[Z06] Coolant Overtemp
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 60
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From: Virginia Beach VA
Coolant Overtemp
I was driving along yesterday, and for no reason, i got a coolant overtemp warning. I pulled over and turned off the engine, let it cool down, and got it back home without overheating again. The temperature continued to rise during the short drive home, but I made sure not to let it get into the red on the temperature gauge.
I did run the car hard the day before, and I'm not sure if that had anything to do with the problem.
I checked the coolant level, it was full. Checked that the air damn was there and that the radiator was unblocked. I believe that the thermostat is the problem, but wanted to see what people on the forum thought first.
If the radiator is the problem, how difficult is this to fix on my own? I'm not very repair savvy, so keep that in mind...haha
I did run the car hard the day before, and I'm not sure if that had anything to do with the problem.
I checked the coolant level, it was full. Checked that the air damn was there and that the radiator was unblocked. I believe that the thermostat is the problem, but wanted to see what people on the forum thought first.
If the radiator is the problem, how difficult is this to fix on my own? I'm not very repair savvy, so keep that in mind...haha
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 60
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From: Virginia Beach VA
Thermostat wasn't the problem 
It doesn't look like the coolant is flowing from the reservoir. Could there be a blockage in the system? Or is this more indicative of a water pump problem. After we drained the system, we only added about a gallon of coolant before the whole reservoir was filled. I turned the car on until the temperature hit 245. I was hoping that it would draw some of the coolant into the system, but no good.
It doesn't look like the coolant is flowing from the reservoir. Could there be a blockage in the system? Or is this more indicative of a water pump problem. After we drained the system, we only added about a gallon of coolant before the whole reservoir was filled. I turned the car on until the temperature hit 245. I was hoping that it would draw some of the coolant into the system, but no good.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6,366
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From: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
It's possible either your fans are not turning on or there is an air pocket in your cooling system. However the first thing I would check before anything is cleaning the A/C condensor and the radiator core. You will not believe how much dirt gets in these components due to the car being a bottom feeder. You really need to at least vacuum them out. Enough dirt gets in there to seriously affect the cooling. I've periodically cleaned mine and the temps can drop 15+ degrees if it's dirty enough. It's also a good idea to make a screen for the radiator opening to block larger objects such as leaves or Mickey D fry wrappers from getting up there. It happened to me!
Some vendors sell screen kits but they are exorbitantly priced compared to making your own out of screen you can buy at Home Depot.
Some vendors sell screen kits but they are exorbitantly priced compared to making your own out of screen you can buy at Home Depot.
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Thread Starter
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 60
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From: Virginia Beach VA
I'm pretty sure I have a bad water pump. If I take the hose leading from the block to the radiator off (at the radiator end) and turn the engine on, will nothing come out of that hose if I have a bad pump? Is there a better way to test the pump than spewing coolant everywhere?
