coolant overflowed...

[onsight512]

after a 30 mile drive. I believe it all came out of the overflow tube. I have a SR14 DE in the car (installed by the PO). After it cooled off, I added a bit of coolant and started the car. I let it get hot (upper radiator hose was hot) and noticed that the electric fan didn't seem to be kicking on. An advice on how I go about checking to see if the issue is there?

thanks,
Chris

[mraitch]

how hot did it get??

you may want to burp hoses, what I do on my R16 is fill through main and run engine with coolant cap off (presuming THAT is where the pressure is located on your system) and burping - seems to force ALL the air out. never failed me yet.

[onsight512]

Thanks. I'll try that. I did start with the cap off and as it warmed up the coolant slowly rose up to the top and then flowed out the top. I let it go for a minute and then put the cap on. Maybe I should let it go longer?

[Linda]

Maybe you have a stuck thermostat. How hard is it to get to?
Linda

[onsight512]

Maybe you have a stuck thermostat. How hard is it to get to?
Linda

After doing some reading, I think it's in the lower hose at the block. I'm going to take a look tomorrow. Thanks.

[bobd]

My SR20 DE did that, but it was a bad cap on the expansion tank that was not holding pressure.

[C.Costine]

Don't condemn your electric fan system until you know that the upper hose and head are REALLY HOT. An infrared thermometer is a good trouble shooting tool.

[onsight512]

mraitch: I don't know how hot it got. The temp gauge appears to be non-functional (on my list).

Linda: When I got home tonight I started the car and let it run for fifteen minutes. My thermostat is where my lower radiator hose connects to the engine. I didn't know this last night. So today I felt the lower hose periodically as the car ran. it did get as hot as the upper hose, so I assume the thermostat is working. Although it could be on it's way out (?).

bobd: As best as I can tell, the coolant came out the bottom of the tube that comes down from the expansion tank. It didn't look like anything came out at the junction of the cap/tank.

C.Costine: I ought to get an IR thermometer. The upper hose got hot enough today that I could only touch it for a second or two. And in the fifteen or so minutes that the engine was running, the fan never came on.

I need to figure out how to get some sort of temperature gauge hooked up.


And thank you all for the info/thoughts. Much appreciated.

[redroadster]

If it needs a rod out on the radiator
I would pull the thermostat to see how it flows /heats up
A infared thermometer is a great tool
Also use the recommended big funnel above the radiator those 90s > engines demand one

[bobd]

mraitch: I don't know how hot it got. The temp gauge appears to be non-functional (on my list).

Linda: When I got home tonight I started the car and let it run for fifteen minutes. My thermostat is where my lower radiator hose connects to the engine. I didn't know this last night. So today I felt the lower hose periodically as the car ran. it did get as hot as the upper hose, so I assume the thermostat is working. Although it could be on it's way out (?).

bobd: As best as I can tell, the coolant came out the bottom of the tube that comes down from the expansion tank. It didn't look like anything came out at the junction of the cap/tank.

C.Costine: I ought to get an IR thermometer. The upper hose got hot enough today that I could only touch it for a second or two. And in the fifteen or so minutes that the engine was running, the fan never came on.

I need to figure out how to get some sort of temperature gauge hooked up.


And thank you all for the info/thoughts. Much appreciated.

IR thermometers are cheap and invaluable for checking temp at various places.

Two seals on the expansion tank cap, bottom one is spring loaded and pressure will lift it to open the overflow. Top one seals at the lip.

Cap can be tested to see if it is opening at the rated pressure. Same tool can be used to pressurize the system to check it's integrity.

So the question is: does it overheat because the system isn't holding pressure or overflowing because it is running too hot?

Both radiator hoses hot? Thermostat is working.

[onsight512]

Any recommendations on a pressure test tool? My motor is out of a '98 Nissan Silva (SR20DE). I'll do some searching...

And I'm ordering an IR thermometer. Thanks very much for the help.

Chris

[bobd]

I had a stant tester for years but the rubber stuff rotted out, use a mity vac kit now.

[boxcar]

I'm surprised that no one has recommended jumping the temp sensor to the fan. They do go bad. As do the solenoids that feed the fans. I'd go there first, before anything else then work your way out from there.

[onsight512]

I'm surprised that no one has recommended jumping the temp sensor to the fan. They do go bad. As do the solenoids that feed the fans. I'd go there first, before anything else then work your way out from there.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[onsight512]

So the car has been pretty good for the last few weeks. I bought an aftermarket temp gauge and hooked it up a week ago. It's much nicer driving and knowing how hot it's getting.
The thermostat seems to be working; both hoses get hot. Last night as I was driving home, very slowly in traffic, it got hot (235f. it'd previously hadn't been above 205/210f, usually about 190f) and let off some steam. I was about to pull over, but traffic cleared so I was able to get some air flowing and the temp dropped quickly.
I'm going to pull the thermostat to 'confirm' that's not the issue. Or maybe to confirm, I suppose. My question is about the hose going to/from the heater. The PO removed it (heater core) and the hose just comes out and goes immediately back into the block (SR20, not that that should matter). That hose is so short that it is folded in half and I imagine nothing is able to flow through there. Does that matter?

After it cooled down, I went back out to the garage and added some water with the engine running. And:

IMG_9805


I then checked the oil at the valve cover and dipstick. Both looked completely normal. A friend of mine told me to start the car and squeeze the upper radiator hose with my hand while I slowly rev the engine to see if it tries to expand (checking hot head/head gasket issue). Any other thoughts?