Hey guys,
I have an overheating problem. Drove the car yesterday and noticed it started to overheat when in idle (at a light or stuck in traffic). I turned the heater on blast which dropped the needle and was able to get home. I added coolant when the car cooled, filled the reservoir to max line, and burped the system with a funnel from the radiator cap and car inclined. Took it for a drive and thought it was fine. Today I drove it again, and about 45 minutes into the drive it started to over heat again in idle. So I let it cool and replaced the thermostat (OE specs NAPA 180 degrees). The car still is overheating after driving it for a while.
I checked the fans, they do come on with and without the AC. I did notice the reservoir is between max and min now so maybe I am losing coolant somewhere but not on the ground. It is 108 degrees in North Texas but I don't think that would cause coolant to evaporate from the reservoir.
Plan on doing a pressure test in the morning. Also, may go to the stealership and by an OEM thermostat. Any tips or suggestions to try next?
2009 M45s overheating [SOLVED - bled air]
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Ilya
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- Car: 2011 M56x but I spend a lot of time on my 2015 Kawasaki Vulcan S. Former owner of a 2007 M35x. Also take care of my wife's 2016 QX60.
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Re: 2009 M45s overheating
Definitely do a pressure test. And you could very well be losing coolant but it's burning off before hitting the ground. Any funky smells? Coolant has a distinct smell when burning.
Re: 2009 M45s overheating
Ok, I will rent the tool from AutoZone in the morning. And no I didn't smell anything out of the ordinary.
Re: 2009 M45s overheating
How many miles does your m45 have?
How much coolant did you end up adding into the system?
Check the oil as well to see if the level has risen way beyond what you expect [meaning coolant is making its way into the oil system]
Do you know if the fan module has been addressed by the recall?
I feel like the fans running continuously is a response to the overheating... Unless you coincidentally have a bad module as well.
I pefer only OEM parts when dealing with thermostats. Take the opportunity to look at the radiator cap as well.
This might sound simple, but also hose down your condenser and radiator fins when you wash the car. I feel like the leak test will get you answers in a reasonable amount of time... But if you find that you are still overheating with no leaks, then there is another thermostat in the back of the engine that would need some attention, it is located under the intake manifold.
How much coolant did you end up adding into the system?
Check the oil as well to see if the level has risen way beyond what you expect [meaning coolant is making its way into the oil system]
Do you know if the fan module has been addressed by the recall?
I feel like the fans running continuously is a response to the overheating... Unless you coincidentally have a bad module as well.
I pefer only OEM parts when dealing with thermostats. Take the opportunity to look at the radiator cap as well.
This might sound simple, but also hose down your condenser and radiator fins when you wash the car. I feel like the leak test will get you answers in a reasonable amount of time... But if you find that you are still overheating with no leaks, then there is another thermostat in the back of the engine that would need some attention, it is located under the intake manifold.
Re: 2009 M45s overheating
Nice hearing from you again EdBwoy.
185,000 miles(a lot of cross-country traveling). I checked the oil and it looks fine and at normal levels. The reservoir was low originally before I added coolant and changed the thermostat but it didn't take much coolant to bring it to max line. Maybe 30 ounces. The reservoir was not completely empty.
I don't know for sure about the fan module but I don't think there is anything wrong with the fans. They do not run continuously unless they are overheating. They are usually off when the car is cool.
I did not check the cap but will inspect it in the morning. But will definitely buy OEM in the future to eliminate the possibility of faulty parts.
I did check the radiator for debris and didn't find anything big. I remember changing the radiator on my G35 and somehow leaves and dirt got in between the condenser and radiator. I still don't know how. but I didn't see anything this time.
My thinking is to do the pressure test and just to be safe I'll do a combustion test also to make sure there is not a blown head gasket. Hopefully, this will help me find the culprit.
Also, I did not know about the other thermostat. I will have to do some research on that one.
185,000 miles(a lot of cross-country traveling). I checked the oil and it looks fine and at normal levels. The reservoir was low originally before I added coolant and changed the thermostat but it didn't take much coolant to bring it to max line. Maybe 30 ounces. The reservoir was not completely empty.
I don't know for sure about the fan module but I don't think there is anything wrong with the fans. They do not run continuously unless they are overheating. They are usually off when the car is cool.
I did not check the cap but will inspect it in the morning. But will definitely buy OEM in the future to eliminate the possibility of faulty parts.
I did check the radiator for debris and didn't find anything big. I remember changing the radiator on my G35 and somehow leaves and dirt got in between the condenser and radiator. I still don't know how. but I didn't see anything this time.
My thinking is to do the pressure test and just to be safe I'll do a combustion test also to make sure there is not a blown head gasket. Hopefully, this will help me find the culprit.
Also, I did not know about the other thermostat. I will have to do some research on that one.
Re: 2009 M45s overheating
Ok, great! Confirmation of those aspects of the system will help you move forward faster.
The auto store should have a rad cap tester, but it's usually evident when they leak. You'll see dry white spots on your engine usually.
From your description, it doesn't seem like youve lost that much really.
The secondary thermostat [water control valve as they call it] will be visible in some of the pictures I posted here:
02-q45-heater-core-hose-w-air-relief-pl ... l#p6758262
The auto store should have a rad cap tester, but it's usually evident when they leak. You'll see dry white spots on your engine usually.
From your description, it doesn't seem like youve lost that much really.
The secondary thermostat [water control valve as they call it] will be visible in some of the pictures I posted here:
02-q45-heater-core-hose-w-air-relief-pl ... l#p6758262
Re: 2009 M45s overheating
I was able to do a pressure test. 13 psi and the needle stayed in place. I left it there for 15 minutes and I didn't lose pressure. I also check the fans again to see if any small resistance would stop them. I use my hand with a towel and they were strong, did not budge. But now that I know there are no leaks I will have to find that second thermostat.
My friend thinks its something dealing with the fans because it takes 30 to 40 minutes of driving for the car to overheat and the car only overheats in idle. Makes sense since there is no air flowing when sitting still but the fans come on so this has me baffled.
I have a busy day today so I will have to run more test tomorrow morning. I plan on finding the second thermostat and also do a block test just in case even though there are no signs of a blown head gasket.
My friend thinks its something dealing with the fans because it takes 30 to 40 minutes of driving for the car to overheat and the car only overheats in idle. Makes sense since there is no air flowing when sitting still but the fans come on so this has me baffled.
I have a busy day today so I will have to run more test tomorrow morning. I plan on finding the second thermostat and also do a block test just in case even though there are no signs of a blown head gasket.
Re: 2009 M45s overheating (Solved)
Just wanted to update. The car is finally running normally. I must have had air still in the system. After about 3 attempts to burp the system the car finally return back to normal operations. Thanks for the help.
Re: 2009 M45s overheating
Awesome! I wonder why it started all of a sudden, but hey... a win is a win!
I had to do a lot of purging recently to get rid of the sloshing heater core.
I had to do a lot of purging recently to get rid of the sloshing heater core.
Re: 2009 M45s overheating [SOLVED - bled air]
I have no idea how air got in the system before ever opening it up. Just hoping it really fixed.