Going to perform a full coolant flush this weekend partially because I believe my thermostat is stuck closed. I've come to this conclusion because my lower radiator hose doesnt get warm at all and my fan doesnt kick on. When I do the flush I was wondering can I perform it without putting in the new thermostat? Only reason is I'm thinking if theres crap in the current coolant wouldnt it kind of clog it up?

Thanks guys

 

yes you can do a flush without a tstat. however unless your car is overheating I don't think your tstat is the problem

 

It does overheat if im sitting in traffic and not moving....what else should I check?

 

Check the radiator fan, if it doesn't kick in when temp gauge is above half it means that either fan, relay or fan automatic switch are to blame. Check continuity and voltage in this circuit.

... are u loosing any coolant?

 

fan doesnt kick on but I was thinking because the coolant isnt flowing where it needs too its not reaching the switch. Im going to check today if Im loosing coolant since I topped it off this week.

 

any how to's on checking voltage or the relay?

 

TTT how do I check the fan, relay or fan automatic switch?

 

The 2-wire fan switch is located on the thermostat housing. Remove the switch connector and jump it with a wire. The fan should run continuously when the key is in the ON(II) position. If so, the fan relay, motor, and circuit are fine, though the switch itself could be bad. Replace the thermostat, however, before worrying about the switch.

 

how do i jump it with a wire? just wire one of the wires to the positive battery terminal? sorry if i should like a newb just hate touching anything electrical, mechanical ont the other hand im great at haha

 

Use a roughly 4-inch piece of wire with 1/4" of insulation removed at each end. Then insert each end of bare wire into each female terminal of the switch 2P-connector (=jumper wire).

 

I had the same issue with my b16... It was my t-stat! Replaced that and did a flush and just burp the damn thing.

 

awesome, my rad fan is not coming on despite getting over 1/2 on the heat gauge. i'll test it tomorrow. very helpful.