Coolant Overflows, but car isn't hot?
02-10-2008, 11:03 PM
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Coolant Overflows, but car isn't hot? I just bought my 98 TA and I'm having issues with my cooling system. I bought the car about a six hour drive from where I live and drove it straight all the way home. The car never really got over 170-180 degrees the whole way home. I stopped a couple of times, but didn't notice any puddles or problems. When I pulled into my driveway, the temp spiked to 210 when I shut the car off, and a bunch of coolant spewed out of the overflow, blowing the overflow cap off.
The previous owner had just replaced the radiator and water pump, but didn't replace the thermostat. Also, the ps cooling was disconnected and bipassed because it was leaking into the radiator. He said he had never had a boil over problem before, and the car never got above 220 when the water pump failed, so basically it never got hot enough to blow a head gasket.
The water isn't milky, the exhaust doesn't smell sweet or smoke.
I tryed changing the radiator cap and thermostat and flushed the system. The car seems to get up to temp now when it sits running, around 210, but driving the temp drops again back to 180-190.
When I filled the radiator, I followed the instructions in the owners manual, but the car still spews a bit of coolant and sounds like the coolant is boiling, but the temp is never over 210.
What is going on, please help?
The previous owner had just replaced the radiator and water pump, but didn't replace the thermostat. Also, the ps cooling was disconnected and bipassed because it was leaking into the radiator. He said he had never had a boil over problem before, and the car never got above 220 when the water pump failed, so basically it never got hot enough to blow a head gasket.
The water isn't milky, the exhaust doesn't smell sweet or smoke.
I tryed changing the radiator cap and thermostat and flushed the system. The car seems to get up to temp now when it sits running, around 210, but driving the temp drops again back to 180-190.
When I filled the radiator, I followed the instructions in the owners manual, but the car still spews a bit of coolant and sounds like the coolant is boiling, but the temp is never over 210.
What is going on, please help?
02-11-2008, 12:39 AM
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I think you were right about the air.
With the car cold, I removed the cap and watched the car warm up. The water level was about 2-3 inchs below the filler neck in the beginning. When the thermostat opened, I saw the water flowing through radiator, and there were bubbles coming up.
Eventually as the car approached operating temp, the water started to rise, and when it reached the top and pushed all the air bubbles out, I put the cap on. I let the car get up to 210 by cycling between 2500 and idle, and then killed it. The bubbling sound turned out to be coolant flowing out of the radiator into the line that feeds the overflow. Once the radiator was done spewing into the overflow, everything went silent. I checked the fluid level in the oveflow and it was correct.
I went out and hot rodded the car and parked it. Nothing spewed out so I guess I'm good. Thanks for the advice!
With the car cold, I removed the cap and watched the car warm up. The water level was about 2-3 inchs below the filler neck in the beginning. When the thermostat opened, I saw the water flowing through radiator, and there were bubbles coming up.
Eventually as the car approached operating temp, the water started to rise, and when it reached the top and pushed all the air bubbles out, I put the cap on. I let the car get up to 210 by cycling between 2500 and idle, and then killed it. The bubbling sound turned out to be coolant flowing out of the radiator into the line that feeds the overflow. Once the radiator was done spewing into the overflow, everything went silent. I checked the fluid level in the oveflow and it was correct.
I went out and hot rodded the car and parked it. Nothing spewed out so I guess I'm good. Thanks for the advice!
