HELP: Coolant Overflow Bottle Full - No Water in Oil, New Radiator...

[CONSIGLIERI]

Hello friends ! Need help...

First of all I had a leaking radiator and my car would lose water/coolant from a day to another. (I could see the water dropping in the floor after i shut down the car) So I replaced my radiator by a Mishimoto.

Of course it is not leaking anymore but another problem has started. My Coolant Overflow Bottle is getting FULL. (It didnt happen with the leaking rad)

- My Radiator cap is relativelly new from APEXI and the rubber seal seems flawless.
- My Upper hose gets bolated
- Radiator Fan kicks in and don't let the car overheat
- AC Fan kicks in

The only thing I may think about now is that my Water Outlet Neck has a "not plain" surface in the round part where the radiator cap seals it. It has some ridges.

*WATER NECK PIC*

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Could this be messing with the System Pressure amking my bottle getting full ?

 

[Junfan]

Sounds like you need a compression test and leakdown test. Many times with a bloated upper hose it is the headgasket.

 

[CONSIGLIERI]

Sounds like you need a compression test and leakdown test. Many times with a bloated upper hose it is the headgasket.

My Upper Hose gets bloeated, mainly in the two sides. (In and Out)

Do you think I'd better buy a new Water Outlet Neck since it has a little uneven surface in the round part where the radiator cap seals it ?

 

[Junfan]

I guess I need a picture. I don't understand what you mean by uneven waterneck.

I still think it sounds like a failing headgasket allowing your cooling system to get pressurized. I have seen one personally about the size of a small football with a failed HG. I still think a compression test is something that should be done along with leakdown if you cannot determine anything from the compression test.

 

[DSM1G90]

Call it a HG also.


True, have both surfaces in the fill neck to the block smooth so the rad cap gaskets can seat fully.


But, are you filling the bottle ONLY up to the FILL, or HOT line on the bottle, or are you filling it to the top?

What you do, is fill the radiator to the top, then full the bottle ONLY to the HOT or FILL line. You need the expansion area when the system draws from the bottle and replace it when cold - it's totally under a vacuum and the one hose should be tight to the connections on each end...tight!

If you fill the bottle to the top, the system still draws it in when needed, but overfills the bottle and floods over when it's being returned back to the bottle.

Little tip here ... - DSM

 

[CONSIGLIERI]

Call it a HG also.


True, have both surfaces in the fill neck to the block smooth so the rad cap gaskets can seat fully.


But, are you filling the bottle ONLY up to the FILL, or HOT line on the bottle, or are you filling it to the top?

What you do, is fill the radiator to the top, then full the bottle ONLY to the HOT or FILL line. You need the expansion area when the system draws from the bottle and replace it when cold - it's totally under a vacuum and the one hose should be tight to the connections on each end...tight!

If you fill the bottle to the top, the system still draws it in when needed, but overfills the bottle and floods over when it's being returned back to the bottle.

Little tip here ... - DSM

This is the "Water Outlet Neck"

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The surface of my Water Outlet Neck is not absolutly PLAIN. I can see theres a difference between the sides... I thought maybe that could be causing this. The Radiator Cap is not able to seal it 100%

Actually after I changed my radiator, I filled the bottle to "half" on the FILL.
Also I always fill the radiator to the top.

One thing that I don't undertand is how the system can get "vaccum" if the hose that points down in the Coolant Overflow Bottle is "open" so the exceding water can be dropped ?

Thanks !!!

 

[Junfan]

I think the cap is sealing. If it were not you probably would not have a bloated upper radiator hose as pressure would escape there instead of pushing coolant to your overflow.

 

[CONSIGLIERI]

I think the cap is sealing. If it were not you probably would not have a bloated upper radiator hose as pressure would escape there instead of pushing coolant to your overflow.

Also I forgot to mention that:

- The upper hose gets HOT. I heard some people saying that when the HG is blown, the upper rad hose doesn't get hot ?

- There's NO water in the oil. (Milky appearance)

- The car don't overheat.

Anyway I'll do a Compression test tomorrow and let you guys know...

 

[kchaazz]

Was the car overheated when you had the leaky radiator? Where is the coolant temp at when the car is warmed up now? Is the lower radiator hose getting hot too? If not, your thermostat is bad and isnt opening. Does the system suck the excess coolant out of the overflow when the car cools down? If not, the cap is the problem for sure. Answer these questions for us.

 

[eli96talon]

I had the same problem once on one of my gst...just because they oil is not milky doesn't mean your headgasket isn't blown.the way I found out was when I had the car running at idle I removed the radiator cap and bunch of bobbles and foam started coming out of the water neck where the radiator cap goes.the exhaust was leaking into the cooling system.

 

[CONSIGLIERI]

Was the car overheated when you had the leaky radiator? Where is the coolant temp at when the car is warmed up now? Is the lower radiator hose getting hot too? If not, your thermostat is bad and isnt opening. Does the system suck the excess coolant out of the overflow when the car cools down? If not, the cap is the problem for sure. Answer these questions for us.

1) The car didn't overheat when i had the leaking radiator. It got to 99 celsuis and then the fans kicked in and it slowly went back to 95c. (The coolant temp is always in the middle) It raised just a little sometimes, but after a few seconds started to drop until the middle again. It never past 70%.

The radiator only leaked when I turned my car off. So I always filed the radiator in the next day, making it have enough water.

2) I didn't see my lower radiator hose. I will turn the car on and see if it gets hot too.

3) The system DONT suck up excess coolant out of the overflow when the car cols down. The cap has only 3k miles. Maybe it culd be due to the water neck then ?

* I turned my car and at idle i opened my radiator cap. Lots of water and coolant started to drop, but I didn't see any bubbles...

I thought about something and I may be running WITHOUT a termostat... When I'm on a higway at very high speed, my temp goes a little down below the middle. Like 70 celsius.

Thanks !!!

I had the same problem once on one of my gst...just because they oil is not milky doesn't mean your headgasket isn't blown.the way I found out was when I had the car running at idle I removed the radiator cap and bunch of bobbles and foam started coming out of the water neck where the radiator cap goes.the exhaust was leaking into the cooling system.

I turned my car and at idle i opened my radiator cap. Lots of water and coolant started to drop, but I didn't see any bubbles...

 

[kchaazz]

Well, running without a thermostat isnt a good thing, as it is an integral part of the cooling system on these cars. When the coolant is cold, the thermostat stays shut to keep coolant in the motor to be heated, and as temps rise, it slowly opens incrementally to cycle coolant to be warmed- this serves to help get the motor to operating temp as soon as possible, which is where the motor runs the best timing and fuel maps for best fuel efficiency, and also continuously burns off the minute condensation that builds in your oil. Also, when the coolant is at operating temp and the thermostat is completely opened, it still blocks just enough flow so as to keep as much coolant as possible in the radiator to be cooled at all times to provide maximum cooling efficiency. Also, coolant raises boiling temps (You lose cooling capability when the water/coolant mix boils), the cap provides pressure to the coolant, also raising boiling temps. If you remove the neck and find no thermostat, get one in there, and if the overflow problem still isnt fixed, the answer is to replace the cap

 

[Junfan]

Running without a Thermostat would explain your problems for sure and that is an easy check and fix. Use an OEM thermostat as they seem to work the best.

 

[psychbiker1966]

Sorry to jack this thread,but I am having exactly the same issue.. Have you identified the problem as yet?? I have done the sniffer test and found no Hydrocarbons,Compression is good.. Temp stays good but it overflows and the bottle fills up but it doesn't return the fluid back into the sysytem. When the motor is off I have opened the hood and observed the coolant boiling in the overflow. My cap was replaced 3 months ago as well as my thermostat...and this problem started a few months after that..If its not returning back to the system when it cools then doesn't that indicate a faulty cap?? I end up manually pouring it back in and it doesn't seem to be loosing coolant anywhere. What gives??

 

[Empyre]

I think both of you guys need to check your thermostat. Make sure you have one, and that it isnt installed Upside down or rotated 180 degrees. the copper bulb should face inside the motor and if the thermostat has a bleed hole, it should face 12 o'clock. Hope this helps.