cooling problems

[echo]

my car is being stupid and not wanting to keep cool. when i am driving, everything is at normal temp. if i sit for a while, then i overheat (i blew a radiator hose one day) i know it's not the water pump that's gone because i see coolant flowing, the radiator hose is hot, and it also sucks fluid from the resivoir. i know i don't have any leaks anywhere. could my radiator be bad? the radiator is the only thing i havn't thought of until now. i am starting think it's bad. is there anywhere to check to see if it is, or does it sound like it is bad to you? if so, what's the best radiator for the money.

 

[el aguila]

Are your fans coming on?

 

[echo]

they do, but not all the time...

 

[echo]

well, i just went and checked the fans, and they come on, but the one on the passenger side struggles to come on and the other runs ok only when the AC is on. it's wierd. any help would be nice. i would like to put my thermo back in, but can't because it heats up too fast which gives me no time to have to sit at stop lights....

 

[boosted_91_tsi]

have u tried replacing the thermostat??

 

[9DTSiAWD]

Yeah i would Flush out the radiator and replace the thermostat. Hope that solves your problem.

 

[DrZiplok]

What do you mean by "struggles to come on"?

The primary cooling fan should run pretty hard when it comes on. The fact that you're only overheating while sitting still suggests a fan problem, but you might also check to see how badly filled with bugs or bent-finned your airconditioning condenser is.

 

[TheBoosted96GST]

get this dude, I had a coolent problem a while back, it turned out to be a $7.00 radiator cap, my stock old one had a tear in the seal, replace it and let us know!

 

[echo]

i don't have a thermostat, the old one busted in half, and then i got a new one, and it was still over heating so i pulled it out, to see if that was it and it wasn't, so it is out now. i can see water flowing, so like i said, i know it isn't water pump. i can try the radiator cap thing. i am gonna buy some radiator flush and try that.

could it be possible a peice of the broken thermostat went into the radiator? i was pretty sure i got all the parts that was on the thermostat, but ya never know.

i think i am gonna take it to a radiator place and have them check the cooling system to see what's wrong, then i will replace/fix whatever i need to.

 

[echo]

ok, well something else to add.
my mom took the car to get some gas for me this morning before i woke up (thanks mom ). she got there and it was over heating and then she said it started smoking real bad and she turned arond and went home. i just got up and went and looked and the radiator hose blew off the radiator (again). so i put it back on and refilled with some coolant. i left the cap off and started the car and let it heat. it was getting up to normal temp when i noticed that it was starting to overflow over the coolant fill. so for some reasons it is doing that. which when the cap is on it causes pressure to build and blows the hose.

now. does this mean that it is the water pump, or could it be that the radiator is clogged/broken. if someone could PLEASE help me with this i would be forever in your debt. i could take it up and have a radiator person check it out, but i don't want to unless i know that no one on here can help me. thanks

 

[echo]

63 views and only 5 posts... o well, im just going to take it up to a radiator shop and see what's up. thanks for the help.

 

[Newlogics]

Pressure will always build up inthe cooling ducts. That's why they sugges not to remove filling cap when car is warm. The fact that you're blowing your hose is most likely due to the overheating (More heat = more pressure) Tighten clamps better.

As for overheating, 99.9% it's your fans. If, as you say, car doesn't overheat at moderate speeds, but does it whan idling, it means fans aren't doing ther job (either off too early or on too late)

Do what I did, and hard-wire them to your ignition and let them run forever. The freaking relay is next to impossible to get workign right after it goes out. Meanwhile, let it idle with AC button on (both fans should be working) and see if it will over heat.

 

[tokyo_tad]

its not necessarily the fans though. It could be that your radiator is blocked or partially blocked causing the overheating. I agree that hoses are probably popping off to too much heat though. If you're using those worm type clamps, don't use a screwdriver to tighten it. Use it a rachet and socket to make it tight. Even with a car overheating, I don't think those clamps should be blowing off.

 

[echo]

can i just pull out the radiator and clean it myself? it doesn't look too hard to do. just some bolts and electrical plugs for the fans. what should i clean it with?

 

[Newlogics]

Originally posted by echo
can i just pull out the radiator and clean it myself? it doesn't look too hard to do. just some bolts and electrical plugs for the fans. what should i clean it with?

Yeah, that can be done fairly easily.
I would still check if your car will overheat if you have AC on when idling.

As for flushing the rad, just disconnect both hoses and connect water hose to the top one, then give it full blast and see if it comes out fast enough on the bottom.

 

[boosted_91_tsi]

I would check ALL the hoses. Esp the heater hoses and heater core. My 1g pegged the guage but it was right as a race was getting broken up so i wasnt just gonna sit there. At highway speed, a 1g will stay cool (not sure bout 2g and yes i kno it wasnt the best idea but during the situation it was) but i had maybe 2 drops of antifreeze it there. check to see if your heat is blowing out hot. just a thought. it maybe just be a faultly sensor. but anywayz, let me kno what the prob. is when u find out.

 

[echo]

well i finally got off my ass. i went out there and took out the radiator, and was looking in it and guess what i found. a peice of the radiator where the upper hose connects that must of broken when the hose came off from over heating. so i was glad i found the piece. so now my radiator is VERY clean. so i put it back in and hooked it up and refilled it with some new coolant. i got in and cranked her up. i about died from the burning coolant smell from when the hose busted and it was burning off. i let it sit running w/ no AC. it got to normal temp and i tuned on the heater to see if it was hot. it was. so i shut it off. it started to get hot, i let it get all the way to the line before the red mark. i then turned on my AC, which kicked the fans on and within about 3 mins it was running at normal temp. so that means, the water pump is working and flowing (THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!!!!!!), the radiator is fine, and nothing is leaking. so now i need new fans (i guess?). what would cause the fans not to turn on, but turn on with the AC? does this mean i need new ones? if so, where can i get some?

 

[Newlogics]

Originally posted by echo
well i finally got off my ass. i went out there and took out the radiator, and was looking in it and guess what i found. a peice of the radiator where the upper hose connects that must of broken when the hose came off from over heating. so i was glad i found the piece. so now my radiator is VERY clean. so i put it back in and hooked it up and refilled it with some new coolant. i got in and cranked her up. i about died from the burning coolant smell from when the hose busted and it was burning off. i let it sit running w/ no AC. it got to normal temp and i tuned on the heater to see if it was hot. it was. so i shut it off. it started to get hot, i let it get all the way to the line before the red mark. i then turned on my AC, which kicked the fans on and within about 3 mins it was running at normal temp. so that means, the water pump is working and flowing (THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!!!!!!), the radiator is fine, and nothing is leaking. so now i need new fans (i guess?). what would cause the fans not to turn on, but turn on with the AC? does this mean i need new ones? if so, where can i get some?

Your temp sending unit doesn't function properly, therefore your fans don't come on. Best way to go, is simply permanently hard-wire them to the ignition. That sending unit is a b!tch to get working right.

 

[KachurRacing]

I would check your thermostat.....we have off-centered thermo's with a little sesnor up top....I replaced with a normal thermo and it went out after two weeks.......I started running hot and I finally got an OEM thermo, walah...problem solved.....I also resealed the gasket to prevent leaks....just my .02

 

[echo]

i am going to get a OEM thermostat, but i know that's not the problem because i have no thermostat in it right now.

 

[echo]

does anyone know a FAQ to hardwire to the ignition?

 

[laserblue]

I just read all 21 posts. Fheewwww!!
It seems to come down to this... The fan is not coming on [that's the one that is NOT connected with the A/C]. When the A/C is turned on, the circuitry tells both fans to go on... and they do right? That means that both fans are good but the temp sensor is NOT telling the fan to go on when the coolant gets hot [with the A/C off]. That sensor is mounted on the radiator core passenger side {I THINK}. If that's the correct sensor, then jumping the wires together [assuming that there are two] will turn on the fan. If that works then replace the sensor!! Done deal!
I'd check my car now to see if all I just wrote is correct, but it's too damn cold and dark right now. I'll look tomorrow morning.
**reply to this post so that I get an email alert to remind me to check my car for you**
Your thermostat is not the trouble.
Just for fun - separate the radiator core from the A/C evaporator core and clean out any crap that may have been accumulating in there for the last decade!!!

 

[echo]

ok, i will try it tommorow. i have been trying to find a diagram that shows me what it looks like and where it could be. i have looked on vfaq, the DSM cd ( as a diagram sorta, but it is VERY small, even when maxed out). i would rather try and replace the sensor, then having the fans run all the time. so if anyone knows a faq or something on this, please let me know.

 

[Kais3rboy]

Does your AC work?

If not, just unplug the wire to the AC compressor and keep the AC knob on and anytime you are running hot, turn the fan knob and the fans should come on without the AC compressor robbing you of some horsepower. I have the same problem and all thru winter I used this fix, because it is much too cold to work on the car.

I diagnosed my problem, I hotwired the relay and the fans came on, but when I hotwired the temp switch it did not, so it's the switch.... $35 @pepboys. Try that. Email me if you have anymore problems with this.

 

[echo]

i found out my problem about a week ago. i was searching around the fuse box for some unknown reason and i noticed it said coolant fan relay on the cover. so i pulled the relay and it was shot to hell. so i went to napa and got a new relay for $27 and the problem is fixed.