serealve
03-03-2008, 08:38 PM
Ok so my car has done this to me a few times, but its a simple fix and im back on the road again. Ok so before it starts to heat up, the heater air uauslly gets pretty cold, or very lukewarm. After this the temp jumps up in a matter of 2 seconds it all the way hot, right before the red line. Stop the car, pop the hood...
The driver side water hose is "hot" like it should be, but the passenger side is cold, and i can feel fluid in it.
So i bleed the screw on the over flow cap area, steams steams steams, refill with coolant, and voila im back on the road and the car seems like nothing happend. The temp is immiedatily back to the middle and im good to go.
What side is the thermostat on? does it allow water to flow on the driver or passenger side hose??
What do you guys think is the issue, im thinking Tstat but not too sure
Poolman
03-03-2008, 09:07 PM
These cars can not take heat--just a little like what you have mentioned and you could have a problem with your head gasket and head also--best thing to do is get set for a complete change out of your cooling system--rad-water pump-tensioners-expansion tank-fan clutch and fan blade-and of course hoses-along with thermostat and stat housing---this takes the guess work out of any problems that may come back to haunt in real money being shelled out for a engine tear down--seems like lots of dollars, but I just did the same thing to mine not long ago--and I did more--like a Vanos rebuild and 02 sensors valve cover gasket and spark plugs my parts were like 750 bucks-plus I performed all the labor--would hate to think what the dealer would have charged for all the above. There are a number of write ups on how to do the work in the diy section of the forum
Hope that helps
jamesdc4
03-03-2008, 09:23 PM
These cars can not take heat--just a little like what you have mentioned and you could have a problem with your head gasket and head also--best thing to do is get set for a complete change out of your cooling system--rad-water pump-tensioners-expansion tank-fan clutch and fan blade-and of course hoses-along with thermostat and stat housing---this takes the guess work out of any problems that may come back to haunt in real money being shelled out for a engine tear down--seems like lots of dollars, but I just did the same thing to mine not long ago--and I did more--like a Vanos rebuild and 02 sensors valve cover gasket and spark plugs my parts were like 750 bucks-plus I performed all the labor--would hate to think what the dealer would have charged for all the above. There are a number of write ups on how to do the work in the diy section of the forum
Hope that helps
+1
fifthand
03-03-2008, 11:16 PM
It is obvious you are losing coolant. I do not think it is your T-stat, it is the lack of coolant in the system. Having cold air blow through the heater is a classic symptom of low coolant, regardless of car (providing the heater core is good).
I just went through this issue. I had the same experience you are describing but I did not let it go that long, so far as I know. For me, it was a "clogged" radiator. This was puzzling to me because I've owned the car since '02 and the last 50K+ miles. My tech said he thinks someone put "stop leak" in the radiator causing it to clog up and not flow properly. This would cause the system to overheat slightly causing excess coolant to get pushed out of the radiator cap. As a result, the system either had too much air or not enough coolant at any given point. I had the same "cold hose" on the off side of the radiator and in fact was what led my tech to test the radiator for flow. It took me a long time to get him to believe me that it wasn't me that would have put that crap in the radiator. To this day, I have no idea how it could have gotten in there, if indeed it was the cause of the clog. Luckily, the car is primarily used for short trips most of the time e.g. < 1 mile. Otherwise, it could have been a real nasty over-heat blow out situation.
I've read here that a "valley pan" gasket failure could result in phantom'ish loss of coolant. Or you have a leak, or you have compression gases getting pushed into the cooling system, or you have.......... I'm sure the list could go on. Either way, like Poolman said. These cars don't like to be overheated so keep your eye on the temp and take it in to your favorite tech. Or DIY of course.
nofun
03-04-2008, 03:08 AM
After having personally had cooling problems / head gasket problems in several vehicles...
Get a coolling system pressure test & a leak down test. Shouldn't cost more than an hours labour at your favorite mechanic. Added benefit is, it will isolate exactly where you have a leak...
(Just replaced radiator / t-stat / water-pump / hoses / belts ... etc...)