96 TA

Hey guys, I just made it back home after fighting with an over heating problem that still isn't fixed.

While driving my check gauge light came on and thats when i noticed my coolant temp gauge pegged. I pulled over and popped the hood. I noticed my over flow tank was filled to the rim with coolant and that it had actually over flown. Nothing but air and steam came out of my bleeder screws. Once the pressure went down i opened up the radiator to find no coolant. I filled it up and blead the system. Turned the car back on and the temp kept getting hotter until it just about over heated at which point i turned the car off. At this point nothing but air and steam once again came out of the bleeder screws. I check my oil stick and it doesn't show signs of coolant. Any idea what the problem could be?

Guest47904

Did the fans ever come on? Could be the ECT is not giving the PCM the right information and not turning on the fans.

96 TA

Yes the fans came on, the fans even stayed on after I parked the car and removed the keys for about three or four minutes. Im wondering if the water pump stopped turning or the T-stat is broke. Ill remove the T-stat tomorrow and test it, while its off ill turn the motor over to see if the water pump is working.

raroz28

Am I correct in that you have lost all your coolant again, or is you radiator still full from the last time you filled it up?

96 TA

Yes i had to fill it up again, reason being is that when i started up the car I sat in the car for a few seconds to monitor the temp gauge. When i got out of the car i noticed fluid had been pushed out of the radiator neck (i didn't have the cap on)

raroz28

So when you put coolant in you are not losing it? The car is just overheating?

96 TA

As of right now, the only fluid im loosing is what is being pushed out of the rad. neck or over flow tank. The problem is pretty new so i can't say for sure that im loosing fluid any other way. I have the T-stat off now and in a boiling pot of water it is opening up, im about to have my wife start my car with the t-stat out of the car so i can look down in to the water pump to see if the blades are turning.

Injuneer

Check the radiator cap to insure it holds 18psi.

96 TA

With my mirror I checked to see if the water pump shaft was turning and it is, but when the car is running and im looking down the hole of the water pump with the T-stat off i can't visually see if the pump is turning, I can see some movement of colant but to be honest i was expecting it to really be stiring up or even splashing around a bit.

Fred- ive heard of people checking there rad. for 18 PSI but how and with what do I do that with? thanks

96 TA

ok, im really starting to think its a bad pump, like i said i can see some movement of coolant with the T-stat housing off and engine running, but it is minimal and looks like normal movement of water when it starts to warm up,

to see if the water pump blades were turning I took a plastic straw and pushed it down the hole of the T-stat housing twoards the front of the water pump where the blades would be and i couldn't feel the blades hitting the straw which would have been an indicator for me to know if the pump is turning.

Would you guys conclude the samething if this was your pump? If so it's a little disappointing because this is a brand new AC-DELCO unit.

96 TA

Its confirmed, the water pump is bad. I just removed it and manually turned the water pump gear and there is no movment of the water pump blades. Off to replace my 800mile AC DELCO water pump.