Overheating... in 50 degree weather !?!?!?

[Thabulldog]

I don't understand this, the zoomina hit OVER 260 on the gauge 2night comming home from work. Maybe the gauge is wrong... I hope, because i've been gettin a service engine soon light too. It seems to come on right before the gauge reads hot. This is the 3rd time this week its run really really hot but never that hot before. I'm losing and adding coolant by the day and i cant find where the hell it is going. Not the oil so its not the head gasket Thank God! I'm hoping the SES light is caused by the gauge reading too hot. But where can the coolant be going?? Thanks!

[JS91Z34]

If you cant find out where the coolant is going, then pull the code out for the SES light. Maybe that will lead you into the right direction. My guess is if its not hitting the ground anywhere you can see and its not in the oil, check the exhaust and see if it comes out there.

[Thabulldog]

I tried to jumper the diagnostic connector to get the code a while back but all i got was a 12... which means nothing. ANother interesting thing is that my fans hardly if ever turn on. If it comes out of the exhaust what does that mean anyways?

[JS91Z34]

cracked head/heads, bad head gasket, or both

[Thabulldog]

If thats the case i think i should send it to iraq to be bombed NEVER! lol

[JS91Z34]

well just check it out and see what you can find.

[Guest Anonymous]

Look under the car after you drive it. My TGP don't leak until it has been heated up to where the t-stat has opened a couple times. Then when I shut it off it runs out like a faucet.

[Thabulldog]

What did you do to stop the leak?

[NeverSayDie]

You could also be losing it from evaporation from being so hot. If you can't find any leaks anywhere, I would pull out the water pump and check to be sure the impeller is firmly on the shaft. I had an impeller that wan't on the shaft because the dude at autozone dropped it. Water circulated fine till the engine reached op. temp, then I suppose the impeller expanded at a greater rate than the shaft, since it's softer metal. Anyways, the impeller would turn, just not as fast as it should because it was loose. I finally found it by sticking my ear down really close to the pump housing. By that time the thing was moving so much I could hear it hitting the housing. Probably just a freak accident but could be possible

[luminator94]

Just because your not getting coolant in your oil doesn't mean it isn't going out the exhaust.

 

 

Aaron

[mfewtrail]

have the radiator cap pressure checked and the coolant system...usually helps rule out where your problem is. I had a radiator cap go bad once that would let coolant/water evaporate and my car would run slightly hotter. Also whenever you cut the car off, make sure to check right under the t-stat housing(right where the oil pump drive/intermediate shaft is) for coolant, had coolant leaking from my lower intake manifold once because the gasket had wore thin where the coolant passage is on the right side of the motor(looking from the front ). Hope this helps!

[Thabulldog]

I replaced the stat and the gasket and cap back in september. I think it could be a hose because i saw one that looked a little weak tonight, i'm gunna have it checked out tomorrow night.

[Thabulldog]

Ok WTF!... now a lot of white smoke is comming outta the tail pipe for about 10 minutes after start up, like enough to blind someone behind me. It was like 36 degrees 2day tho. This is giving me a really bad feeling about the head/head gasket

[JS91Z34]

That is a good indication of a blown head gasket or cracked head. As cold as it was for you there, dont let atmospheric water vapor fool you. Get the car someplace warm and check it again. The water vapor coming out of the tailpipe is often mistaken for a blown gasket.

[Thabulldog]

I guess i'll have to drive down to florida yeah right i wish!! I guess i'll just have to see what my mechanic says tonight... he doesn't speak the best english tho :-\

[JS91Z34]

the one other thing you can do is take the cap off(when its cool of course) and start it up. Wait for it to get to operating temp. and see if you can see small air bubbles that are surfacing constantly. If you have a good nose and see the air bubbles, sniff the vapor coming out and see if it smells like exhaust gases.

[Slade901]

You may want to try checking on this link as well

 

http://www.applink.net/cct/tips/headgasket.html

 

With regards to Block Tester or a "combustion leak tester kit", you may want to read this article at http://www.troubleshooters.com/tlitthypothesis.htm

 

I would follow the above steps first before I do the guessing game about the clogged radiator (tiny passages are blocked), bad radiator cap, failing water pump, thermostat, clogged engine block coolant passage way (rusted freeze plug may indicate rusted passage way just behind the freeze plug).

[Guest]

Not to mention if it is coming out the exhaust, I'd think he'd smell it , could be wrong though....

[Thabulldog]

well the problem is solved... it was head gaskets. 700 bucks later she runs better than new... a very good investment

[1trucavalier]

do you see water dripping out of the exhaust pipe? did you birp the system? is your heater core leaking? I have seen it where heater cores leak and you don't know it because the coolant drips out of the plug in the floor. Check your engine for what looks like white dried water circles. I had a pin hole leak in my beretta $3.00 2" long hose cost me my whole motor!!!! It would spray in the engine bay but dry fast due to the engine heat mainly because it was so faint of a spray. Also if your engine gets extremely hot and its full it will vent the excess collant into the overflow and if you don't have a return like the TGP it will just run out of the bottom an may not be seen especially on the highway. The CTS cost $7.00 I would replace that first.

[1trucavalier]

LOL nevermind!