OK, I'm stumped...(97 Legacy Wagon overheating)

H

Hachiroku

Been overheating. As some of you may have read, I tried the Headgasket in
a bottle trick. It seemed to be working but when I took it out for a
little cruise tonight it overheated. Here's what happens:

The car will go along for a few miles just fine, small rises and dips in
temperature, and then after 20 minutes or so the temp will begin to rise.
It then goes into full overheating, right to the top of the guage and
stays there. Sometimes revving the engine more will get a little cooling,
and sometimes coasating will. But not always. Sometimes revving will raise
the temp, and sometimes coasting will. OK, sounds like a blown HG, and
there was exhaust gas in the radiator back in December.

Now, this is the part I don't get: when you open the radiator cap, the
radiator looks full. Also, tonight when I refilled the radiator, I filled
the opening where the cap is, and filled the other side where the
'bleeder' is. The radiator was full, and the overflow bottle was full of
plain water.

When I got back from my little excursion, all the coolant on the bleeder
side of the radiator was...STEAM, and the filler neck side was full. The
overflow bottle had coolant mixed in with the water. I refilled it and ran
the engine for a while, and the temp climbed up to about 3/4 on the guage,
and then settled right down to normal again. This is the part I don't get!
Also the radiator was STONE COLD, even though the temp was elevated. Also,
there was no heat; when I refilled the 'bleeder' side of the radiator, it
took a while but the heat came back...HOT!!! I mean HOT!!!!!!

I'm stuck. It looks like, besides a BHG, I also might have a blocked
radiator.

This car is worth $500 to me. That's about the most I will put into it.

Open to all suggestions...
 
Hachiroku said:
Been overheating. As some of you may have read, I tried the Headgasket in
a bottle trick. It seemed to be working but when I took it out for a
little cruise tonight it overheated. Here's what happens:

The car will go along for a few miles just fine, small rises and dips in
temperature, and then after 20 minutes or so the temp will begin to rise.
It then goes into full overheating, right to the top of the guage and
stays there. Sometimes revving the engine more will get a little cooling,
and sometimes coasating will. But not always. Sometimes revving will raise
the temp, and sometimes coasting will. OK, sounds like a blown HG, and
there was exhaust gas in the radiator back in December.

Now, this is the part I don't get: when you open the radiator cap, the
radiator looks full. Also, tonight when I refilled the radiator, I filled
the opening where the cap is, and filled the other side where the
'bleeder' is. The radiator was full, and the overflow bottle was full of
plain water.

When I got back from my little excursion, all the coolant on the bleeder
side of the radiator was...STEAM, and the filler neck side was full. The
overflow bottle had coolant mixed in with the water. I refilled it and ran
the engine for a while, and the temp climbed up to about 3/4 on the guage,
and then settled right down to normal again. This is the part I don't get!
Also the radiator was STONE COLD, even though the temp was elevated. Also,
there was no heat; when I refilled the 'bleeder' side of the radiator, it
took a while but the heat came back...HOT!!! I mean HOT!!!!!!

I'm stuck. It looks like, besides a BHG, I also might have a blocked
radiator.

This car is worth $500 to me. That's about the most I will put into it.

Open to all suggestions...

Did you fill the system with the nose up and heater on max? Could be a
bubble in the cooling system. Though, of course, the 'bubble' could be
exhaust gasses.
Did the o'flow bottle - um - overflow itself? When the system cools off,
does it draw back from the o'flow bottle? For a simple concept, there
are multiple ways for a cooling system to 'go wrong'. If coolant mixed
in with the water, AND coolant is sucked back from the o'flow when the
engine cools off, probably the rad cap is OK. Is it new? How about the
thermostat? Can you see bubbles in the neck if you run with the cap off
idling? probably exhaust gasses.

Anyway - sounds like you definitley did not get water flowing through
the heater core - so a plugged up radiator OR a gas bubble or a stucl
thermostat are likley.

hmmm....

Carl
 
When I got back from my little excursion, all the coolant on the bleeder
side of the radiator was...STEAM, and the filler neck side was full. The
overflow bottle had coolant mixed in with the water. I refilled it and ran
the engine for a while, and the temp climbed up to about 3/4 on the guage,
and then settled right down to normal again. This is the part I don't get!
Also the radiator was STONE COLD, even though the temp was elevated. Also,
there was no heat; when I refilled the 'bleeder' side of the radiator, it
took a while but the heat came back...HOT!!! I mean HOT!!!!!!
I'm stuck. It looks like, besides a BHG, I also might have a blocked
radiator.

Sticking Thermostat? Not to say that's the only issue, but if it's not
opening and the suddenly does it could explain the temperature spikes
and the cold rad.
 
Did you fill the system with the nose up and heater on max? Could be a
bubble in the cooling system. Though, of course, the 'bubble' could be
exhaust gasses.
Did the o'flow bottle - um - overflow itself? When the system cools off,
does it draw back from the o'flow bottle? For a simple concept, there are
multiple ways for a cooling system to 'go wrong'. If coolant mixed in with
the water, AND coolant is sucked back from the o'flow when the engine
cools off, probably the rad cap is OK. Is it new? How about the
thermostat? Can you see bubbles in the neck if you run with the cap off
idling? probably exhaust gasses.

Anyway - sounds like you definitley did not get water flowing through the
heater core - so a plugged up radiator OR a gas bubble or a stucl
thermostat are likley.

hmmm....

Carl


Thanks, cARL. yES, THE NOSE WAS IN THE AIR WHEN i FILLED THE SYSTEM (oops...)
HEater on MAX, and there also seemed to be a bubble, but the STEAM coming
out of a stone cold radiator is what's really puzzling...

I tried to get the bubbles out before I took off...ran it until the T-stat
opened, and then added more, and then opened the bleeder.

I guess my $9 Headgasket repair, didn't...

So, I'm thinking, either new head gaskets (and plane the heads...?) or
another new motor (supposedly this one has ~125,000 miles on it...)

It runs smooth, there is a very slight knocking noise sounding like in the
center of the engine, very very slight.

The bosy has 335,000 on it, that's why I'm not putting a lot into it...
 
Hachiroku said:
Been overheating. As some of you may have read, I tried the Headgasket in
a bottle trick. It seemed to be working but when I took it out for a
little cruise tonight it overheated. Here's what happens:

The car will go along for a few miles just fine, small rises and dips in
temperature, and then after 20 minutes or so the temp will begin to rise.
It then goes into full overheating, right to the top of the guage and
stays there. Sometimes revving the engine more will get a little cooling,
and sometimes coasating will. But not always. Sometimes revving will raise
the temp, and sometimes coasting will. OK, sounds like a blown HG, and
there was exhaust gas in the radiator back in December.

Now, this is the part I don't get: when you open the radiator cap, the
radiator looks full. Also, tonight when I refilled the radiator, I filled
the opening where the cap is, and filled the other side where the
'bleeder' is. The radiator was full, and the overflow bottle was full of
plain water.

When I got back from my little excursion, all the coolant on the bleeder
side of the radiator was...STEAM, and the filler neck side was full. The
overflow bottle had coolant mixed in with the water. I refilled it and ran
the engine for a while, and the temp climbed up to about 3/4 on the guage,
and then settled right down to normal again. This is the part I don't get!
Also the radiator was STONE COLD, even though the temp was elevated. Also,
there was no heat; when I refilled the 'bleeder' side of the radiator, it
took a while but the heat came back...HOT!!! I mean HOT!!!!!!

I'm stuck. It looks like, besides a BHG, I also might have a blocked
radiator.

This car is worth $500 to me. That's about the most I will put into it.

Open to all suggestions...
Hmmm
Is the rad fan working(comes on when rad is hot)?
Next thermostat, then water pump check them all.
 
Thanks, cARL. yES, THE NOSE WAS IN THE AIR WHEN i FILLED THE SYSTEM (oops...)
HEater on MAX, and there also seemed to be a bubble, but the STEAM coming
out of a stone cold radiator is what's really puzzling...

I tried to get the bubbles out before I took off...ran it until the T-stat
opened, and then added more, and then opened the bleeder.

I guess my $9 Headgasket repair, didn't...

So, I'm thinking, either new head gaskets (and plane the heads...?) or
another new motor (supposedly this one has ~125,000 miles on it...)

It runs smooth, there is a very slight knocking noise sounding like in the
center of the engine, very very slight.

The bosy has 335,000 on it, that's why I'm not putting a lot into it...

I recall you posted months back that you have a subie that you want
the fans not to work during winter season because the engine gets very
cold. And you said you only used the subie during snow season. Is this
the same car? The engine gets very cold in winter and overheats in
warmer weather?
 
Hachiroku said:
Been overheating. As some of you may have read, I tried the Headgasket in
a bottle trick. It seemed to be working but when I took it out for a
little cruise tonight it overheated. Here's what happens:

The car will go along for a few miles just fine, small rises and dips in
temperature, and then after 20 minutes or so the temp will begin to rise.
It then goes into full overheating, right to the top of the guage and
stays there. Sometimes revving the engine more will get a little cooling,
and sometimes coasating will. But not always. Sometimes revving will raise
the temp, and sometimes coasting will. OK, sounds like a blown HG, and
there was exhaust gas in the radiator back in December.

Now, this is the part I don't get: when you open the radiator cap, the
radiator looks full. Also, tonight when I refilled the radiator, I filled
the opening where the cap is, and filled the other side where the
'bleeder' is. The radiator was full, and the overflow bottle was full of
plain water.

When I got back from my little excursion, all the coolant on the bleeder
side of the radiator was...STEAM, and the filler neck side was full. The
overflow bottle had coolant mixed in with the water. I refilled it and ran
the engine for a while, and the temp climbed up to about 3/4 on the guage,
and then settled right down to normal again. This is the part I don't get!
Also the radiator was STONE COLD, even though the temp was elevated. Also,
there was no heat; when I refilled the 'bleeder' side of the radiator, it
took a while but the heat came back...HOT!!! I mean HOT!!!!!!

I'm stuck. It looks like, besides a BHG, I also might have a blocked
radiator.

This car is worth $500 to me. That's about the most I will put into it.

Open to all suggestions...
If you remove the radiator and take it to a radiator shop they can flow
and pressure test it. It's not very expensive to have them do that.

Are you absolutely certain that the thermostat is installed correctly?
Just a thought.
 
Only time I've had the cold radiator while heating up is with stuck
radiator or frozen radiator hose. Other problem I just ran into that
probably will be of no help. My son just returned my 97 Impreza
because it was sporadically losing water and heating up. As it turned
out, even with frequent anti freeze changes, something had eaten half
of the surface where the radiator cap seals inside the plastic
radiator. Outer seal (top of radiator) was fine. Should be a smooth
continuous ring of plastic. I have repaired with JB weld (and let it
cure at least a day) and is so far giving a good seal. In particular,
the first hill would cause water to overflow and eventually would
expel enough to cause overheating.
 
Only time I've had the cold radiator while heating up is with stuck
thermostat or frozen radiator hose. Other problem I just ran into
that
probably will be of no help. My son just returned my 97 Impreza
because it was sporadically losing water and heating up. As it turned
out, even with frequent anti freeze changes, something had eaten half
of the surface where the radiator cap seals inside the plastic
radiator. Outer seal (top of radiator) was fine. Should be a smooth
continuous ring of plastic. I have repaired with JB weld (and let it
cure at least a day) and is so far giving a good seal. In particular,
the first hill would cause water to overflow and eventually would
expel enough to cause overheating.
 
If you remove the radiator and take it to a radiator shop they can flow
and pressure test it. It's not very expensive to have them do that.

Are you absolutely certain that the thermostat is installed correctly?
Just a thought.


Yeah, I believe so. But then again...

When I took the old one out, I saw how it had been installed, made a note,
and put the new one back in.

But, the prior owner gave it to the guy that gave it to me cause it was
overheating...

According to this, it's correct:

http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/jpg/small/0900823d801c6040.jpg

That would have been too simple, eh?
 
Hmmm
Is the rad fan working(comes on when rad is hot)?
Next thermostat, then water pump check them all.


Yeah the fans are working. All the obvious stuff (er, I think!...) is OK.
 
Sticking Thermostat? Not to say that's the only issue, but if it's not
opening and the suddenly does it could explain the temperature spikes
and the cold rad.


New t-stat. Of course, that doesn't mean it's good, but it is new.
 
I recall you posted months back that you have a subie that you want
the fans not to work during winter season because the engine gets very
cold. And you said you only used the subie during snow season. Is this
the same car? The engine gets very cold in winter and overheats in
warmer weather?


Nice try! But no, this is a different one. The one with the pump driven
fan was the *OTHER* car I used the Genie in a Bottle stuff on, and that
one's running great. i never did swap the fan over; I have one, but that
car's coming off the road...since it's time...

http://www.geocities.com/ma71supraturbo/pictures/88front.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/ma71supraturbo/pictures/88tdash.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/ma71supraturbo/pictures/92t.jpg
 
Been overheating. As some of you may have read, I tried the Headgasket in
a bottle trick. It seemed to be working but when I took it out for a
little cruise tonight it overheated. Here's what happens:

The car will go along for a few miles just fine, small rises and dips in
temperature, and then after 20 minutes or so the temp will begin to rise.
It then goes into full overheating, right to the top of the guage and
stays there. Sometimes revving the engine more will get a little cooling,
and sometimes coasating will. But not always. Sometimes revving will raise
the temp, and sometimes coasting will. OK, sounds like a blown HG, and
there was exhaust gas in the radiator back in December.

Now, this is the part I don't get: when you open the radiator cap, the
radiator looks full. Also, tonight when I refilled the radiator, I filled
the opening where the cap is, and filled the other side where the
'bleeder' is. The radiator was full, and the overflow bottle was full of
plain water.

When I got back from my little excursion, all the coolant on the bleeder
side of the radiator was...STEAM, and the filler neck side was full. The
overflow bottle had coolant mixed in with the water. I refilled it and ran
the engine for a while, and the temp climbed up to about 3/4 on the guage,
and then settled right down to normal again. This is the part I don't get!
Also the radiator was STONE COLD, even though the temp was elevated. Also,
there was no heat; when I refilled the 'bleeder' side of the radiator, it
took a while but the heat came back...HOT!!! I mean HOT!!!!!!

I'm stuck. It looks like, besides a BHG, I also might have a blocked
radiator.

This car is worth $500 to me. That's about the most I will put into it.

Open to all suggestions...
There is a small heater hose under the throttle on the drivers side
remove this small hose so it can bleed air remove the upper radiator
hose from the rad & fill with coolant until coolant comes out of small
hose then reinstall small hose & upper rad hose start engine up slowly
add coolant this should remove any air bubble you might have
Glenn K
 
Been overheating. As some of you may have read, I tried the Headgasket
in a bottle trick. It seemed to be working but when I took it out for a
little cruise tonight it overheated. Here's what happens:

The car will go along for a few miles just fine, small rises and dips in
temperature, and then after 20 minutes or so the temp will begin to
rise. It then goes into full overheating, right to the top of the guage
and stays there. Sometimes revving the engine more will get a little
cooling, and sometimes coasating will. But not always. Sometimes revving
will raise the temp, and sometimes coasting will. OK, sounds like a
blown HG, and there was exhaust gas in the radiator back in December.

Now, this is the part I don't get: when you open the radiator cap, the
radiator looks full. Also, tonight when I refilled the radiator, I
filled the opening where the cap is, and filled the other side where the
'bleeder' is. The radiator was full, and the overflow bottle was full of
plain water.

When I got back from my little excursion, all the coolant on the bleeder
side of the radiator was...STEAM, and the filler neck side was full. The
overflow bottle had coolant mixed in with the water. I refilled it and
ran the engine for a while, and the temp climbed up to about 3/4 on the
guage, and then settled right down to normal again. This is the part I
don't get! Also the radiator was STONE COLD, even though the temp was
elevated. Also, there was no heat; when I refilled the 'bleeder' side of
the radiator, it took a while but the heat came back...HOT!!! I mean
HOT!!!!!!

I'm stuck. It looks like, besides a BHG, I also might have a blocked
radiator.

This car is worth $500 to me. That's about the most I will put into it.

Open to all suggestions...

Have you replaced the thermostat? Sounds like a problem I had many moons
ago. Simple fix, if that's what it is.
 
New t-stat. Of course, that doesn't mean it's good, but it is new.

If it's an autoparts store type they might have taken a short cut to
make it cheaper. I've seen it before... sometimes it makes a difference.
Although if there is a t-stat issue it's probably just a minor one
making things worse.
 
Have you replaced the thermostat? Sounds like a problem I had many moons
ago. Simple fix, if that's what it is.


I ain't that lucky...

What it appears to be is, not only do I have a blown headgasket, but
perhaps the radiator is blocked, too...
 
If it's an autoparts store type they might have taken a short cut to make
it cheaper. I've seen it before... sometimes it makes a difference.
Although if there is a t-stat issue it's probably just a minor one making
things worse.


It only overheats when it's under a load for a while. It will sit at idle
or high idle for HOURS without overheating.

The problem is this:

http://wwlp.images.worldnow.com/images/incoming/wx/7day.JPG

and this:

http://www.geocities.com/ma71supraturbo/pictures/92t.jpg

Only one car can go on the road right now. Can you guess which one? ;)
 
Hachiroku said:
It only overheats when it's under a load for a while. It will sit at idle
or high idle for HOURS without overheating.

The problem is this:

http://wwlp.images.worldnow.com/images/incoming/wx/7day.JPG

and this:

http://www.geocities.com/ma71supraturbo/pictures/92t.jpg

Only one car can go on the road right now. Can you guess which one? ;)

I've read ALL of this thread - whew! Well, here's what happened to me years
ago. I had a 1972 Corvette that had a VERY similar problem. After checking
and double checking everything I could think of, I pulled the new waterpump
I had installed a few weeks earlier. Turned out that the pump impeller was
not tight on the shaft - the pulley was driving the pump impeller shaft as
it should, but the impeller was only turning at, who knows, half speed?
quarter speed? So especially at highway speeds or under load, it would
overheat. At low load or idle, no problem. Well, there's my two cents
worth.
 
I ain't that lucky...

What it appears to be is, not only do I have a blown headgasket, but
perhaps the radiator is blocked, too...

Try flushing the radiator with sufficient pressure to unblock.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
13,888
Messages
67,364
Members
7,363
Latest member
Mustangman35

Latest Threads

Back
Top