either buy or rent a scanner that reads live data that will tell you exactly what temp your coolant is. Also assuming you bled the coolant properly, have heat, no water sounds in the dashboard, and your coolant level is not going down.

At hot idle idle you should get around 98C-103C driving should be around 83C-90C (my scanner reads C too lazy to convert to F). Let us know what your temps are after driving around. Obviously if you are pushing over 105C driving around you are too hot and need to stop. Another good tool is a IR thermometer where you can see the temps of the radiator, top hose, block etc.

 

Okay, cool. I'll go find a coolant temp scanner.

I bled all the coolant out of the radiator. There actually wasn't that much (maybe a half a gallon); this is consistent with the mechanic's finding that the radiator was blocked.

I have heat.

I don't appear to be leaking coolant from anywhere. I do have a coolant smell from the engine, but that could be from coolant residue on the engine block from while I was working on the radiator replacement, and also from the spillage when the reservoir boiled over.

There IS actually water sounds behind the dashboard, but I suspect this is rainwater stuck from blocked drainage pipes. It swishes side to side when I turn corners. It's done this for a long time and I just haven't bothered to get in there and check it out.

I'll figure out the running temp and get back to you.

Thanks for the help.

Dan

 

I you have water sound behind the dash at startup (while siting still) you have air in the system, re bleed it. Lift the expansion tank up on the battery box and loosen the bleed screw on the top hose until coolant squirts out then top off if needed to a bit below the line with it still raised. That should get the air out

You just need an ODBII scanner that reads live data, autozone or advanced will have them for rent.