Car's been running like a champ so far. When I bought it, there was an obvious previous collision on the front end. I'm not sure if the radiator was replaced, but it looks in not so great condition. Anyways:
I was driving home from work a few days ago, and stopped to check the mail. The engine cut off and I figured I had stalled out, so I restarted the engine, and noticed smoke coming from the hood. I immediately turned off the car and pushed it back home. I checked for lose hoses and cracks in radiator, and didn't see either. There was coolant mildly all over the engine bay, but I didn't see a leak anywhere.
Anyways, I checked everything, and drained the coolant and washed it out (except for what was in the block, couldn't get the bolt loose, and didn't want to fuck it up). I refilled with 50/50 antifreeze-water and used some of that radiator stopleak and I did use the air bolt. I turned the engine on and let it get warm with the heat on full blast. The manual said to leave the rad cap off, so I did. I didn't see the water entering the thermostat, and the hose wasn't very hot (It was warmer towards the head, I figured it was due to proximity heat). The lower hose wasn't hot either.
I went and bought a new thermostat and replaced it. I put it back together and tried it again with the cap off. It didn't seem to move either, so I figured maybe it only worked when the system was pressurized, so I put the cap on and called it a night. This morning opened up the cap to check, and I had to add more coolant (figured it went into the block). I turn it on, and it seems to work alright, although it was running alittle warmer than usual. Before, with the heat on, the coolant was at like 1/4 temp, and without about 1/3-2/5.
I drove it around, and it stayed at the half-way mark with the heat on full blast. I drove it around the neighborhood without the heat, and it was about the same. Anyways, whenever I would stop, I would see smoke coming from the bay. Not alot of smoke, but enough. Only when I stopped though (although if it smoked while I was going, it wasn't enough to really see well). When I stopped and looked under the hood, the radiator was smoking. Also, the fans weren't running. I let the engine idle until it was warmed up, and the fans didn't come on. I also drove it around and let it get hot (still at 1/2 temp the whole time), and parked and immediately checked the fans: not on.
I jumped the fans and they worked, so the motors are working. I checked the fuses, and they are good as well. I checked the relay sorta. I switched the relay into the power window spot, and the windows worked. I unplugged the switches (manual's description of the location was abhorrible) and they seemed clean, except for a black marking. It didn't look like the fried or burnt look, but like they were marked with a black marker. I plug them back in, and try it again. The fans don't come on. I tried to turn on the AC (I heard something about the condensor fan coming on with the AC on, so I decided to try it.) When I hit the AC button, the light didn't change. I'm pretty sure that before it used to turn green (although I don't think that it had any freon left) and now it doesn't.
Sorry for the novel, but I wanted to give as much information as possible to help figure out the problem. I need the car for work, so I have to drive it. It doesn't seem like anything too bad will happen as long as I have the coolant filled - my last car blew a headgasket from overheating, so I learned my lesson. My first impression is that the fans aren't working, (they work, but they aren't working) and possible the radiator has a small puncture. I'm going to get a new radiator (suggestions?), and need to fix the fans. When do they come on normally? I know at 188-198 and 2xx-2xx but I mean when the car normally idles, should the radiator fan be on? Also, if the radiator has a small hole, will it leak all the time? It seems like it should, but it doesn't leak with the car off, only steam when it gets hot. Thanks for any help.
Cliffs: Car overheated once (not bhg), replaced thermostat, fans not working: fuse - ok, motor - ok, switch - black ink/marker on connection, relay - maybe ok, radiator possible small hole.
I was driving home from work a few days ago, and stopped to check the mail. The engine cut off and I figured I had stalled out, so I restarted the engine, and noticed smoke coming from the hood. I immediately turned off the car and pushed it back home. I checked for lose hoses and cracks in radiator, and didn't see either. There was coolant mildly all over the engine bay, but I didn't see a leak anywhere.
Anyways, I checked everything, and drained the coolant and washed it out (except for what was in the block, couldn't get the bolt loose, and didn't want to fuck it up). I refilled with 50/50 antifreeze-water and used some of that radiator stopleak and I did use the air bolt. I turned the engine on and let it get warm with the heat on full blast. The manual said to leave the rad cap off, so I did. I didn't see the water entering the thermostat, and the hose wasn't very hot (It was warmer towards the head, I figured it was due to proximity heat). The lower hose wasn't hot either.
I went and bought a new thermostat and replaced it. I put it back together and tried it again with the cap off. It didn't seem to move either, so I figured maybe it only worked when the system was pressurized, so I put the cap on and called it a night. This morning opened up the cap to check, and I had to add more coolant (figured it went into the block). I turn it on, and it seems to work alright, although it was running alittle warmer than usual. Before, with the heat on, the coolant was at like 1/4 temp, and without about 1/3-2/5.
I drove it around, and it stayed at the half-way mark with the heat on full blast. I drove it around the neighborhood without the heat, and it was about the same. Anyways, whenever I would stop, I would see smoke coming from the bay. Not alot of smoke, but enough. Only when I stopped though (although if it smoked while I was going, it wasn't enough to really see well). When I stopped and looked under the hood, the radiator was smoking. Also, the fans weren't running. I let the engine idle until it was warmed up, and the fans didn't come on. I also drove it around and let it get hot (still at 1/2 temp the whole time), and parked and immediately checked the fans: not on.
I jumped the fans and they worked, so the motors are working. I checked the fuses, and they are good as well. I checked the relay sorta. I switched the relay into the power window spot, and the windows worked. I unplugged the switches (manual's description of the location was abhorrible) and they seemed clean, except for a black marking. It didn't look like the fried or burnt look, but like they were marked with a black marker. I plug them back in, and try it again. The fans don't come on. I tried to turn on the AC (I heard something about the condensor fan coming on with the AC on, so I decided to try it.) When I hit the AC button, the light didn't change. I'm pretty sure that before it used to turn green (although I don't think that it had any freon left) and now it doesn't.
Sorry for the novel, but I wanted to give as much information as possible to help figure out the problem. I need the car for work, so I have to drive it. It doesn't seem like anything too bad will happen as long as I have the coolant filled - my last car blew a headgasket from overheating, so I learned my lesson. My first impression is that the fans aren't working, (they work, but they aren't working) and possible the radiator has a small puncture. I'm going to get a new radiator (suggestions?), and need to fix the fans. When do they come on normally? I know at 188-198 and 2xx-2xx but I mean when the car normally idles, should the radiator fan be on? Also, if the radiator has a small hole, will it leak all the time? It seems like it should, but it doesn't leak with the car off, only steam when it gets hot. Thanks for any help.
Cliffs: Car overheated once (not bhg), replaced thermostat, fans not working: fuse - ok, motor - ok, switch - black ink/marker on connection, relay - maybe ok, radiator possible small hole.
Comment