Hi there,

My car recently overheated while sitting in slow traffic on a 45 degree day, I didn't realise until the aircon started coming through warm and I was just starting to move off again, I turned the aircon off and as I started to move off at speed the car temp returned to normal level, when I put the aircon back on it was cool again. It was the hottest day of the year so far and I was sitting stationary, I thought nothing of it and carried on as usual. I have continued to drive around (only small journeys no more than 30 minutes) for the next 6 weeks or so with no overheating and the aircon working fine until the other day. The same thing happend as before, the aircon went warm and the car started overheating again, once turning the aircon off the car went down to the normal temp again. When I got home the fan seemed to be working over time and making lots of noise and upon opening the bonnet I see that there was no coolant in the reservoir.

The car is now parked up, I plan to top the reservoir up with coolant when I get home tonight, take it for a small run and check the hoses for leaks and the reservoir level to see if it drops, there is no milky substance around the oil filler cap. Any advice as to other areas I should be checking or what this could be would be much appreciated.

I really hope its not the head gasket

 

Do your self a favor and don't take it for a drive if you don't have a clue what is happening.
Do you know how to fill and bleed the coolant system, do that and then take it to a close shop and have them pressure test the coolant system for a leak. Have it towed if need be.
Let us know what they find.

 

Yeah if not the head gaskets (by some miracle) it will be if you keep driving it.... you have to have a obvious leak somewhere and should be able to locate some coolant residue somewhere. Take a look at the front diff, take a look at the t-stat, take a look at the back side of the engine. Somewhere you will find what you don't want to find.

 

I am in the same situation minus the overheating. Only its cold where im at and my heater the first time I tried to use it this never got hot and my h/c gauge started rising , i turned the heat off and the gauge went back down. I popped the hood and almost no coolant in the expansion tank. So I refilled it heater got warm dummy gauge went back to the normal dummy spot. Maybe two days later went and checked the tank again and the coolant level was low again only difference is my heater will get hot and the h/c gauge is where it it supossed to be. I haven't had any problems since other than now I have a burning smell and what appears to be steam coming from my radiator after I turn my truck off.

So where does that coolant go? What I have done is refill the tank to the lid "thanks mike" and put a huge price of cardboard under the engine to see if I can spot where its leaking from. One of my buddies from the forum has told me that the pipe that sit on top of your viscous fan shroud when cold should be very flexible and when hot should be firm. If the pipe is flexible while engine temp is hot then you have a leak some where, and by flexible I mean you can squeeze it and its not firm.
Mine is flexible when hot, so im pretty sure I gotta leak somewhere.

Hopefully not my head gaskets either...doubtful, and convienant just in time for tax season...

 

Thanks for your replies, i'll have a look on here and see if I can find how to bleed and refill the cooling system, and then i'll get it pressure tested. I'll see if I can find where it is leaking from tonight.

Cheers

Tommy

 

Tommy where are you located?

 

Jon, I was reading this post and thought of you right away. I read on and see you...any luck yet? Send Mike or Savannah a message yet? How flexible is it mine is not rock hard, it has some flex when hot but not much. Mine before the HG being done had a lot of flex in it...Did you bleed it yet or get a pressure test?

 

Hahaha shocking right? Lol. I didn't get it pressure tested yet that doggone machine is $169. To rent at advanced...if they had one. But I did checkcfor air in the lines and no air, coolant immeadiatly came out. The flex in the hose is the same hot and engine running as opossed to cold and engine turned off, i don't know if I change the tstat, flush the tank and put a new bleed hose to expansion tank in if it will help, but im gonna try that if there is no coolant on the cardboard I put under the engine tomorrow when I check it.

 

I'm currently in remote North West Australia, which means a very expensive repair bill!!!

 

Have you pulled out the oil dip stick to see if there might be some "mocha sludge" present, or if the oil looks just the same as it always does?