ive been having overheating problems lately. i replaced the radiator and it leaks no more. i thought that was the only problem, but it wasnt.
my temp gauge had been fluctuating as well, and since there are no leaks from the water pump i figured its just the thermostat. so i replaced it. that didnt work either. new problem is that it gets to boiling point and then cools down. when i pop the hood and drive with it up (not open) it cools down really quick, but if its down it still cools off after boilong point. so then, im thinking my themorstat isnt opening quick enough. what do you guys think?
overheating trouble shooting
Since you replaced the radiator, you have to really erally take care to bleed the cooling system of any air. You may have to bleed it more than once. If are is in the system this could lead to overheating. Driving with the hood popped up would give you more air flow over the engine to help cool it. Did you check your whole front end to make sure nothing was in the way of the radiator and that it was getting proper air flow?
What do you mean by "cools off after boiling point"? Could you rephrase that?
What do you mean by "cools off after boiling point"? Could you rephrase that?
by reaching boiling point i mean that it gets to the "H" at the top of the gauge (ie. overheat). after which it begins to cool down either becuase 1. somethings up with the thermostat or 2. i turn on the heater.
by bleeding the system, do you mean flushing it? if so ive done it about 3 times. oncewhen i replced a hose (about 2 weeks before the radiator blew), once again when i replaced the radiator, and once more when the thermostat was replaced. i suppose i can do it once more if this is the case.
also, i noticed today that the fan immidiately in front of the radiator doesnt spin (nearly as fast as the engine fan...as if its only blowing as a result of the engine fan blowing on it). i figure it should be spinning at the same rate no?maybe this has more to do with why it cools down so quickly when the hood is popped (as more air can enter and spin this fan)
by bleeding the system, do you mean flushing it? if so ive done it about 3 times. oncewhen i replced a hose (about 2 weeks before the radiator blew), once again when i replaced the radiator, and once more when the thermostat was replaced. i suppose i can do it once more if this is the case.
also, i noticed today that the fan immidiately in front of the radiator doesnt spin (nearly as fast as the engine fan...as if its only blowing as a result of the engine fan blowing on it). i figure it should be spinning at the same rate no?maybe this has more to do with why it cools down so quickly when the hood is popped (as more air can enter and spin this fan)
there is a bleed screw near the engine temp sensor on the intake manifold. when the whole system is cool, unscrew the bolt and open the radiator cap. pour in coolant untill it comes out the bleed hole. then put the screw back in, put the cap back on, and start it up.
btw. it would help if you supplied info such as: year, engine, etc...
btw. it would help if you supplied info such as: year, engine, etc...
omen2853 wrote:by bleeding the system, do you mean flushing it?
Bleeding is as 240kid instructed. The primary purpose is to get all the air out of the system. Having air trapped in the cooling system is highly detrimental. Air is not able to absorb as much heat as coolant, so the engine is not able to shed as much heat as it needs to. The system is also not able to maintain a proper pressure and flow.
sometimes it helps to lift the front of the car off the ground when doing this after you put the bolt back in the manifold use one of those bleeder funnels from a parts house it attaches right to where the radiator cap goes, you fill the funnel about half way turn your heater on full hot and blower on full speed. start the car and let it run till it burps all the air out. rev it a few times to help purge the air. you do this while its still lifted in the air.