Help with coolant problem!!!!!
03-17-2006, 02:27 PM
#1
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Help with coolant problem!!!!! Ok so i start out the day washing my car, everything running great and temp looks good. I leave to go air dry before taking to my house and finishing up everything else i "was" going to do to it. On the way back to my house im at the top of 3rd gear but not on it hard when i let off and hear a suction pop and a cloud of smoke from the rear of the car. So i think what the hell there went a brand new motor but i everything looks good (gauges wise) and i can smell the infamous coolant smell so im thinking a head gasket or something to that effect. I pull over and notice coolant all over the engine bay and am pissed, i look and see the radiator hose from the thermostate is off. I put the hose back on and fill her back up with radiator fluid and let it run a bit, everything seems to check out fine. So i go to a buddies house to finish up my car and i wasnt paying attention to the thermostate but when i pulled up at his house (less than 2 miles away) the gauge reads around 230. Im thinking we didnt put enough coolant in it so we added more and let it run it sits at about 200 for a min then goes to 210 and keeps climbing. So i have no idea what the problem is but there seems to be plenty of fluid in it but the hoses fill empty and the radiator cap when car is hot is cold???? What the hell is going on with my car could anyone help!
03-17-2006, 02:39 PM
#3
You might have a big air buble in the line try pumping the big hoses going to the radiator and crack the radaitor a few times to let out the air. Do this with the engine running. Is the hose going to the top of the radiator getting hot??
Last edited by conan; 03-17-2006 at 02:52 PM.
03-17-2006, 02:48 PM
#4
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I took the thermostat and housing off earlier and it looked to be fine but then again ive never seen a stuck thermostat. Ill check on that radiator hose in a little bit and tell you.
03-17-2006, 04:51 PM
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Neither of the hoses is getting hot and neither is the new thermostat! what the hell is wrong here? Ive got plenty of fluid new thermostat and its still getting hot!
03-17-2006, 05:41 PM
#7
Go stick the thermostat in a pot of water, increase the temp till it's boiling, the stat should open, if it doesn't go get a new stat, and put it in
Now it's time to bleed, the cooling system that is
Take off the radiator cap and fill the rad with coolant, start the car and wait for the stat to open,(the coolant level will fall and the upper hose will be flowing a good amount back into the radiator) then fill it with the coolant/distilled water mix to just below the neck of the radiator, put the cap on and your done
Make sure the fans come on, and the car doesn't overheat
Now it's time to bleed, the cooling system that is
Take off the radiator cap and fill the rad with coolant, start the car and wait for the stat to open,(the coolant level will fall and the upper hose will be flowing a good amount back into the radiator) then fill it with the coolant/distilled water mix to just below the neck of the radiator, put the cap on and your done
Make sure the fans come on, and the car doesn't overheat
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03-18-2006, 08:38 AM
#11
If I read your post correctly you have a NEW motor installed. If it is just recent and this is the first time the motor has overheated, I would check to make sure the installer didn't block off the steam vent line on the front of the motor that goes to the radiator.
And that the two hoses under the radiator cap are not crossed: steam vent hose attached to the radiator inlet and over flow attached to the overflow.
A professional shop removed mine during an ATI install and crossed the lines when the reconnecting the hoses. We drove the car 800 miles and never had an issue until we drove it in stop and go traffic and let the car idle with AC on. In stop and go traffic the car would overheat within minutes.
Here's a pic of the correct way the hoses should be attached to the radiator. Mine were reversed.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/attachmen...chmentid=60379
With the car moving the motor will stay cool, but as soon as you turn on the air and let the car idle, the motor will overheat. Why? Because the steam is blocked at the radiator cap and any expansion in the radiator was siponed off into the overflow as a result of crossing the lines.
Worse case scenario...you have a internal head gasket leak and the compression is entering the coolant system creating extreme gas pocket which blew off the hose. You can buy a kit for about $60 to test first rather than pulling the heads.
Check the obvious first.
1) A bad radiator cap can cause air leaks and not keep the system pressureized allowing the car to boil at 212 rather than 240-260.
2) Sticking themostat.
3) Blocked steam vent line.
4) Only one fan is coming on (did you check that both were pulling air)...blown break/fuse to one or both fans. Or the installer didn't attach the fan lines properly and wires are cut.
5) Plastic bag is sucked up into the front of the radiator and blocking 30-40 percent of the radiator.
6) Air lock and not enough coolant.
7) Best way get rid of air in system is to remove the steam vent line and fill until the coolant runs freely from the steam vent line without any air bubbles.
And that the two hoses under the radiator cap are not crossed: steam vent hose attached to the radiator inlet and over flow attached to the overflow.
A professional shop removed mine during an ATI install and crossed the lines when the reconnecting the hoses. We drove the car 800 miles and never had an issue until we drove it in stop and go traffic and let the car idle with AC on. In stop and go traffic the car would overheat within minutes.
Here's a pic of the correct way the hoses should be attached to the radiator. Mine were reversed.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/attachmen...chmentid=60379
With the car moving the motor will stay cool, but as soon as you turn on the air and let the car idle, the motor will overheat. Why? Because the steam is blocked at the radiator cap and any expansion in the radiator was siponed off into the overflow as a result of crossing the lines.
Worse case scenario...you have a internal head gasket leak and the compression is entering the coolant system creating extreme gas pocket which blew off the hose. You can buy a kit for about $60 to test first rather than pulling the heads.
Check the obvious first.
1) A bad radiator cap can cause air leaks and not keep the system pressureized allowing the car to boil at 212 rather than 240-260.
2) Sticking themostat.
3) Blocked steam vent line.
4) Only one fan is coming on (did you check that both were pulling air)...blown break/fuse to one or both fans. Or the installer didn't attach the fan lines properly and wires are cut.
5) Plastic bag is sucked up into the front of the radiator and blocking 30-40 percent of the radiator.
6) Air lock and not enough coolant.
7) Best way get rid of air in system is to remove the steam vent line and fill until the coolant runs freely from the steam vent line without any air bubbles.
Last edited by dlandsvZ28; 04-04-2006 at 12:30 AM.
04-03-2006, 08:39 PM
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Get Rid of Vapour Lock Could be an air lock, there is a little hose that goes from the heads to the rad(just under the rad cap). Disconnect the hose going to the rad and suck all the air our (you can use your mouth but then your lungs will fill with coolant air, probably not good). Keep sucking and filling the rad until the heads are full of coolant, now run the car with the cap off to let any other air out. Ensure the heater is on full heat and check that hot air is coming out of the vents, if it is you sould be fine.
04-03-2006, 09:17 PM
#13
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check your seal for the water pump. mine was cracked and leaking. it was a barely noticeable leak that made its way very slowly down to the oil pan.was letting pressure out of the cooling system. this was causing my car to operate at 210 when it normally operated at like 180 or so. after i changed the seal, it went back to normal operating temp. good luck to yah
04-03-2006, 10:46 PM
#14
If it was working fine, lost coolant, now it's not, you probably just need to keep pegging away with more and more coolant.
That vent tube is the highest spot, so if there is any air, it will come out through there. Maby you could jack up the front of the car or something to help?
Mine was freaking out after the cam swap and it seemed like I put 32 gallons in that bitch before it started running right.
That vent tube is the highest spot, so if there is any air, it will come out through there. Maby you could jack up the front of the car or something to help?
Mine was freaking out after the cam swap and it seemed like I put 32 gallons in that bitch before it started running right.
04-03-2006, 10:56 PM
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AIR BUBBLE.
Start the car and leave the cap off, wait for the water level to go down after the t-stat opens and keep filling it up. Just watch the temp gauge the entire time in case it is the water pump gone bad. But this is exactly what happened to me and it was a big air bubble.
Start the car and leave the cap off, wait for the water level to go down after the t-stat opens and keep filling it up. Just watch the temp gauge the entire time in case it is the water pump gone bad. But this is exactly what happened to me and it was a big air bubble.