Overheating, + some issues, Need some help guys. Options

[creis]

So I got my car back from the shop Sat and it was all good, looked great. drove it to work today and all was good till on the way home, I stoped at a store to buy a battery for my door remote. and notived steam out the vent. popped the hood and the coolant was over flowing out the cap (not into the overflow take (well very little) started the car, and the temp shot up to 3/4 max but did not hold steady. drove it home gently, the temp guage went normal. got it home popped the hood and my radiator was cracked, figured that was the problem I lost a pretty good amount of coolant, so I let the crack dry out, and fiberglassed over the crack hopeing it would hold a little wile (ordered a new KOYO aluminum radiator should be here in a few days.)

any way let the fiberglass dry good and it did, started it up, everything seemed good, let it heat up filled the coolant everything looked good, fiberglass patch held good. drove it around for a wile, temp guage warmed up as normal and stayed normal.

got home and it was steaming again, fiberglass was holding but not 100% and was not (very little) overfloing into the side tank. and noticed the fans were not going on, tested it by letting the car idel for a wile then little reving, no fans at all, nothing. ( checked the relay and looks fine but I dont know much about telling a good one from a bad one)

what could be the cause of this, I did some searching and it could be the thumostat, but I dont undestand how my fans wont turn on.

any tips or knolage as to the cause, I'm gana try a few things tomarrow and hopefully you guys give me so good advise, but its probably gana go to the shop for a tune up and to see whats rong.

So I'm in the van again

oh and now just today 3 tail light bulbs went out

some pics I took SAT when i got it back:



Yeah my rear lisence place body peace is not clear coated, did not have it done since I'm making a new custom one.

[purplegt4]

i was thinking thermostat.

[hitcachi]

thermostat

[Hanyo]

i think its the radiator cap.

as long as the car stays with in the temperature range the fans will not turn on.

btw what tire size is that?

[creis]

yeah my dad was saying its the readiator cap, but i dont really think that, its looks to me as though it is clearly overheating, would be cool if its something that simple (I'll get a new one) but I dont think the guage is right, I mean would there be much steam in the radiator at normal temp? I guess there could be but should not be that hot, water boils at 100 degrees C the temp or the coolat should be like 86 ish. and the fans are not turning on when its sits still ideling or reving at all, there clearly not working. (will test them separately tomarrow)

my tires 215x17x45

edit: how much pressure is in the radiator when at normal temp, like PSI?

This post has been edited by creis: Apr 18, 2006 - 1:33 AM

[Bitter]

engine coolant temprature sensor, which is different than the thermostat (but commonly confused). if it were the thermostat it would take forever for the engine to warm up.


how did you test the relay? are you sure theres continuity between the PCM and the relay and from the relay to the fans?

[creis]

ok so I'm a little more confused, the fans do work (when AC is on, both run good as they should when the ac is on) the temp of the car (guage on dash, appears to work just fine, however it does not show the motor is getting overly hot (which it vary well may not be)) the steam from the radiator is probalby only turning into steam after it has leaked out the side and down though a small pocket in the fiberglass so I dont think that its overheating but seems weird that even if it was not getting very hot the fans dont turn on. so I'm leaning tward the temp sensor as well, and the fan switch.

A guy at work said that a extreem case could be the head gaskate blew and its dumping exhaust into the coolat but thats not the case as it would be very obviousl when looking at the coolat

I dont think there is anything rong with the radiator cap, looks just fine as holds pressure just fine, but sux that I bought a new one that does not fit, exact thing just one side does not grip enough. so I'm stuck with it for the moment.

This post has been edited by creis: Apr 18, 2006 - 7:44 PM

[lilsteeg]

engine coolant temprature sensor, which is different than the thermostat (but commonly confused). if it were the thermostat it would take forever for the engine to warm up.

no not if it wont open, then it would overheat way quick, happend in my firebird as i was driving home a while ago

[creis]

My plan is to just get the new radiator in, and see how it runs, I dont have any real evidence to blame other parts at the moment, it makes sense that the old radiator cracked leaked coolant and the thing overheated, because it runs as it should when filled sept that some leaks out the side of the patch. as far as the fans go, I dont think I'm getting it warm enough, i'm too chicken to really get it to overheat.

[95BlueGT]

I'm in the same situation, except the temp gauge on mine actually went up. it was close to its red line. There was an obvious crack in the radiator, so i welded it up with some JB weld, it held, but the car still over heated for some odd reason. Teh crack was there because there is loads of Rust in the radiator.

While im doing this i might as well replace the Thermostat as im sure it is rusted out as well.

Anyone know how difficult it is to replace the Thermostat? I think i can replace the radiator just fine, not sure where the thermostat is.

This post has been edited by 95BlueGT: May 23, 2006 - 11:58 AM

[Bitter]

if the thermostat's not opening (rofl) why is he overflowing hot coolant out of his radiator?