Aflion

iTrader: (1)

Hey you guys, I was driving home from work last night, and my heat wouldn't turn on. If I left the climate control off for a while, then turn the heat on, it would be hot for a few minutes, then go back cold. I got home, and felt around the radiator and hoses, and the top of the radiator was cool, along with the hoses. I slowly started to take the radiator cap off, then air started to seap out. After a few seconds of just air, it got really hot, so I jumped backwards and then a gyser of coolant came out the top of the radiator.

First thing first, I've replaced the water pump with a Bosch pump, and it worked fine for over 300 miles, so im pretty positive thats not it. I thought it was the thermostat, so I took it out, and poured boiling water over it and let it sit in it, and the plunger didnt move. So I put a different one in, and put more coolant in it, and as soon as the thermostat opened, the temperature gauge shot from all the way cool to warm in one move. Sometimes it would go above the middle, but would instantly drop back down. Smoke would also come out of the radiator like it was getting too hot and not moving. Is this a clogged radiator? The coolant is a 50/50 mix and is pretty much all new coolant.

Thanks for any input.


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DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

The fact that just air came out of the radiator when you first removed the cap means that the cooling system was not full. And if the cooling system is not full, you will not get heat in the car as the hoses for the heater core are near the top of the engine.

So the question is: why was there air in the cooling system? Was it because the cooling system was not filled all the way? Or is there a leak? Gotta figure that out.

All you can do for now is re-fill the cooling system and with the front of the car raised up 6-8 inches, run the engine with the radiator cap off until the thermostat opens and the coolant is circulating. Fill to the top and put the radiator cap on. Then drive the car and watch things, like the temperature gauge and check for leaks.

When the engine is cold, remove the radiator cap and check the coolant level. There should be no air in the radiator, it should be totally full of coolant. If there is air, you can try refilling the radiator while it is cold and repeat the drive and cool down cycle.

Aflion

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for your input. Turned out it was the thermostat. The one I put in to check was also dead. Put in a new one and it runs great and heat works. Im not sure how air got in, because there aren't any leaks, and I burped the coolant the same as this time.


Posted from Maxima.org App for Android