FMIC install now car over heats.....

[dnhieu]

alright i installed my fmic about a week ago and the car keeps getting hot. i first installed 100% water and 1 12" slimline fan and it got hot. i then called up sb and ordered another 12" fan and wetter water and its taking longer to over heat up its still getting hot. i dont know if the water pump is bad but when i start up the car when its cold and open up the radiator cap it seems the water isnt moving as much as it does in my other talon. so im running 100% water, 2 12" slim fans, 1 bottle of wetter water. i still have my a/c and the bumper is still un hacked. both fans are comming on.


thanks in advance
david-

 

[EclipseTrbo420A]

I know some people get colder thermostats, and remove the little pin so its runs ALOT colder, but I dont see how that will stop it from overheating over a longer period of time so...have you removed all of the plastic crap that is blocking the rad ? also think about make some sort of air ducts to draw air to the rad. I know Greg Collier ( SP ?) has something like this on his race car. Check out his gallery. Good luck.

 

[DSMcrazy3]

I agree, I've read a few cases where installing a FMIC blocks airflow to the radiator, causing it to over heat. I don't see why it doesn't happen more often if that is the reason though. Since most IC's are basically the same design..

 

[dnhieu]

First off thanks for the quick replys. i just put in a new thermostat too (i forgot to mention that earlier). its the coldest one you can buy, which is 180 degrees. i havent drilled a 1/4 inch hole in it yet like slow boy told me to but im probably gonna do that before i go and start taking the timing belt side apart. i guess the only things i can do is.....

1.drill a hole in the thermostat
2.replace water pump
3.cut hole in bumper
4.remove the a/c

can anyone else think of anything else besides a 300 dollar fluidine radiator? im going to "guess" its the water pump only because my buddie with a 2g only uses 1 slim fan but then again he has no a/c.


thanks for the help


edit: the last thing i want to do is cut the bumper and remove the a/c. i think it looks like crap when 1ga's cut the bumper and i dont want to loose the a/c because my g/f wont drive in the car.
david

 

[slow_dsm1]

well i had a same exact problem, and it turned out because one of the radiator hose run from the thermostat to the blower was leaking coolant, not too much but enough to heat up the car. and did the water pump make any weird noise???

 

[dnhieu]

if their is one thing i do know is that their are no radiator leaks what so ever. i "think" but dont know that its the water pump. im gonna try pulling the thermostat tonight and see if that solves the problem. if it does then i probably got a sticking thermostat.

thanks
david

 

[QuienesTuPapa]

The cooling system is engineered to be able to effectively cool the car in really extreme conditions. I wouldn't think that a front mount would cause your car to overheat unless the radiator is totally suffocated. Before you buy a new radiator, I would explore other possible causes like the water pump or blockage/leakage somewhere. Keep a constant eye on your fluid levels. Good luck, these problems can be a real pain sometimes.

 

[dnhieu]

your telling me that these cooling issues are a pita? j/k. yeah, its a big time problem that can be many things. im going to pull the thermostat tonight and see what happens. ill post back when i get some time to get some work done.

thanks again
david

 

[dnhieu]

okay so i took out the thermostat today with no luck does anyone have any more ideas before i start removing the a/c??

thanks
david

 

[cyclonetsifwd]

take the radiator out and clean it up really well. as mentioned above it could be somewhat blocked up. That's a free thing you could try. It's also good to do every now and then anyway.

 

[BGGSTin]

I have an SBR intercooler and I've never had a problem with overheating unless my coolant is gone or I throw the waterpump belt.

I'd say to top off the coolant before you drive it,
Check for any plastic that isn't necessary (I just have my bumper...then the intercooler).

F.Y.I. : I still have the stock fans and thermostat.

 

[Amazin' Wasian]

My Intercooler is huge and covers my whole radiatior and i have no over heating problems. I am also only running one fan. Have you tried burping your system? Also i wouldnt recomend running 100% water.

-nick-

 

[dnhieu]

where exactly do you guys live? i live in florida and it gets about 70-80 degrees this time of year. im running a adfx core which measures like24x10x3 i think. i think im going to run a compression test this weekend to make sure its not a blow head gasket. i really dont think its the head gaset because the car still has good power and its not smoking or anything.

but anyways ill keep everyone posted
david

 

['93EclipseGSX]

If the head gasket was the problem, the overflow bottle would be bubbling out combustion gasses. Which typically will cause the coolant to be pushed out of the bottle. First check the fluid level, if it is full check to see if the radiator fans blow hot air when they come on. If it blows cold there is a circulation problem. This could be the radiator not flowing properly, the thermostat, or the water pump. Check to see if you have good heat to both radiator hoses, if only one of them has good heat chances are it's a themostat. If both hoses seem to have good heat, next check with a infrared thermometer to see if the radiator is consistent temprature at all points across the radiator(aprox 200*f). If the radiator shows good, check to see if the water pump has play in it by removing the belt and trying to wiggle the pulley.
Keep us posted
Rob

 

[90CherryTSI]

Wire the A/C fan to a toggle switch and keep it on at all times. That's what I had to do to keep my 1ga from overheating. It used to be alot worse but with both fans on all the time it isn't bad now. Water wetter helped me temporarily once I had my FMIC on but that didn't last to long. There are two pins you can wire together on a fan switch to turn the fans on all the time, just remember to turn it off when you're not in the car driving as leaving it on overnight if your battery is weak will kill it...trust me....

 

[dnhieu]

[QUOTE='93EclipseGSX]If the head gasket was the problem, the overflow bottle would be bubbling out combustion gasses. Which typically will cause the coolant to be pushed out of the bottle. First check the fluid level, if it is full check to see if the radiator fans blow hot air when they come on. If it blows cold there is a circulation problem. This could be the radiator not flowing properly, the thermostat, or the water pump. Check to see if you have good heat to both radiator hoses, if only one of them has good heat chances are it's a themostat. If both hoses seem to have good heat, next check with a infrared thermometer to see if the radiator is consistent temprature at all points across the radiator(aprox 200*f). If the radiator shows good, check to see if the water pump has play in it by removing the belt and trying to wiggle the pulley.
Keep us posted
Rob[/QUOTE]

I have been catching the overflow bottle bubbling over a few times whenever the temps get above 226 degrees. this is about when i noticed the coolant temps getting hot and shut the car down. i took the belt off today and spun the water pump pulley but didnt wiggle it like you said. when i spun it, it still had some force against it (it didnt just spin and keep spinning). the thermostat is new and i drilled a 1/4 inch hole in it. the radiator is pretty new (within 3k). i guess i will be doing a compression test now.

thanks for the help
david

 

['93EclipseGSX]

When do the radiator fans come on? There is a seperate coolant temprature switch for the radiator fan. The fans should come on somewhere around 210. If the coolant gets too hot it can boil. Water does have a lower boiling point than coolant, although I am not sure off hand what it is, that could be the bubbling you are seeing.
Rob

 

[dnhieu]

it doesnt bubble all the time it just does it when the coolant temps are around 226. i turn my a/c on and put it on heat so that both fans run non stop.

 

[idt512]

where exactly do you guys live? i live in florida and it gets about 70-80 degrees this time of year. im running a adfx core which measures like24x10x3 i think. i think im going to run a compression test this weekend to make sure its not a blow head gasket. i really dont think its the head gaset because the car still has good power and its not smoking or anything.

but anyways ill keep everyone posted
david

Im in cali and I installed my fmic last summer, before the install my gauge was at 1/2 and after the install it went up slightly to about 5/8, but after hopping on the freeway it would drop right back to 1/2. This comparison was made at 100 degrees outside temp and with my A/C running, my cooling system is all stock

 

[Silverstrocker]

why dont you try removing the thermostat completely being that you live in florida you wont need it for the winter?

 

[Pure92TSi]

If you don't put some coolant (not just water) in there you are goin to kill the water pump if you haven't already. I speak from experience on this one. Coolant acts as a lubricant for the water pump. There is a simple way to test the water pump. Loosen the belts that are connected to it, very easy to do and spin it by hand. If it's hard to turn or feels very notchy then it's bad, if it's spins freely then you pump is fine.

 

[dnhieu]

If you don't put some coolant (not just water) in there you are goin to kill the water pump if you haven't already. I speak from experience on this one. Coolant acts as a lubricant for the water pump. There is a simple way to test the water pump. Loosen the belts that are connected to it, very easy to do and spin it by hand. If it's hard to turn or feels very notchy then it's bad, if it's spins freely then you pump is fine.

it feels very notchy ( i thought that was a good thing). it doesnt spin freely at all. thanks for the advice

david

 

[trbotaln]

you definately need to put some coolent in your radiator. Although it does not cool as good as water, it raises the boiling temp of the water and helps from corroding the inside of your motor. If you really need more flow to your radiator then remove your AC condensor becuase that blocks a lot of airflow.

 

[Amazin' Wasian]

where exactly do you guys live? i live in florida and it gets about 70-80 degrees this time of year. im running a adfx core which measures like24x10x3 i think. i think im going to run a compression test this weekend to make sure its not a blow head gasket. i really dont think its the head gaset because the car still has good power and its not smoking or anything.

but anyways ill keep everyone posted
david

I came down to panama city beach a few months back when my car was running and it still didnt overheat. Do you have a switch for your fans?

-nick-

 

[Pure92TSi]

it feels very notchy ( i thought that was a good thing). it doesnt spin freely at all. thanks for the advice

david

well there is your problem. Replace the water pump and you should be back to normal.