Compufreek Posted April 28, 2004 Report Share Posted April 28, 2004 Is there any way for me to test my radiatoar flow? I have been having an aver heating problem for a little while so I took my thermo out so I could run it for now until I figure what's wrong. Well the funny thing is that even with no thermo it still gets warm, no where near where it should but it is not dead flat cold either. If I have to sit with it running for a few min it heats up too (even without the thermo). I have changed the water pump too. Anyone have any ideas other than the radiator? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted April 28, 2004 Report Share Posted April 28, 2004 put a thermostat back in....if nothing else get a 160 stat. How hot does it get? Are you just looking at the gage? What kind of car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TurboSedan Posted April 28, 2004 Report Share Posted April 28, 2004 wrong mix of coolant/water? or is it definately a flow issue? can you see into the radiator at the tubes inside? lots of crud? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THe_DeTAiL3R Posted April 28, 2004 Report Share Posted April 28, 2004 Maybe you have air in the system. Did you bleed the t-stat housing? Maybe you got air in the system when you changed the water pump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per0781 Posted April 28, 2004 Report Share Posted April 28, 2004 Perhaps ure radiator cap needs replacing. When I would idle in traffic last summer, it would heat up to 3/4. :shock: Replaced the radiator cap the next day and problem solved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Compufreek Posted April 28, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2004 The sensor for the gauge is brand new and it is registering below the first line but it will creep all the way to almost the red if I sit to long. Sometimes it does it when I am driving too but that is rare. Ok cap is brand new, yes I bled the system and installed a prestone flush kit and ran the prestone radiator cleaner through it. The low coolant light comes on when I first start it but it is not low when I check it cold. The other wierd thing is that I have seen it completely flatten the top radiater hose with suction. as if the blockage was not in the radiator but rather in the engine somewhere. Oh the car is a '95 GPSE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grandprix104 Posted April 28, 2004 Report Share Posted April 28, 2004 Definately put the t-stat back in. Without a t-stat the coolant is always flowing, however, it then does not stay in the radiator long enough for it to cool off so basically you are slowly making the water/coolant hotter and hotter until you overheat the engine (this is accellerated when your not moving because of lack of air-flow). My 3100 has a very similar problem. It will climb to from 190 (normal op temp) to 215-30 (a little too hot - 5/8ths way up the dial) it will stay there until the rpms go over 3000 or you start moving faster. I have tried everything and ran straight water last summer and it ran cooler (witch doesnt make any sense). Sorry im not much help on this, these 3100s have picky cooling systems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TurboSedan Posted April 28, 2004 Report Share Posted April 28, 2004 i don't think the coolant really has to stay in the radiator a certain amount of time in order to cool enough before it enters the engine again. the thermostat in my Cutlass is stuck open right now. on the highway it won't go over 1/4 way up, and in town it won't go above 1/2 way up on the gauge. i could be wrong, but that's the way it is on my car. i would definately replace the thermostat tho. i'm getting really crappy gas mileage with the thermostat stuck open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Compufreek Posted April 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2004 The problem is that is I put the thermo back in it over heats. i mean that it will go all the way to just before the red and stay there and then if I am lucky what ever it is will let it start flowing again and go down. Do you guys know any part number for the lower temp thermos. and what brands. This is really being a pain in the ass at this point because I have already had to pull my top end off twice in the last six months (once for the IMG and once to replace the lifters that colapsed when the IMG went) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slade901 Posted April 29, 2004 Report Share Posted April 29, 2004 It seems to me that your coolant passage way inside your engine has crud/gunk in it and blocking the coolant flow. Your radiator itself might be clogged up. I would get this coolant service flush kit made by prestone. It has a T-adapter and and part where you can connect your garden hose, etc. Get a large drain container and radiator coolant flush solution. What I would do in your case is that right after driving the vehicle, I would drain the coolant by removing the lower large coolant hose. You might want to wear a long rubber gloves. Let it drain and then open the drain plug on the radiator to further empty the radiator. Let the engine cool down for 60 minutes or more. Remove both large hoses and check the hole for the coolant passage way in the engine block and clean it if there are crud/gunk. Once the engine has cooled down, I would put a T-adapter to the hose going to the T-stat and run the garden hose and let it flush any crud/gunk. Put everything back in and pour the radiator coolant flush solution and top it off with water and bleed any air. The instruction say to drive the vehicle around or in the highway for an hour or so. Right after driving it, drain the radiator again. Let it cool down. Put in the right mixture of water/coolant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Compufreek Posted April 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2004 LOL, some one is not reading the topic. I have already installed the kit and followed all the instuctions . I have run a bottle of radiator flush as well as a bottle of radiator clearner (had it in for 3 days) and got a lot of gunk out but something still seems to be clogged. Does anyone know where it would most likely to be clogged up in the engine? I was thinking the radiator but like I said before it will accually collapse the larger return hose to the radiator so it must be flowing throught the radiator channels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slade901 Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 If you leave your engine running at IDLE, does the radiator fan kicks in and at what temperature? If your lower radiator hose collapses, it will restrict the flow of coolant from the radiator into the engine. This can happen if the reinforcing spring inside the hose is missing or damaged. So, it is time to replace your lower radiator hose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Compufreek Posted April 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 It is the upper hose on the driver side that is collapsing. I thought that was the return hose but it is also why I was thinking that there is a blockage somewhere else in the motor. The fans don't kick on which is really a pain. I don't know if it is the sensor or the relays but I am gonna be hooking up a switch so I can turn them on manually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
god910 Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 Remember the fans don't turn on until 220* and 227* (or thereabouts) so make sure you aren't trying to get them to turn on too soon. Josh, the rad. is actually supposed to act as a heat exchanger. It can't acquire the max amount of heat from the coolant if it doesn't move slowly (or stop) in it. That's why we have T-stats that open and close. To move different columns of coolant into and out of the radiator. If the upper hose is collapsing I would take a long look at the heater core or a blocked passage in the engine somewhere. A lower temp T-stat will piss off the computer because it expects higher coolant temps. Don't cut off my legs if you have answered this already, but did you replace the stat?? If not, do that, it could also be air like was stated before, make sure you are bleeding the system right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fast68 Posted May 2, 2004 Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 the fan should be kicking on ariund 215-220 degree,s if not then you have either 1. bad relay, 2. burned up fan cooling motor, 3. bad coolign fan temp sensor, or 4. break in wires circuit somewhere or bad plug connection. car will get hot low speed and idling, it is normal thermostats partially restrict coolant flow through the system at all temps above the rated opening temp of the thermostat, under that temp then the thermostat completely blocks the flow of coolant in order to help the engine warm up quickly to operating temps so that it may burn fuel most efficiently and so the cat converter can remove gases most efficiently too(less exhaust emissions nox2) if the radiator is full of crud and needs rodded out or replaced then the car woudl be hot at all vehicle speeds regardless of how much air is moving through the radiator, also same if the water pump is failing or if a hose or line is restricted cooling system in good shape will get hot at lower vehicle speeds and cool down qite a bit at higher vehicle speeds. radiator cap allows the system to build up pressure to 15 or 16lbs, this pressure helps the fluids to cool the system, normally pressure produces heat but not in a cooling system, water has better cooling properties than antifreeze, antifreeze helps prevent freezing, not overheating, in the summer time you want more water than ethylene glycol in your system, water removes heat more efficiently than the glycol, by far good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
god910 Posted May 2, 2004 Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 ...radiator cap allows the system to build up pressure to 15 or 16lbs, this pressure helps the fluids to cool the system, normally pressure produces heat but not in a cooling system... Not true, the reason that the pressure is introduced into the system is to keep it from boiling. Water boils at 212*F and since our cars are designed to run hotter than that, the heating of the fluids creates pressure. The system is designed to allow the pressure to remain instead of venting it so that the coolant can reach a higher temp. than it's typical boiling point. The higher the pressure, the higher the boiling point of a liquid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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