black79transam

So I installed a power steering oil cooler due to my factory cooler taking a dump. I flushed the power steering as good as I could and drained probably half a quart of coolant from the radiator.

Put on the new upper radiator hose and topped off the radiator with some coolant. I run the car and let it idle for 15 minutes and everything looks good. Temps hold solid however my low coolant light is on.

I have a parts store 2 block away so I drive there and car drives fine, Temps are good etc. Shut the car off, buy some premixed coolant. When I pull the resivour cap the dip stick has muck on it (coolant/power steering fluid). I add some coolant and it suddenly starts bubbling out of the fill tube.

So I limp home and the car is running about 215-220 degrees (needle just past half on temp gauge). Get home pop the hood and there is coolant all over the passenger side inner fender.

Well in my stupidity I see that I did not tighten the upper radiator hose on the engine and it had slipped back but not off.
I know I need a coolant flush but my question after all this rambling is this. Why did this happen? I never had any heating issues before I bypassed the power steering cooler. Could it be due to the radiator hose slipping off? Anything I should be triple checking?

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

That would certainly do it. The system needs to be pressurized to work and if you have main hose leaking, you'll have reduced pressure.

You may have also had some air in the system, which will work itself out after a few heat/cool cycles - but it was probably your leaking hose.

ND2RACE

Leaking cooling system parts cause it to not work right at all, air in the system will do the same. Get it cleaned out, sealed up, and bleed out all the air, then you should be just fine.

black79transam

I got everything buttoned up today and the overheating issue is taken care of. However I'm thinking my low coolant sensor must of gotten mucked up because the low coolant light will not shut off. I have double checked the radiator and overflow and they both are full.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Those sensors are junk. They are very sensitive to everything. If the light won't go out you need a new sensor. Or....if you just want that light out, unplug the sensor.

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wssix99

iTrader: (5)

This happened to me after my radiator was dry for a time. My thoughts were that this state allowed the sensor to oxidize. Some people have had success cleaning the sensor, but I just changed mine out.

The thing that really sucks about this is that you have to partially drain the tank again to change the sensor.

black79transam

Haha of course