erratic overheating

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jangz
Posts: 269
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 2:52 pm

Re: erratic overheating

Post by jangz »

Hey Tom

I don't mean to thread jack but wanted to throw in my recent experience regarding the heating issue you are having that i had yesterday and only ONE occasion last summer. NOTE: car is turbo'd

Last year I did a long blast against a Prelude 2.2 vtec (beat him) on the motor way towards Heathrow in London and it was a very warm day and the temp gauge showed the car was over heating so i let go of the gas and it cooled down, unless i go up a hill it would raise again. So pullup and let the car rest for 30ish mins and drove back home 120miles with no issues. Under pressure when putting down the speed, i noticed that coolant would spray out onto the engine bay out of the overflow reservoir, the condition of my radiator isn't the best and believe to have seen a leak at the bottom hose. Though out the year i have found myself topping it up with new coolant.

Yesterday I got the car back from tuning got more power into the car and also very warm day. Car easily heated up, maybe due to the car pushing out a lot more power for what the stock radiator is capable of coping with. The tuner also stated the fan would only come on whenever it felt like it, today i noticed the coolant was very low even in the radiator and believe that I must have emptied it when pushing the car so hard and it spraying all out. Topped it up and drove to work casually and not a budge in the temp,

Decided to upgrade the radiator to a dual channel aluminum radiator and new fan and see if this solves the problem.

Note: I did see little bubbles just a few when topping up the coolant.
In the overflow reservoir at the bottom seems really back and dirty.
Color of coolant isn't vibrant as it was mixed with Halfords orange coolant with whatever was in there in the first place.
Under pressure coolant get sprayed out and empties the system after a few hard blasts (I believe this could be due to the flow capability of my stock and poorly aged radiator.
Intermittently working fan (seems possessed or retarded)

Tom, have you considered an upgrade to new a radiator and fan?
Also do u get any coolant smell at the exhaust, as I am suspicion that i do but this is does not always happen and only occurred after changing/replacing a turbo (but i cant see how that links).

I really hope that you are able to get this sorted as i too want to solve this same shitty issue.
Liberate our minds by any means necessary - Malcom X

007
Posts: 141
Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2012 10:13 pm

Re: erratic overheating

Post by 007 »

bubbles when topping up coolant is alright. those are usually slow, big bubbles as a result of coolant displacing the air in the system and stops after a little while when all the air is out. a blown gasket will cause a string of non stop tiny bubbles in quick succession.

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Dodo Bizar
Site Admin
Posts: 2009
Joined: Mon Jun 22, 2009 10:36 pm

Re: erratic overheating

Post by Dodo Bizar »

Indeed, with running engine you can sea a string of bubbles in the overflow tank sometimes when leaky gasket.

@Jangz: sounds bad this dirt in youroverflow tank.

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jangz
Posts: 269
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 2:52 pm

Re: erratic overheating

Post by jangz »

Hey Tom,

Betek linked me to this youtube video by Eric the car guy and I found it very useful check it out and see what's up?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUzOTnsW ... r_embedded#!

Any news with your car?
Liberate our minds by any means necessary - Malcom X

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