Overheating

[FunkZ]

Re: Overheating

If the cap is new and opening at 18lbs like it should but pressure continues to climb then the overflow may be clogged.

I had a similar problem with a clog in the rubber overflow right where it connects to the metal tube that runs under the battery. It was nearly completely clogged, but it would allow high pressure coolant to go into the tank but could not pull it back under vacuum, so it appeared my coolant kept disappearing.

[96fbody]

Re: Overheating

my car overheats too. and i do see bubbles in the radiator when i run it with the cap off. and i am always refilling it. i just replaced the water pump tho. so where is this bleeder screw for a 96. god, i hope its not the head gasket. also, i have a nasty looking brown fluid for radiator fluid. its nasty. i think that i have been mixing neon green stuff with that orange. im gonna get my radiator flushed soon. i think that is what it needs.

[GoAwayDamnYou]

Re: Overheating

i have a nasty looking brown fluid for radiator fluid. its nasty. i think that i have been mixing neon green stuff with that orange. im gonna get my radiator flushed soon. i think that is what it needs.

Yeah, my fluid was a nasty brown, too.... even after I flushed it w/ Prestone 6x...LOL...

anyway, I have an update....

I took my radiator out this weekend and ran a hose through it. The water went through it pretty fast, so it isn't clogged. I got more of that brown stuff out of it, though.

Also removed the battery and cleaned out the overflow tank with the hose and a pipe cleaning brush. It's clean now....

I noticed a few bubbles come up with the cap off, but I thought maybe it's because I had some air in the system.... I hope so anyway...

I also cleaned out the condenser. I didn't want to take it out b/c all my freon would go to waste, so I sprayed the hose at it from inside the engine bay, so that the dirt would go out and not get packed in the fins.



The fan kicks on at about 200º and the thermostat opens at 160º. It idles a good while at the right temp and the needle goes back down; with and without the A/C.
The water pump definitely appears to be pumping.


I then drove it and revved it a lot around the neighborhood for a few miles w/ the A/C on. The temp started rising up to 240º, wouldn't go back down.
I let it idle in the driveway and it only went down a little bit.

I don't think my A/C needs freon; I put a thermometer in the vent and it came up at 58º. My A/C is ice! I bought freon anyway in case you all still think I should put more in.

-sigh-
I hope it's not my head gasket....


Any input?


1995 3.4L, 170k miles

[nimrod.sixty9]

Re: Overheating

I would say that even though your AC is ICE cold, it could still be low on the oil! I would add one of those small PAG oil cans, one w/o freon! See if that may work.

No more freon (you can have too much)! Just incase you didnt get that the first time! Hope this helps!

[jdkvice]

Re: Overheating

If any refrigeration system is low on freon, it will freeze up. If ran long enough it will eventually turn into a huge block of ice. It doesn't overheat, especially the condensor coils. The only exception might be a heat pump...but, heat pumps are only residential/commercial refrigeration systems.

[JumpInTheFire.com]

Re: Overheating

my 98 firebird overheats when i use the a/c too.

[GoAwayDamnYou]

Re: Overheating

my 98 firebird overheats when i use the a/c too.

Maybe it's Florida... FL sucks.

jk.

I'll pick up some PAG oil. I can't remember what # it was that I used last time...
PAG4? I guess the store will know.

[nimrod.sixty9]

Re: Overheating

Maybe it's Florida... FL sucks.

jk.

I'll pick up some PAG oil. I can't remember what # it was that I used last time...
PAG4? I guess the store will know.

LOL, doubt its FL. It was almost 100 here today and I had the A/C maxed and I was kinda getting on the pettle a bit. Gauge never moved, gas gauge did though LOL!

Not sure about what grades, the stuff I used already came premixed with oil. But I still should add more...

[4thgenowner]

Re: Overheating

My 3.4 had a lower intake manifold gasket leak. It would slowly leak burn coolant in to the runners and it would overheat. Might want to check it out.

[FunkZ]

Re: Overheating

Are you sure there's not air trapped in the system? To bleed the air out of the 3.4 disconnect one of the throttle body hoses.

[GoAwayDamnYou]

Re: Overheating

Wow, it has been a long time...

I think I have resolved the problem.


I took my car to a mechanic because I wanted him to do a compression test. Instead he told me to replace my radiator and put K&W stop leak in the system. He also said it's time for new hoses.
I put K&W in it = no change
I did Not replace my radiator because when I took it out water went Right through it. My rad is fine. And Clean. I cleaned the crap outta it!

Since then, I've flushed it a dozen more times to get that K&W **** out of there. -.-

Last weekend
I pulled out the waterpump..... lo and behold...
Instead of using RTV some jackhole (lol) used what looks to be.. Rubber Cement! WTH?!
It was all lumpy and crap... so the waterpump and gasket were uneven, letting water into the system.
That must be why the water would boil out sporadically.

I spent the day scraping this crap off the block and water pump with a razor blade and a wire brush.
bought a new gasket, and now it is at least Not overheating and not losing water.
It is STILL running too hot. Hotter than it should.

I was going to wire my fan to run all the time but...
you know what, I shouldn't have to do that. It should run fine the way it came.

I decided to replace the hoses today...
SPEAKING OF WHICH

Has anyone ever taken off their heater hose assembly?!

LMAO!!!!
What a piece of crap! I'm just going to cut my own new hose for that. psh.
$150.00
Go look at it.
POS.


So anyway,
I also decided to look at my spark plugs.
I've had the car about a year and six months. The guy who sold it to me told me he changed the spark plugs. I took his word for it.

The car has 170,000 miles on it. It looks like the spark plugs were changed ONCE.... 100,000 miles ago.
And the thing is, my car has always run magnificently.

The spark plugs are supposed to be gaped at .045
They were at .065...
That's a yellow flame. Inefficient. How was I getting 22mpg?
This poor car was trying to run on embers! rofl.

wait wait, here's a pic:


Notice how there are 5....

Well, the aforementioned jackhole STRIPPED THE OTHER SPARK PLUG!
HOW DO I GET IT OUT GUYS!?!

:(
I'm spraying WD40 on it and trying to turn it. I do not want to take the head apart!




Anyway,
what I'm getting at is...

Check your spark plugs!!!!

When I bought my other 95 Camaro I was told they were changed too. AND THEY WEREN'T. They weren't as bad as these, but they were way past due.



EDIT:

Here's the heater hose assembly:

[JumpInTheFire.com]

Re: Overheating

i still havent fixed mine.

[GoAwayDamnYou]

Re: Overheating

Taking a break from working on it

I am assuming mine is fixed because these spark plugs are pretty bad. We'll see.
The water pump made the biggest difference.

Mine doesn't OVERHEAT (go into the red) anymore, but when it did, it was with the a/c on.
Now it gets hotter than it should w/ the A/C on (goes to the line before the red and then cycles. It was not cycling before.)

I'm hoping replacing the hoses and spark plugs resolves all that.


In regards to overheating, is it going into the red or running hotter than it should?
What have you checked?

I tried to search if you made a post about it, but I didn't see anything. Link me to it if I missed it.
I didn't realize so many factors could cause the car to overheat... I've learned a lot.

[JumpInTheFire.com]

Re: Overheating

i'll probably copy everything u did and see what it does.
the water/coolant boils..it gets so hot.

i thought it only overheats when i used the a/c..but it overheats just sitting still.. i was jumping off my 87 5.0 mustang...so i had it running and i noticed the coolant was boiling. the engine gets so hot too. maybe thats normal (engine getting hot).

only thing i've done is flushed the radiator..new coolant/water. new duralast thermostat and thermostat gasket. waterpump works i believe.

[JumpInTheFire.com]

Re: Overheating

heres what i did recently:
new autolite spark plugs
new spark plug wires
new coil packs
removed cat-converter
new radiator
new antifreeze..

...and it still overheats. just sitting for maybe 5 minutes with the a/c off..it'll run real hot. after 10 or 15 minutes..i take the radiator cap off and its boiling.