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Overheating woes after blown heater hose. Help!

Q

qbcsvt

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Oct 12, 2006
Messages
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Location
Up North New Jersey
I was driving in 1st gear at about 5000-6000 rpm and I see smoke/antifreeze all over the place.

After limping home about a mile, I check the hoses and see the hose going from under the throttle body to the firewall (heater hose) has popped. I have since replaced it, added antifreeze, and left the cap open and the heater on high and defrost to get everything circulated.

Is there a better way to bleed the system? Or a way to check the thermostat?

The car overhears within 5-10 minutes from a cold start.

Thanks in advance

EDIT: Everything is in good working order now. I attempted to bleed the air out of the coolant system when the car was not fully warm. So I pretty much drove the car for like 2 minutes with the reservoir cap off and once I saw the temp gauge get a bit higher then normal I got out the car to verify that the thermostat had opened and pulled more fluid into the system. I put in more antifreeze/water and put the cap back on so the system can accumulate its much needed pressure and the temp gauge shot down to the middle and I drove the car for a good couple miles with no problem. If needed I will update, but Im sure this issue has been solved.

Thanks All
 
did you let the car cool off before driving it the mile home? you might have caused other damage if it was overheating at that time.....
 
Yes I did shut off the car as soon as I saw the smoke and fluid. I also made sure to COAST (turn on the car go turn off and coast) to my house as much as I could. It was much less than a mile (probably just less than half a mile).

I am not getting any smoke or leaking now. Just the car is Overheating like crazy. What can I check?

This is in a 3L CSVT

- amyn
 
If the cooling system is plumbed the way it came from the factory, it bleeds pretty well all by itself as you fill it from the recovery reservoir. The two small hoses that lead to the top of the reservoir bleed the top of the radiator and the top of the upper radiator hose, these are the two high points in the system.

Do you have cabin heat while the engine is warming up? The heater core/oil cooler loop is the coolant bypass in these engines, as the coolant needs some place to flow when the thermostat is closed.

Cooling system not full?

Thermostat stuck shut perhaps?
 
I will retest the car with the heat on blast and see if that helps bleed the system... How can I check the thermostat?

- amyn
 
qbcsvt said:
The car overhears within 5-10 minutes from a cold start.
Click to expand...

Have you checked to see if the water pump is running? Is the water pump belt OK?

Does the upper radiator hose get hot when the engine overheats? If it doesn't, either the cooling system is terribly underfilled or the thermostat isn't opening.

I check thermostats by putting them in a pan of water on the stove with a thermometer in the water, warm it up to boiling and watch when it opens, note the temperature. Should open about 190ºF.
 
I meant active bubbling in the coolant reservoir, indicating a blown head gasket. Hopefully not the case.

And in my opinion, the proper way to "check" a thermostat is to replace it with a new one. For $8 you'd be crazy not to, if you've already removed it. It certainly is a possibility that this is the problem.
 
Could you have cooked the waterpump? I mean if your system is full but you are not cooling the engine I would assume that the coolant isn't flowing. You did check the water pump belt right? Or perhaps the belt just got soaked really good from the coolant spraying everywhere.
 
You could also check to see if the waterpump impellar is still in one piece and if it is still turning with the shaft . Removal while doing the thermostat, recommended. Metal impellar pump is my personal choice of replacement .... frauds sold crap once and said nothing .... not gonna get caught twice ....G.
 
I'd bet stat stuck and caused the whole thing. Like he said, CHANGE IT. How much is your running car worth?
 
Everything is in good working order now. I attempted to bleed the air out of the coolant system when the car was not fully warm. So I pretty much drove the car for like 2 minutes with the reservoir cap off and once I saw the temp gauge get a bit higher then normal I got out the car to verify that the thermostat had opened and pulled more fluid into the system. I put in more antifreeze/water and put the cap back on so the system can accumulate its much needed pressure and the temp gauge shot down to the middle and I drove the car for a good couple miles with no problem. If needed I will update, but Im sure this issue has been solved.

Thanks All
 
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