Ok, here’s what’s been happening. About a week ago my car’s temp gauge shot all the way up on the highway, but once I slowed down due to traffic. This was the first time it was higher than the normal 40%. When I got home I checked it out and the upper radiator hose was hot, they say if the therm. is bad then the upper hose would be cool. So I thought it wasn’t the therm. So I went home and drained the system and flushed it, found that the reservoir hose was not connected, so I reattached it. The thing ran fine for about a week. Then I went for a drive to the beach, about 45 minutes each way and everything was ok. Then in the morning I noticed a dried puddle under the car. I checked the antifreeze level and it was low so I refilled. But then as I was leaving in the morning to work, not even two miles away, and the car being on 5 minutes the temp gauge shot up all the way. Kind of strange since it normally takes a while to wrm up to 40% in the morning. So I rushed home and when I parked anti-freeze just started pouring out like an open hose. As I looked I noticed it was from the radiator cause it was way up front right over the bumper. I figured my Rad. busted. I went out and got another one, from the junkyard. I put it in, drove the car around a while and it was fine. Then I drive to work in the morning and once again as I hit a patch of traffic the temp gauge shoots up, so I get to work and check it out, no leaks just my reservoir is full to the brim. Seems like the overflow wasn’t being sucked back into the system. So I wait till it’s cool and check the fluid, low, so top off. I drive home and it’s fine even through traffic, but I get to my town and hit a light and bam, again temp goes up. So I get home and check and check, and I notice that one of my fans was running backwards. I have both running continuous, so I fix the fan and wait till the morning to check it. The next two days it runs fine. Last night I get to a gas station in my town and smell anitfreeze so I check and seems my cap is leaking and I could hear a hissing sound coming from it and my reservoir is overflowing a bit. So I go the very next morning (today) to the auto parts store and buy a cap. As soon as I put it in I notice the difference. So I think everything is fine, I go to work and it’s great even in traffic. But then I get to work and put it in Park and BAM the temp gauge shoots up again. I hit the throttle a bit and it starts to go down a bit. I check the cap it’s fine no leaks, I check the rad. no leaks, I check the reservoir, still full. I check the hoses and they all feel warm. OK… WHAT THE HECK COULD IT BE!!! My fans are on, my rad. doesn’t leak, my cap is on tight no leaks, no hoses leaking that I could tell??? Help ME Please!!!
Ok, if it’s my head gasket I think i’ll just put er away and do the work myself little by little. Might as well rebuild er while i’m at it.
But I hope it’s not.
Ok, i went to check it at lunch and finally the reservoir fluid was 3/4 full. That means that the system finally sucked back some, which means the pressure is finally up to par. One on the check list down.
Ok, here is what I’ll try. Remove the radiator and fully clean it inside and out, replace the thermo., make sure I bleed the system when I refill it and see what happens.
I checked the engine block and it’s dry as can be no leaks anywhere, although I will check the pump more closely.
The antifreeze is a bit too green, so maybe I have a too rich mixture of antifreeze so when I drain it I’ll make sure to test it and get the mixture to 50/50. Any other suggestions?
I’m trying to drive down to NYC for the long weekend and the Yankee vs Redsox series, but if my car is at jeoperdy I wouldn’t but really want to go so I’m trying to get my ride straintened out.
Replace the thermostat and even do a check on your water pump if you still have problems.
There’s a bleed fitting, usually near the thermostat housing. When you’re refilling a drained system you need to open this fitting while filling and close it once you get a steady stream of coolant with no air. Otherwise you can end up with an airlock in what looks like a full system that may be only be half full. Something as simple as a bad radiator cap fixed my overheat problem.