Coolant Problem and Weird Idle Problem

[jdvorsky]

Alright so I'm pretty new to talons, and fwd cars in general, having mostly owned camaros/firebirds but I am having a few problems with my talon.

Its a 2.0L non-turbo 1994 Talon
(Completely stock except muffler)

I have done a full coolant flush, replaced my thermostat, rad cap and bled the system for a long time to make sure theres no air pockets but my coolant still comes boiling out and I am constantly having to top it up. My car runs pretty hot but my temp gauge never goes past the middle.

My second problem is that every now and then my car starts to idle weird, it does it after cold starts sometimes but does it after I've been driving for a while as well and eventually it goes away. Basically the idle jumps up to 1200-1300 then bogs right away back down to 600-700 then bounces back up to 1200-1300 and just keeps bouncing back and forth.

I took a look around the forums and while I found some threads with similar problems I couldnt find any direct answers to my questions so hopefully you guys can help me out!

Thanks a ton,

Jake

 

[boosted1stgen]

If your coolant is boiling out then your cooling system is not holding pressure, check your radiator cap and make sure its good and the right one. For every 1 pound of pressure it raises the boiling point about 2 degrees. if your system is not sealed it wont be able to build pressure, which causes boiling. When the car is cold take the radiator cap off and start it, if it bubbles or pushes coolant out, then you have a head gasket problem.

 

[jdvorsky]

If your coolant is boiling out then your cooling system is not holding pressure, check your radiator cap and make sure its good and the right one. For every 1 pound of pressure it raises the boiling point about 2 degrees. if your system is not sealed it wont be able to build pressure, which causes boiling.

Thanks Boosted but I Just replaced the rad cap with a brand new one. I checked it at work (Jiffy Lube) and it definitely holds pressure.

Hrm, sounds like its probably the head gasket then...

 

[boosted1stgen]

Take a sample of your coolant and get it tested for hydrocarbons. That will tell you if pressure from combustion chamber is pushing past your head gasket into cooling system

 

[Mokkan]

I am constantly having to top it up.

Are you filling the overflow tank all the way to the top? If so, it will overflow every time. The water needs room to expand as it heats up. If you've put it through a few heat cycles already, make sure the coolant is within the fill lines.

My car runs pretty hot but my temp gauge never goes past the middle.

If your car is running too hot, your temp gauge should show that. Is is hot, or too hot? If you can't use the hood support stick with a bare hand, its too hot.