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Overheating puzzle

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Old Nov 9, 2012 | 11:37 PM
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Default Overheating puzzle

Took the car out for a drive and the temperature gauge went all.the way to the right. I got the car home and checked it out ,the hose going into the thermostat housing was hot as could be. The radiator cap was cold,I could have taken it off without any pressure on it . Well I changed the thermostat and it helped a little,however the car still runs hot . Tomorrow I plan to change both the upper and lower radiator hoses. If this don't work any suggestions on what to check next.
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Old Nov 10, 2012 | 05:35 AM
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How old is your water pump? Could be a failure. Is there any coolant coming out of the weep hole? Is there a reason you are changing the hoses? If they are old, you might as well. If not, you may just be throwing money at a problem for no reason.
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Old Nov 10, 2012 | 08:03 AM
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The bottom hose is the suction side and it will collapse if its old stopping coolant flow.
Usually the top hose will split if it fails, it won't collapse
The water pump impeller may have died, also stopping coolant flow
With a new thermostat you should be good there, did you get all the air out?
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Old Nov 10, 2012 | 08:12 AM
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good points listed above.also consider getting a new thermostat ,the type that if it fails it is open.I have a thermostat housing with a radiator cap on it.
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Old Nov 10, 2012 | 12:00 PM
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If you have the radiator cap off and let the car warm up, you should be able to see the coolant being forced through and circulating. That may help verify if the pump is working or not. Also, the air pockets are a big deal, you must purge all the air from the system. The filler being lower than the top hose can be a challenge. The radiator cap on the thermostat housing is brilliant but you can also try squeezing the top hose as you fill the coolant in the radiator.

If the water pump is not the issue, you can rent a pressure test kit and test the radiator cap and the rest of the system. The radiator cap is more than just a lid. Test it or get a new one if it is old or worn. Make sure you use 50/50 coolant and distilled water. Both of these items raise the boiling point.

With the car off and cool, shoot for this as a coolant level.
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Old Nov 10, 2012 | 12:39 PM
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Originally Posted by garygnu
good points listed above.also consider getting a new thermostat ,the type that if it fails it is open.I have a thermostat housing with a radiator cap on it.
I tried one of those thermostats. It continually stuck open and I don't have a problem with my cooling system. I wouldn't recommend them.
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Old Nov 10, 2012 | 06:30 PM
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summit and jegs sell the thermostat housing with the cap on it ,great for bleeding the air out of the coolant system.
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