.. drove about 40 minutes round trip// when i got back into my town, same thing happened. over heating slowly..

but this time it the temp gauge didnt go over to the red.. it went back and forth slowly from the middle to the line above the red (make sense?)

i stopped and let it idle for about 10 ten minutes, it didnt move. It stayed at the line above the red. (When this first was happening, it went straight to the red)

So im thinking when i properly drained and burped the system, that took care of some of the stuff..

i turned the car off (from idle) and ran to the front of the car. I didnt see any coolant falling from the bottom (it did in the past) i then popped the hood and looked inside the overflow, no bubbling. (again, it did in the past)..

So now im thinking i could have a small leak somewhere. Im going to rent a cooling pressure system at autozone to see..

Also i heard people blocking the fiav on the throttle body? i might have said it wrong.. But there is two hoses that you can take and run them into each other.. they do that because cooalnt might get in between the gasket and get into the engine..?? Know what im talking about? that might also be the culprit..

 

[NHerron]

When that happens, the engine is low on coolant. After the drive and after the engine completely cools down, the overflow might be empty and the radiator neck is low. Next time out, use a gallon size jug for an overflow and zip tie it somewhere in the bay. Drive around and see how much it pukes out after a 20 minute drive with a couple good pulls.

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/art...440201-10-coolant-system-pressure-tester.html

 

[Incredible_Culp]

When that happens, the engine is low on coolant. After the drive and after the engine completely cools down, the overflow might be empty and the radiator neck is low. Next time out, use a gallon size jug for an overflow and zip tie it somewhere in the bay. Drive around and see how much it pukes out after a 20 minute drive with a couple good pulls.

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/art...440201-10-coolant-system-pressure-tester.html

the thing is, i filled the system entirely last night.. even filled up the over flow before my trip tonight..

when i looked inside the overflow after my drive, it was lower, but not by much

thanks for link btw

EDIT: Just came back from outside checking my oil to see if it was milky, it wasnt.. i checked my overflow again, its nearly empty! mind you, i topped it off (overflow) before i went on my trip.. when it over heated i stopped and checked it again, it was as little lower than full.. i went inside, typed my experience (here) went back outside and now its almost gone.. i see a few drippings below the overflow tube when/if it boils over, but not a big enough puddle to where its leaking that much. the overflow is nearly gone... (you were right NHerron)

but when i was burping it (took like 45 min) nothing was leaking. overflow stayed full, and i made sure the radiator itself stayed full (kept pouring coalant in when needed)

im now going to fill the overflow up again, drive around town, park and place carboard under the car and see if i cant locate this leak... >:- l

 

[awddarrell]

are there any mods done to this car? I had a huge problem with mine doing a lot of what yours is doing. and went through a lot of money trying to figure it out. I had a EVOIII16g on mine and exhaust and some valve work done. Anyway got it hooked up to the computer and it was running EXTREMELY lean hooked up the safc just to see if adding some fuel would help and bam never over heated again. not saying that is your case but IT happened to me.

 

[Incredible_Culp]

So youre saying i need a safc? Thats a tunning device right? And yes its modded, a little bit.. Here

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/wel...444873-jdm-dsm-my-new-girl.html#post153069302

are there any mods done to this car? I had a huge problem with mine doing a lot of what yours is doing. and went through a lot of money trying to figure it out. I had a EVOIII16g on mine and exhaust and some valve work done. Anyway got it hooked up to the computer and it was running EXTREMELY lean hooked up the safc just to see if adding some fuel would help and bam never over heated again. not saying that is your case but IT happened to me.

 

[JusMX141]

If you're losing coolant aside from what boils out, then obviously you're having some type of head gasket sealing issue that needs addressed.

doesnt seem im losing coolant aside from when it boils out..

EDIT: Just came back from outside checking my oil to see if it was milky, it wasnt.. i checked my overflow again, its nearly empty! mind you, i topped it off (overflow) before i went on my trip..

Obvious head gasket problem is obvious.

 

[drive-maniac]

I'll put my money on the head gasket too.
I had the same issue 2 years ago. It was hard to believe for me, but finally I changed it, "machined" the head or .... whatever is called (sorry for my english) and It went back to normal.

 

[Incredible_Culp]

Obvious head gasket problem is obvious.

Its not boiling any more when it over heats - it doesnt go to red

Head gasket is new tho.. Its a composite one

 

[Spoolin92GSX]

The head gasket could be a week old, but you've over heated the car at least what, 3 or 4 times now? It might have been OK before but I'll bet it's at least wounded by now. Even if just for peace of mind I would highly recommend a compression and leakdown test. I'm noticing the cooling issues seem to have gotten better as you've flushed the system, so I'm starting to lean towards a clogged/dirty radiator or other parts of the water flow.

 

[GSTurbo1]

I dont think its the head gasket.. I changed out the plugs the other day and they seemed fine.. there wasnt any burned or weird "junk" on the plugs.. i was told if there was, thats a sign of a bad gasket..

anyways..

Thanks for your guys' fan input.. i think that it was the problem.. i jumped some speaker wire to each side of the fuse inlet (if that makes sense) haha.. Both fans came straight on...

so then i was like "hmm, oh wait" (i remember seeing a random switch in the glove box) so i got it out and plugged it straight to the relay.. turned the switch on, wahla! they both came on again.. turned the switch off, they both went of..

so then i was thinking on how i can transfer the switch into my car.. i came up with lots of solutions.. but most were a pita to do.. the main solution was to get my speaker wire on either side of the relay and then place the other ends on that switch..

that worked but noticed smoke coming from the relay.. it was burning the wire.. so then i was like hmm, i have extra "battery to amp" wire 8 gauge in my room (from a system i had). Did the same thing, worked fine, no smoke.

but then i realized i didnt have enough of it to trace it through into the car

so then finally i said, "you know what, screw it." "Im just gonna plug this switch right into the relay, and everytime i get into or out of my car, im just going to pop the hood and manually turn the switch on or off.." so thats what i did..

havent drove the car today.. but both fans come on now, so i think i fixed the prob.. just need to fill it up with coolant and see how it goes

credit goes to you guys! thanks!.. wouldnt even thought about it being the fan haha

...p.s. hopefully this is the problem, if it over heats while the fans are on, what else would it be? probably the water pump as stated above.. dont know when that was changed..

Junk on the plugs is not the only sign of a blown head gasket

Take your thermostat out... fill it up. If it burns out then you have blown head gasket. I'm about done with my head gasket/piston replace now.

 

[aguiga]

maybe ## thermostat is sticking