Car is overheating!!!! Crap!!!

[cjmatt]

Well I was driving my Buick home last night and it cut out on me at a light and took like 10 seconds of cranking to get home, I also had to brake it and hold the gas to keep it goin at the lights. When I got home and shut it off i could hear the coolant boiling over in the reservoir, so I pull out the scanner...255 Degrees!!!!!

The car had a new radiator when I got it, it looks like a pretty thick one. but it is black and also has an external oil cooler for the trans. So I am guessing its a Camaro version. I also have a FMIC as well. SHould I start with a thermostat to see if that helps? Im worried ill do some serious damage if I drive it.

FWIW I was driving in about 85 degree heat with A/C on. I don't know how long its been doing this. It has done the thing where it stalls out before but I never heard it boiling over. It also would smoke randomly, sometimes going days or weeks with nothing and then sometimes it'll smoke a little bit just at idle. Not sure if its related or not

 

[Tony Shoaff]

Ck and make sure the fan is coming on. T-stat could be the cause if you replace it install a 160 deg. t-stat. If you have had smoke out the tailpipe it may be a head gasket?

 

[turbo nasty]

First thing to check is water in the oil (might look like a milkshake) or oil in the water. Those are usually tell tell signs of HG failure.

As far as overheating..... if the car was fine and then one day just runs hot. Then something is up.
Check fan, t stat, h2o pump for proper ops. radiator clogged.
etc etc

Riding with a bud a lil while back and we were3 driving off and i said something smells hot and scrolled his scanmaster over and it was 242 ..his cooling fan motor was done.

 

[cjmatt]

the fan runs, because I could hear it going when I hooked up the scanner. The car also doesnt have any ducting under it. I saw an 86 that had a lower air dam as well. mine doesnt...it seems to run OK when im on the freeway and not in stop/go traffic

 

[turbo nasty]

the fan runs, because I could hear it going when I hooked up the scanner. The car also doesnt have any ducting under it. I saw an 86 that had a lower air dam as well. mine doesnt...it seems to run OK when im on the freeway and not in stop/go traffic

Come on man we told you all the stuff to check and you speak only of the fan?????
And what temp is "OK" on the freeway?

 

[cjmatt]

haha, I am at work, and drove my trans am today, so I wont be able to mess with the GN til i get home

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Holding the brake all the time with the gas on probably wasn't helping matters any. Fix that problem first and then see what temps you are running.

 

[cjmatt]

well the gas with brake thing was only for about 2 minutes, and only when stopped

 

[sabersaw30]

Crank it up let the thermostat open and look in radiater make sure the water is circulating.Make sure motor is cooled off first.

 

[kingots2004]

i know mine runs hotter with the frontmount im goin to dual fans soon.you may want to look it that.not saying thats the problem but couldnt hurt.look at the radiator first like was said then change the thermostat.well i would change it anyway just to be safe.

 

[ALVAROG1983]

Remove The Radi Have It Flashed And Checked For Flow Also Repalce Thermo No Matter What I Had The Same Problem Not To Long Ago But It Was To Late Headgasket Went Out Have Fun If Its The Hg.

 

[cjmatt]

Well I had time to mess ith the car today. Took it out for a trip to my parents as well as my garage. It warmed up fine. Got to 188-190 then I got on the freeway and it stayed at 188 the whole time. When I got off it crept to about 206, then the rest of the trip it stayed between 198 and 206 generally staying at 203. This was driving mostly flat roads, with minimal traffic and getting stuck at stoplights every mile or 2 for a minute or so. The fact that it ran at 188 the whole time onceit got to 190 tells me the thermostat is working at least, but I dont think its getting enough air.

One thing I noticed is that the radiator doesnt have any of the rubber deflectors which connect to the sides of the radiator support, so the air can go around, this probably isnt helping with my large front mount in the way. The fan IS coming on though. My guess is that the FMIC and lack of air deflection through the stock radiator isnt enough with my higher stall and larger turbo and it just cant cool fast enough when its hot out.
I am planning on picking up a set of the deflectors off of GBODYPARTS, what else should I do that will have the biggest bang for the buck impact? Ill also take a pick of the radiator tonight to see if you can tell me whether or not its an FBODY Unit.

Thanks
Matt

 

[ALVAROG1983]

change thermo to 160 radi might be clogging up these things don't last for ever.