Overheating Issues, Need thoughts

[freelucien]

B4 you ask I did search forums.

My question is, in the last week of July my car was overheating because it was EXTREMELY hot out in socal like 100+ for the week, so I went ahead and did a radiator flush, put in 50 pure coolant and 50 distilled water, the problem was solved. Now, Recently this past 2 weeks in August its been really hot again in SoCal like 100+ and this time I did the exact same thing but its not working.

My Symptoms are:
Top Hose = very hot
Bottom Hose = really cold
Rad Reserve Cap = not holding pressure at all, its gurgling the water into it like steam build up from a pot/pan
Rad = holding pressure fine
My Thermo = about 3-4 years old (i know this may be the problem but not to sure)
No signs of leaking from any hoses except from the Reserve from where the pressure is persistent.

Now does anybody here can fill me in on any info just in case when I change the T-stat today i still get problems?

 

[dcmystery21]

thermostat or water pump

the thermostat is way more likely

edit- you wont have problems. but in the extremely rare case, get a hose and spray water through your cooling system to make sure the flow is uninterrupted.

 

[XxESKIMOxX]

(before) could be the water pump. but dont take my word for it.

time to make myself smarter

(after what everyone said)

ITS THE THERMOSTAT!

 

[freelucien]

ok, thanks. Also if this helps a little, all I am smelling is straight Coolant when i pop the hood, and when I even smell the rad reserve tank, i smell coolant/that steam water smell, no Exhaust or gasoline. Gonna change the thermostat later on today in prolly and hour and see if that helps. Also my hoses are pretty old themselves around 2 yrs i should think about changes those too.

 

[DarkSideAccord]

run the car with the rad cap off and see if the coolant is flowing.. sounds like a bad t-stat imo

the fans kick in rite?

 

[nexTOme]

1. why would coolant flush is needed just because it is hot here in so-cal? (anybody)
2. sounds like thermostat or water pump. ive had same problem, except that top hose came off twice due to pressure built by water pump and thermostat being stuck closed.

 

[freelucien]

yea everything kicked in fine, the day of the 626 meet my car overheated, when i was in La Verne, so stopped at a buddies house and he told me since it was like 100+ the water from the rad must of evaporated(note: i worked that entire day so car was outside in the sun). So we added water and which it needed and watched it flow (accidently turned the car on w/ rad cap open and it went everywhere on the engine and had to clean) but other than that it was flowing like a river after.

 

[DarkSideAccord]

uuhh.. i hope u used distilled water....

also, it's nonsense that the water from the coolant will evaporate due to the hot weather... i would just change ur t-stat and go from there

 

[freelucien]

1. why would coolant flush is needed just because it is hot here in so-cal? (anybody)
2. sounds like thermostat or water pump. ive had same problem, except that top hose came off twice due to pressure built by water pump and thermostat being stuck closed.

oh i did that because i havent really tended to my car in about 6-7 years....

and since my car is payed off and i found this messageboard i thought i might get to know more about it

 

[nexTOme]

+1 on dsa's comment.

your car is overheating, because coolant is not circulating (top hose hot, bottom hose cold) properly. commonly, 2 things. thermostat or water pump. cheaper/easier to replace thermostat AND it is more likely to be the cause.