Q45 1991 shorting when driving.

[MrVon]

Car started shorting when driving, i can see lights go out for a second when driving sometimes and one time its even shut down completely stayed for 10 minutes and started ok again.

I guess problem is some leaking in radiator, engine is very wet in the front, and on left side on top of alternator i guess problem is that alternator shorts when liquid gets on it, that's why it shuts down electrical sometimes.







When i saw coolant leaking on front of engine i added water few times, so its mostly only water in the system now, however coolant tank level does not seem like its dropping much.

I am looking for leak now, but have few questions regarding it.
1. i never seen coolant tank with 1 hose only... how does it work hose connected on top of radiator so how does water even get there.
2. how can i tell that level of water in coolant tan between min and max is actually represents level in rest of system?
3. Why there's intentional hole in the tank on top?
4. Why this sticking out of radiator on left side next to battery and alternator, It seems like its not leaking anything, but does it missing hose?



5. where is thermostat exactly is.

Check engine light is not on.

[texasoil]

The pipe missing a hose comes from the transmission oil cooler inside the radiator tank. I suspect your car has an external transmission oil cooler in front of the radiator.

Water spraying on the front of the engine may short out the cam angle sensor. Unlikely to short the alternator. But, battery cables may be effected--bad connection on the battery, bad ground connection on the car frame, bad connection on the starter solenoid.

The overflow tank functioning depends on an air tight radiator/cooling system, full of liquid expanding into the tank when hot and then being sucked back into radiator filler neck on driver side. It that cap is not sealing air tight, or has been replaced with one that has the rubber seal at the end, it will not suck coolant back out of the tank.

Radiator end seams are known to fail catastrophically without much advance warning---may seep a little for a few days--but then seam opens top to bottom, dumping all the coolant in a few seconds. The engine cylinder walls will overheat very rapidly and be destroyed without any temperature gauge warning at all---because it is no longer exposed to circulating coolant--of which there is none left. Complete engine destruction in less than a minute of running.

[Q451990]

That is an aftermarket battery terminal clamp, so someone may have already chased this problem. Try wiggling things around at idle (keeping clear of rotating parts and belts of course)

The best way to check the coolant level is to remove the filler neck cap when the car is cold. If it's to the very top, it's full - if not add some coolant mixture... there's no great way to check it hot without taking a very hot sticky bath.

Heath

[OwnerCS]

The good news is that IF the radiator is bad, a new one can usually be purchased for less than $150.

It is not a bad job to replace the radiator. You an see the metal supports that hold it in place are easy to remove so it can be lifted from the top. If I remember correctly, the fan shroud was a two piece unit that allowed the the bottom piece to be removed to ease removal.

The thermostat is located behind the triangle/bell shaped hose inlet in the center front of the picture.



Hopefully you won't need to get into replacing water hoses under the plenum in this picture.




Is that an active suspension I see in the picture? If yes you have a Q45a.

[rabsusa]

greetings All!


been awhile!was a constant stalker as i lost passwd, but now im back;
with reg to filler neck cap, where can we source apart from stearlership - as i need 3 of them, 1 for each car,
and 1 spare, last time i bought from sterlership was like $20 (1999) during full service

thanks in advance,

R

1994 base -
2x 1995 touring