Overheating! Help!
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
iTrader: (6)
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 131
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From: Gainesville, Florida
Overheating! Help! Okay I was driving my Firebird and it got a little hot so I pull over and by this time the check guages light is on and the needle is almost all the way over. I check the water level and its all the way to the top. Apparently. I let the car cool down and have a tow truck on the way and I check the level again. Empty. WTF?! Theres some water on the ground but maybe like a half a cup. No more. The car is cool enough that I take the radiator cap off. Empty. So I fill both the Reservoir and the radiator while the car is running and the temp guage continues to rise. (Past 240) Shut the car off and have it towed.
So here is the cliffnotes
-The car is not taking water from the Reservoir
-The car is running hot while it is full of water
-No water in the oil nor coming out the exhaust (Dont think its a blown head gasket)
-Appears to be a small leak or overflow from the Reservoir cap or line somewhere
-No water dripping from the water pump or radiator
So Im thinking its the....water pump? Any way to tell?
So here is the cliffnotes
-The car is not taking water from the Reservoir
-The car is running hot while it is full of water
-No water in the oil nor coming out the exhaust (Dont think its a blown head gasket)
-Appears to be a small leak or overflow from the Reservoir cap or line somewhere
-No water dripping from the water pump or radiator
So Im thinking its the....water pump? Any way to tell?
Okay I was driving my Firebird and it got a little hot so I pull over and by this time the check guages light is on and the needle is almost all the way over. I check the water level and its all the way to the top. Apparently. I let the car cool down and have a tow truck on the way and I check the level again. Empty. WTF?! Theres some water on the ground but maybe like a half a cup. No more. The car is cool enough that I take the radiator cap off. Empty. So I fill both the Reservoir and the radiator while the car is running and the temp guage continues to rise. (Past 240) Shut the car off and have it towed.
So here is the cliffnotes
-The car is not taking water from the Reservoir
-The car is running hot while it is full of water
-No water in the oil nor coming out the exhaust (Dont think its a blown head gasket)
-Appears to be a small leak or overflow from the Reservoir cap or line somewhere
-No water dripping from the water pump or radiator
So Im thinking its the....water pump? Any way to tell?
So here is the cliffnotes
-The car is not taking water from the Reservoir
-The car is running hot while it is full of water
-No water in the oil nor coming out the exhaust (Dont think its a blown head gasket)
-Appears to be a small leak or overflow from the Reservoir cap or line somewhere
-No water dripping from the water pump or radiator
So Im thinking its the....water pump? Any way to tell?
Take the t-stat out and bolt the housing back up, start the engine and let it idle, FIRST see if the water immediatlely starts to flow with the radiator cap off, top it off then see if it stays at a normal temp. after you put the radiator cap back on. Sounds like the t-stat is stuck closed. Toss it in a pot of water while its out, stick a thermometer in the water as it heats up and see if it opens at the proper temp. (whatever your t-stat is). That'll take you about 20 minutes to do all that. If the little dick doesn't come out of the t-stat, get a new one.
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
iTrader: (6)
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 131
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From: Gainesville, Florida
Well I was right all along though I didnt list a symptom as I didnt know it was the water pump. I put the car under a pressure test and water came pouring out the water pump. Also turns out the ticking noise I thought was a lifter (And therefore didnt list it) was the water pump.
Thanks for the help
Thanks for the help
Must be a really bad leak. When the coolant cools down, it contracts in volume and then siphons more coolant from the overflow reservoir. If you have an air leak in the system that breaks the siphon, your radiator level will go down.
When you get the new pump, you may want to do another pressure test and make sure your radiator cap is good also.
When you get the new pump, you may want to do another pressure test and make sure your radiator cap is good also.
