trouble shooting the coolant system.

Jeepless · May 31, 2006

Ok so on my way to work this morning, I do the normal and status the gauges, on the freeway...well the temp is pegged and I am stuck on 405 in kirkland where there is now damned shoulder cause of the construction. Here are the symptoms
peggs the temp gauge for a bit, no heat out of heater, then it acts like the thermastat opens and heat comes out. and then it repeates this all the way to work:wtf:do thermostats do that kinda crap?.......and home then the lower hose goeswould it have been just the hose?

now I am going to replace the hoses and the thermastat...hoping its not the water pump or radiator, what I need is some advice if there is any on how to tell if it may be worse that I think????

Any ideas???

heep70 · May 31, 2006

If the hoses are weak they will do that. They will expand like a balloon and make the engine run hot.

Check the rest of the hoses (including the heater hoses). And yes replace the thermestat. It is probably weak from being to hot. I just went through all this with mu Ford and my Subaru.

Your rad will also do the same thing if it is real old.

PORTER · May 31, 2006

If it was full of coolant try a new T-stat first. If that doesnt fix it have it checked for a leaky head gasket, assumimg the guage reads correctly.

Jeepless · May 31, 2006

PORTER said:
If it was full of coolant try a new T-stat first. If that doesnt fix it have it checked for a leaky head gasket, assumimg the guage reads correctly.

I am pretty sure the gauge is good, I have the t-stat and hoses, will update tomorrow....

thanks guys, you have just reasured my thoughts.

JOOP · May 31, 2006

Kinda sounds like a vapor lock. Did you service the radiator lately or do anything to the coolant system?

Jeepless · May 31, 2006

JOOP said:
Kinda sounds like a vapor lock. Did you service the radiator lately or do anything to the coolant system?

nothing at all. but then again I am not sure how long it has been since anyone has done anything at all to the system!

JACKED944RUNNER · May 31, 2006

How clean ws the coolant? flush and use new hoses and t stat

JOOP · May 31, 2006

Jeepless said:
nothing at all. but then again I am not sure how long it has been since anyone has done anything at all to the system!

The only way a vapor lock will appear on it's own is with a leak of the coolant somewhere. But if you dont see coolant laying on the ground it's probably not a vopr lock.

I think the best thing you could do is buy a new thermostat, flush the system and start from there.