DustinMcGowan

Hey guys it seems like my car is nothing but a bucket of problems every week or two it a new problem.
I drove my car to work today as normal and everything was fine. Here in Kentucky it only got to about 63 degrees so a mild day. I drove it to lunch and I noticed on the way back to work it was running a little worm. So when i got off I checked the water level and it was a little low but nothing major. I caped it off and drove home asumed that fixed my problem. I noticed it running a little worm but thought it would be ok to drive on home. On the way home it over heated bad... I shut it off before it reached the danger zone. Waited a few min. and drove it on home. Then I thought to take out the thermastate and then run it to see if any change. It was still over heating and quick. the water pump was just replaced on the car about a year ago so here is where i need help. Do i remove water pump and replace again or what is there to do. I have checked on all houses and the fans are working correctly. There is not any water leaking anywhere beside back flow coming out of the over flow. Please guys I need all the help I can get this is my every day driver. Thanks.

mrmint69

If the water pump is not working correctly it will cause this. If the radiator is plugged thats another option. Has the air been bleed out of the system?

Z28Freak86

After it cools down, start it back up and squeeze along one of the radiator hoses (before it gets too hot)to see if there is cirrculation. You can tell if the water pump is working correctly if u feel the hose pulsing. Thats a good way to check if the water pump is working.

SnakeOiler

your overflow is gushing coolant?

have you had any hoses disconnected recently?

BTW - 'warm' is the word you want.

caldercay

warm, capped, thermostat ...

As far as the cooling system is concerned, the worse thing you can
do is is run the car without the thermostat. The water never has
time to 'stand still' in the engine to evacuate the heat - that's what
the thermostat was designed for.

BTW . . . 'overheating' is a common complaint out here - you should
do a search in the future. Be that as it may, try this:
* Is there oil in the water or water in the engine oil?
* Have the radiator cap tested.
* Top off radiator with a 50/50 coolant mixture.
* Add coolant to the overflow tank
* Check all hoses / engine for leaks (i.e. - pressure test).
* Bleed the system of air.
* When the engine temperature goes higher than normal,
are any hoses collapsed?
* Do you have steam coming out the exhaust?
* Check both fans for proper operation - voltage ratings/ohms/etc.
* Check the engine temperature sensors, both for the dash gauge
and the PCM

Let the car cool down.
* Remove the thermostat, put it in a cooking pot and fill with water
so the thermostat is covered. Bring the water to a boil and when
the thermostat's valve opens, check the temperature - is the
temperature the same as the thermostat's rating?
* Remove the water pump's front inspection cover - can you turn
its impeller by hand?

. . . and more . . .
* Have you checked the engine's oil level? I've found that if it's a
quart low, the engine will run hotter.
* What plugs are you running?

What about that last question? Many people misunderstand how
a spark plug works - a spark plug does not *create* heat, it is
designed to *remove* heat from the combustion chamber.

caldercay

That's not always a reliable test. The only test that is reliable consists of:

* Remove the front inspection cover - can you turn the impeller by hand?
* If not, have an assistant tap the key (but not start the engine).
Does the impeller turn?