Problems with cooling system?
Thread Starter
On The Tree
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Johnson City, TN. ( Currently in Japan)
Problems with cooling system? I have been contemplating about this for about a week ever since my low water light came on. It came on and about 5 miles down the road went off. The next day it came on again and stayed on so I got home and checked the radiator, it was about a quart low of water. The resevior was full. Now about 6 months ago, I hit a dog and I think the resevior is cracked but if it was, why would it be full? Well, a day later it came on again and when I got home I checked the resevior and it was full so I checked the radiator and it was about 1/2 quart low. Now is the funny part. I have been keeping a check on my temperature like a hawk(paranoid I guess) and around 2-3 weeks before this I was letting it sit and idle and happened to look down and the temp hand went to 205-210 then dropped to 160, I have my fans set to come on at 160 and it never gets over 180. Now ever since this has happened, my temp hand never gets over 130-140 going down the road where it normally runs at 165. When I let it sit and idle, it gets up to around 180-190.
I have been racking my brain trying to pinpoint this down without having to go tearing the car apart. So what could this be? Radiator needing flushed? Leak in radiator? Thermostat? Heatercore? Come on, throw some ideas at me here.
I have been racking my brain trying to pinpoint this down without having to go tearing the car apart. So what could this be? Radiator needing flushed? Leak in radiator? Thermostat? Heatercore? Come on, throw some ideas at me here.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 141
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From: Johnson City, TN. ( Currently in Japan)
Re: Problems with cooling system? I drove the car today and the low coolant light never came on. I checked the radiator when I got home and it was full. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="images/icons/confused.gif" /> The temp still only gets to about 130-140 and maybe 150 going down the road but will get to about 180 when stopped and idling more than a minute or two. I ain't got a clue here what could be causing it. What I am looking for is really a pinpointed location or part of what this could be, if I go changing everything I or anyone else can think of I will eventually end up having a new cooling system <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="gr_images/icons/tongue.gif" /> Not saying that I don't appreciate the input, just asking what could this thing be that has my puzzled and hides from me when I go looking for it? Maybe a whole new cooling system wouldn't be bad since my car has about 81,000 miles on it huh? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" />
Re: Problems with cooling system? well if the radiator was bad or as you said maybe it needs to be flushed the motor would run hot not cool. with 81,000 miles on your car and it has the same thermostat i still say thermostat. they don't last forever and they will make a motor run hot or cool.I changed one last week and the car ran at 180 water temp and then went below 140 so they can act a little weird <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 45
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From: Minnesota
Re: Problems with cooling system? You may have a couple of different things going on. It is common for our low coolant light to come on when the sensor gets a little dirty. (especially if your coolant has ever gotten below the sensor level.) It's quick and easy to extract enough coolant, pull the sensor, and clean it. This might help to narrow things down.
