Overheating issue. Please READ!

[90TealEX]

After searching through EVERY thread on here about overheating (no joke), I still can't pinpoint exactly what is wrong with my car.
90 EX
I live in Klamath Falls, OR. I bought the car in Bend and drove it home with no issues whatsoever. The next day after dropping my sister off at work I notice a little bit of smoke coming from the front of the car. Pop the hood and realize that there is no coolant in the reservoir. Right before picking the car up, it had a new water pump and timing belt installed.

I also noticed my temp gauge was stuck at C. Noticed that the cable to the temp gauge sensor on the side of the block was unplugged. Bought a new thermostat (hadn't been replaced for 30k) and a new sensor and plugged the cable on it and now the car is constantly all the way up past the H (as far as it can go). After driving the car for only a bit there is smoke coming out near the radiator. There is no way the car can be hot within a minute of starting either, yet the gauge shoots all the way up in that amount of time.

I even got a new radiator cap just for the hell of it. Nothing fixed.

My question? What is wrong with my car? The radiator needs to be "de-gunked" according to my neighbor. Screw that, I'll just buy a new one. I'm guessing there is a leak or two somewhere either on the radiator itself or in one of the hoses. I'm almost tempted to just go get a new radiator installed and hope that fixes everything.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much!

[simactive]

Pop the hood and realize that there is no coolant in the reservoir. Right before picking the car up, it had a new water pump and timing belt installed.

I also noticed my temp gauge was stuck at C. Noticed that the cable to the temp gauge sensor on the side of the block was unplugged. Bought a new sensor and plugged the cable on it and now the car is constantly all the way up past the H (as far as it can go). After driving the car for only a bit there is smoke coming out near the radiator. There is no way the car can be hot within a minute of starting either, yet the gauge shoots all the way up in that amount of time.

I even got a new radiator cap just for the hell of it. Nothing fixed.

My question? What is wrong with my car? The radiator needs to be "de-gunked" according to my neighbor. Screw that, I'll just buy a new one. I'm guessing there is a leak or two somewhere either on the radiator itself or in one of the hoses. I'm almost tempted to just go get a new radiator installed and hope that fixes everything.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much!

not to offend or anything but did u fill up the rad and everything with a new bottle of coolent 50/50 mix? after buying the new rad cap and everything? check al the connects from the hose and such. U could always find one in a junkyard and get that one.

[Jeh'son]

Take the water pump back off, casue some lower budget shops will make there own gaskets, and on my stepdays 88 toyota, they only cut a small hole in it, not allowing enough coolant to get through, and hte topend came apart.

[Leung]

you could always do a pressure test to find the leaks that is if ther are any.

[ExplodingCake]

- make sure your thermostat aint f'ed up dude
- an f'ed up thermostat will block the coolant from gettin in the engine , thus whippin the ass of ur engine. Since your case is overheating.
- make sure u have enough coolant in there
- when you water pump was replaced , was the cooling system bled properly?

[sackingz123]

make sure your thermostat aint f'ed up dude

agree, replace ur thermostat...

[90TealEX]

Woops, forgot to add, the t-stat was replaced yesterday and the car still smokes.

[sackingz123]

Woops, forgot to add, the t-stat was replaced yesterday and the car still smokes.

smokes as white smoke coming from the exhaust??

[90TealEX]

smokes as white smoke coming from the exhaust??

NO! definitley not. the head gasket isn't blown, I know that for sure (happened to my last honda-90 civic). it's just normal smoke/steam coming from the very front of the car by the radiator somewhere. i don't know what the hell it is.

[ExplodingCake]

NO! definitley not. the head gasket isn't blown, I know that for sure (happened to my last honda-90 civic). it's just normal smoke/steam coming from the very front of the car by the radiator somewhere. i don't know what the hell it is.

well , in my opinion your radiator maybe effin itself up..

[Jeh'son]

maybe someone pulled the ol' egg in the radiator haha, works good for about a week normally to fill up cracks/holes in fins then they jsut leak to hell after..

[sackingz123]

maybe the radiator is takin a shit on you, but get a pressure test on it...

[90TealEX]

i'll have to get it pressure tested then, i have no idea what else it can be, if anything. also, i'll have to pick up some HONDA antifreeze because after reading around on it, i'm paranoid that using the normal stuff is really going to eat up the water pump seal.

[ExplodingCake]

i'll have to get it pressure tested then, i have no idea what else it can be, if anything. also, i'll have to pick up some HONDA antifreeze because after reading around on it, i'm paranoid that using the normal stuff is really going to eat up the water pump seal.

just dont get yourself frustrated man..

[90TealEX]

According to the lady I bought the car from, the whole reason the water pump was replaced was because the car was having a coolant leak and her mechanic pressure tested it and found the pump to be the culprit. With a new water pump, that shouldn't be the case anymore. If I could, I'd take it back to his shop so he can deal with it because it should be running great. I'm just worried taking it there will overheat the car and what not and cause me more trouble than good.