even though its long please read!

i had to abandon my car in a different city i cant trust... this is what happened. i was racing my friend with his supercharged solara SLE V6 and i guess i was getting too excited becasue i was hanging with him that i went a LITTLE over redline that my car over heated! so i pulled over on the street in southern cali irvine. i popped the hood and it was steaming from the radiator. so we checked the radiator bin to see that there was no radiator anti-freeze anymore. so my friend went to go buy anti-freeze for me. then i put the whole anti-freeze into the radiator (not the bin). but then after i drove off, the left side temperature gauge kept going back and forth from middle to hot. so i leave my car at a local friends house for around 5 hours. then i tried to drive back home with it, but soon it keeps getting over heated, i pull over from the freeway and i pop the radiator cap and all this water gushes out and its steaming again. i dont know what to do to so i leave at a residential area where i dont really trust to wait till tomarrow since its so late. what are the chances of getting serious internal damage? any person well informed about this please help me if you can. im in desperate need.

anyone at ALL, please help!

[Modified by lMlElNaCe-, 9:47 PM 8/18/2002]


[Modified by lMlElNaCe-, 9:48 PM 8/18/2002]

 

BTW i have a 98' integra GS-R

 

while you're driving and its overheating you can turn on your heater inside the car, also press the a/c button, that will turn on the fan, make sure your fans are coming on. you can try taking out the thermostat and running the car without one and see if the problem disappears, it'll just take a little while for your car to warm up in the mornings. If the car didnt make it all the way up and stay there (temp gauge) you SHOULD be okay

 

Civic Type S hasn't a clue what he/she's saying.

First of all, turn the A/C off. A/C increases the burden on your engine. Those who travel I-15 may recall signs saying something like "TURN OFF A/C TO REDUCE CHANCE OF OVERHEATING." Incidentially, it is also this same burden that causes a loss in power when A/C is on and engaged. While it may engage the fans, the detriments far outweigh any benefits received. It would therefore, be the complete opposite of what CivicTypeS "recommends."

Second of all, removing the thermostat often times makes the car run even HOTTER. The reason behind this is that it takes time for heat to transfer into the water. If 100% of the car's cooling capacity is ciruclating in excess of a gallon every 2 seconds (which is a conservative number), there is hardly any time for the heat to transfer into the coolant for dissipation by the radiator. Point being: never remove the thermostat.

However, yes, turning the temperature selector all the way to hot and cabin fan to high will assist in removing excess heat away from the cooling system.

I'd recommend a full flush and replacement of coolant. Also check for any possible leaks. Pressure test the radiator cap as well; it can contribute to overheating.

 

Actually Both you and Civic TypeS are right. While the A/C compressor adds a greater load to the engine it also uses a separate fan for the A/C condenser usually mounted in front of the radiator and does cool the radiator water. Those signs on the HWY don't apply to modern A/C'd cars. If your a/c is on and your car overheats on a steep grade with both the radiator fan working and the condenser fan working, then the overheating was a result of something else, not the A/C. Since your car overheats everywhere (hwy, city) I will assume it's not your fan but probably (hopefully) your thermostat. At worst it's a water pump gone bad.

Oh, and this thing about never removing your thermostat, I wholeheartedly disagree that it'll cause your car to run hotter. I'm definitely not a mechanic but I definitely take issue with your theories which I feel are flawed and don't think it's fair to say someone else doesn't know what they're talking about yet you don't offer a solution.

Heres my solution to you:
I would 1st make sure both fans work. 2nd, remove thermostat and see if that helps, if so drive to auto parts store and buy new thermo, replace ASAP. 3rd, If vehicle still overheats, have it towed to repair shop for further diagnosis.

There's some company out there that makes thermostats that go bad and stay in the open position. Why can't they all do that?


[Modified by jcamacho, 6:17 AM 8/19/2002]

 

It is because you are not a mechanic, or have taken a mechanic's course that you do not understand the operation of the thermostat. Any intelligent ASE-certified mechanic will also tell you to never remove the thermostat. There is a reason why automobile manufacturers integrate theromstats right from the start. It doesn't matter if the vehicle is a Yugo or if it is a 911 Turbo. Never run without a thermostat. Removing a thermostat and replacing a thermostat is a different story.

Still need proof?
Here's a short section from my auto shop manual (ISBN 0-13-799701-9 for the skeptics out there )

Some vehicle owners... remove the thermostat in the cooling system to "cure" an overheating problem. ...removing the thermostat can cause overheating--not stop overheating. This is true for three reasons:

1. Without a thermostat the coolant can flow more quickly through the radiator. The thermostat adds some restriction to the coolant flow, and therefore, keeps the coolant in the radiator longer. The presence of the thermostat thus ensures a greater reduction in the coolant termperature before it returns to the engine.

2. Heat transfer is greater with a greater difference between the coolant temperature and air temperature. Therefore when coolant flow rate is increased (no thermostat), the temperature difference is reduced.

3. Without the restriction of the thermostat, much of the coolant flow often bypasses the radiator entirely and returns directly into the engine.

Regarding the fans: while at idle and slower vehicle speeds the fans are engaged to aid in removal of excess heat from the radiator(s), they disengage at higher speeds (around 35mph or so), as airspeed from the moving vehicle is usually more than sufficient. If it is still too hot, the ECU will direct the fan to operate once again. However, turning on the A/C when the car is hot introduces an additional load on the engine which inevitably produces more HEAT from the engine as a byproduct, therefore mitigating any sort of benefit gained from the operation of the additional fan. Again, we turn to the shop manual:

When the coolant temperature light turns on, follow these steps:
1. Shut off the air conditioning and turn on the heater. The heater will help rid the engine of extra heat. Set blower speed to high.
2. If possible, shut off the engine and let it cool. (This may take over an hour)
3. Never remove the radiator cap when the engine is hot.
4. Do not continue to drive with the hot light on, or serious damage to your engine can result.
5. If the engine does not feel or smell hot, it is possible that the problem is a faulty hot light sensor or gauge. Continue to drive, but to be safe, stop occassionally and check for any evidence of overheating or coolant loss.

Another thing, if you had read carefully, you would have seen that I had offered a solution. Try reading my post again. Pay attention.

More possible solutions/causes of the problem:
* Check coolant level again
* Radiator leaking? Plugged radiator? Too many fins bent?
* Defective engine fan/fan motor
* Check ignition timing. Highly retarded or highly advanced timing can cause overheating problems.
* Low engine oil level can cause excessive heat as well as excessive wear.
* Defective radiator cap
* Brakes that drag
* Defective water pump or timing belt slipping on the water pump pulley.
* Head gasket. If faulty, it can cause overheating.
* Or any combination of the above.

Furthermore, before you yourself lecture someone else about being unknowledgable, try to have a darn good reason for it. For in this case, you know not what you speak.


[Modified by PyroVTEC, 9:46 AM 8/19/2002]

 

Start looking for signs of a blown head gasket... Chances are thats what happened to it.

 

or even a cracked ring.

 

Is your friends' name with the Solara Sujan?

 

i havent been back to this thread in a while

i recommended turning the a/c on because itll turn on the condenser fan and help cool down the engine.. make sure both fans are coming on while the car is overheating

i recemmended removing the thermostat, not forever, but he said his car's temp was fluctuating, i was thinking it might be a stuck/clogged thermostat, removing the thermostat would confirm if it was..

 

man...while u remove the thermostat to see if thats the problem..u mite as well just stick a new one in there instead of takin it in and out...cuz if it is the problem ure gonna have to take off the housing anyways..its not even that expensive. just check for any leaks around the radiator and hoses or around the water pump..leaks will cause your car to overheat..