Okay.. my car has been overheating since summer time, when i turbo'd my car (greddy turbo kit @ 5.5 psi (blue box) on a '99 SI w/ 60k miles), and its really pissing me off Also, the coolant has never been touched prior to installing the turbo. Here are the symptoms:

-car overheats after driving in stop and go traffic for awhile
-overheats sometimes when i boost, then stop
-does not overheat when i am cruising, at all
-it will start to cool off once i start moving (usually over 20mph)
-needle goes to about 3/4 on the gauge
-no oil in coolant reservoir
-coolant level is steady
-started to overheat after turbo install

What i have done so far...

-replaced thermostat
-checked thermoswitch
-replaced water pump
-new c&r radiator and spal fan
-hoses seem fine, top is hotter than bottom.

The radiator and water pumped helped a little, but it eventually overheats... it just delays it.

Can anyone please help me? Thanks guys!


Modified by ModlesSI at 12:25 AM 1/7/2004

 

did u bleed the coolant system?

 

yes, many times... but maybe i'm doing something incorrectly? are these common symptoms of air in the system?

 

bump bump bump bump bump

 

is that a aftermarket radiator?

 

Yes, its a dual core radiator... when i changed it out w/ the stock, it helped a little bit.

 

50/50 coolant/water ratio?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Muckman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">50/50 coolant/water ratio?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yup

 

tell us how you bleed the coolant, then we'll tell if you did it wrong. in detail!

 

does it overheat when you're letting it sit after youve driven it?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Racerage1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">does it overheat when you're letting it sit after youve driven it?</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah, sometimes. only if i let it sit for a long period of time, like 5 mins or if i just boosted.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MaxSterling &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">tell us how you bleed the coolant, then we'll tell if you did it wrong. in detail!</TD></TR></TABLE>

-fill coolant and reservoir
-leave rad cap off
-start motor, leave heater on hot setting
-idle the car until bubbles stop coming out of radiator filler neck (fan turned on about 5 or more times)
-fill fluid as level drops

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ModlesSI &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

-fill coolant and reservoir
-leave rad cap off
-start motor, leave heater on hot setting
-idle the car until bubbles stop coming out of radiator filler neck (fan turned on about 5 or more times)
-fill fluid as level drops

</TD></TR></TABLE>

very good. now do it again but this time bleed coolant via bleed bolt untill you get no bubbles. repeat everything you did but this time jack up front end so radiator is highest point on coolant lines (air bubbles will rise to top). your radiator cap has 2 positions. set it to position 1 (on but not locked)...turn on car rev to 3k till fan comes on 2-3 times. wait for coolant to cool and fill radiator and bleed for a second time. finally lock radiator cap (position2)

 

you know if you did it right when the bottom hose is hot like the top radiator hose.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MaxSterling &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

very good. now do it again but this time bleed coolant via bleed bolt untill you get no bubbles. repeat everything you did but this time jack up front end so radiator is highest point on coolant lines (air bubbles will rise to top). your radiator cap has 2 positions. set it to position 1 (on but not locked)...turn on car rev to 3k till fan comes on 2-3 times. wait for coolant to cool and fill radiator and bleed for a second time. finally lock radiator cap (position2)</TD></TR></TABLE>

thanks alot! I will try this. However, i don't think my car has a bleed bolt... ive seen it on some integras, but not my car (99si)... maybe i'm blind

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ModlesSI &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

thanks alot! I will try this. However, i don't think my car has a bleed bolt... ive seen it on some integras, but not my car (99si)... maybe i'm blind</TD></TR></TABLE>

Your car has no bleeder bolt. You're bleeding it right.

 

try wiring your fans so there always on

 

you bled it right.

I just had this same problem exactly as you!!

Your thinking too complicated. Its pisses me off when I think about this and how difficult i thought it was, turned out the fan was wired backwards to push instead of pull. You said you replaced fans, please check your wiring and also check to make sure you made the blades face the proper direction. When I bought aftermarket fans, I had to turn the blades around to get them to work like the stock ones do.

is your thermostat opening up? It is possible it may not be opening ALL the way. If you need a new one vatozone sells oem replacements for 7 dollars.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ModlesSI &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

thanks alot! I will try this. However, i don't think my car has a bleed bolt... ive seen it on some integras, but not my car (99si)... maybe i'm blind</TD></TR></TABLE>

this is a b16a? i thought it did have a bleeder bolt. I thought it was on the back passenger side of the engine in the area under the dizzy? no? I'm not 100% sure on this though.... more like 60%

Also does your radiator fan run constantly? Because i used to have the same problem when i ran turbo. I rigged the fan to run constantly because it wouldn't run at all if i didn't. Then on hotter days, or long hard drives, it would overheat.

 

my thermo switch went bad so I wired my fan to stay on all the time too. That is better for your motor except at startup. NEVER overheat cause of that.

You don't need to use the bleed bolt, just make sure you heater is on, its good to jack up front of car, take radiator cap off or just loosen it, I prefer take it off an put a bunch of towels around it, and run it for like 10-20 minutes until no bubbles come off. I also disconnect my fan during this so it won't come on. Make sure you do this past when your thermostat opens up (check lower hose to make sure its hot)

 

Thanks for all the replies. Is the bottom and top hoses supposed to be equally hot? My lower hose is slightly cooler than the top hose... Also, i don't think its my fan since it was plug and play and already mounted onto the c&r radiator. I will try some of these suggestions.... any more suggestions?

 

bump again for a friend who needs any help he can get.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ModlesSI &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thanks for all the replies. Is the bottom and top hoses supposed to be equally hot? My lower hose is slightly cooler than the top hose... Also, i don't think its my fan since it was plug and play and already mounted onto the c&r radiator. I will try some of these suggestions.... any more suggestions?</TD></TR></TABLE>

bump

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MaxSterling &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">you know if you did it right when the bottom hose is hot like the top radiator hose.</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

this is important , is coolant getting pushed into your overflow tank????? if so your head is lifting or your head gasket is blown between the water jacket presurizing your cooling system , like mine