overheating 1989 Camaro RS

Hi all. I'm about to go all out on this problem ...

I've had this Camaro for 5 years. And I've come to a stopping point where I had to make the decision whether to buy a new car or to finish restoring this one. I decided to keep the Camaro.

First thing is, every summer the car runs extremely hot. On the highway the car runs near 260 degrees unless I turn the heater on full blast (this is Texas, hot enough here without having to turn the heater on!) ... and then It will drop down to around 230/240.

For 4 of the years I've had this car I've had this problem, and every summer I go out and try to fix it. I've taken it to mechanics all over town (and out of town) and no one can seem to solve the problem. I'm beginning to believe that the fact that my engine is rebuilt is the cause (the car is on it's second rebuild now).

I can run through a list of things we've tried. The thermostat is fairly new and is stock. The fan is supposed to kick on at 208 degrees. (however, I have had some problems in the past with the fan not kicking on, I recently replaced the relay for the fan which the results on which are still not clear. the fan appears to be working while the car is idle but ... who knows what it is doing while i'm on the highway). Others have suggested having the air dam placed back on the car (it never had one when I first bought it) so I had that done, this had no effect. I took the radiator to a radiator specialist and asked them if I needed to have the radiator replaced, they said no but that I should have it cleaned so I had them take it out, brush it out and they put it in a chemical dip ... cleaned it out very well. This helped a little bit, but not much. My electrician is stumped, my mechanic doesn't believe me and my buddies think that I should just stop looking to repair the problem and look at enhancements such as a high performance radiator.

More recently I have been looking at the BeCool radiator set for the Camaro, it says its guaranteed to drop the car's temperature by 20 degrees ... it looks like it might work but ... its a 1000 dollar investment. I was just hoping that maybe some other Camaro owners out there might have some similar experiences and would be able to help. Any suggestions would be appreciated, and anyone that has ever used a BeCool radiator... their input would be appreciated as well.

Thanks,

Jordan

P.S. This is not an issue when driving at night or on non-summer seasons. Only when the temperature runs 90-110 degrees outside...

I am not completely sure when this problem started happening but I know that it started happening around the time of my second rebuild.

maybe exchange it for a 4th or 5th gen camaro z28 or ss:biggrin: :dogpile: alot better than an rs

Is the engine clean ,and what color is your car man?
I'll ask some people I know and get back to you, good luck in the meantime..

It sounds more like a problem with the internal coolant flow. maybe a clogged water jacket. Is this a V8? 3rd gen. V8 camaro's are prown to overheating problems. And as for the $1000 dollar radiator set up, I wouldn't waste your money. Even if it does drop your temp 20 degrees your stiill looking at between 210 and 220 degrees and thats still too hot. Running it that hot is gonna shorten the life of your engine. It's alot of work, but it would still be cheaper than your $1000 dollar radiator idea to tear the top end of the motor apart and replace the head gasket and intake gasket, make sure all of the water jackets are clean. And make sure the coolant passages in the heads are clear. Use compressed air and blow down through all of the jackets. Also, timing can influence the temp of the engine as well.

Well I just found part of the problem. The car has always ran hot while idling, not extremely hot but hot enough for it not to be healthy for the car. I believe that this may have to do with the fan ...

I mentioned earlier that I had had the air dam replaced recently which is true, however the other day when I went to work on the car I found that it was loose and would bend backwards when pushed on. So I fixed the problem with that and now the car is running fairly smoothly on the highway, but still idles pretty hot.

Since I've checked everything as far as the electrical fan system that I can think of, I am going to go ahead and have a bypass switch put in this week. If this doesn't solve the problem ... I may still get that radiator but it looks like the worst (the air dam) is over. It boggles my mind to think that such an important part of the car's cooling system is so flimsy and in such a vulnerable position. Then again, I think the previous owner of my car has had it lowered. I'm also going to look into that this week, and if so will raise it back up to factory standard hight ...

Will update on what happens. Thanks for the suggestions all.

P.S. I suppose the highway overheating problem started fairly recently ... I thought that it wouldn't happen during night driving but ... this really didn't make sense when I thought about it so I took it for a test drive at night again and found that it did run hot ... Course now that the air dam is fixed this is no problem ...

I'll probably also take the car back to the people who last rebuilt my engine and see what they think about that engine work ya'll suggested ...

Now for the idle heat ...

Another thing is that the car doesn't seem to want to start after it has been running a bit hot. The problem is sporradic, but once or twice a month the car won't start back up after I've turned it off and need to turn it back on shortly afterwards. It will start back up when I push it and pop the clutch though. My electrician and I checked the wiring and it seems to be getting power fine and everything looks good. I've heard of this happening to other people too but I've never heard of anyone who fixed it ...

P.S.S.

It's a red V-6 :)

I'm just guessing, but you said that it will start back up if you push it and pop the clutch, that sounds kinda like the starter is getting old. When starters get tired they can sometimes draw almost twice the current that they should, and then you wouldn't get the proper amount of juice to the coil, and to the fuel injectors.

I've had this same problem ever since I bought my 90 camaro back in feb. Car won't start after it gets hot and has been recently turned off. I looked everywhere i could on the internet and found little info. but here is what I found.

Problem lies in the ignition system. If the car is not having a problem starting when cold (i.e. starter cranks ok) replacing the starter = likely waste of money.
(suggestion: buy hayes repair manual ($16) for your car... it tells you how to do almost everythin.... it has really helped me save lots of money.)

Dismantle distributor (with keys out of ignition!) and remove the ignition control module (ICM), which is under the distr. cap and should have 2 screws in it and is probably black with 2-3 wire connectors on it. Take it to local autozone or oreily's to have it tested. Make sure they run the test until it is really hot. If bad like mine was, replace it ($14). New one should come with silicone that you rub all over the metal on the underside of the ICM. ICM will quickly go bad again if you don't put the silicone on it before install.

Still didn't fix problem on my car. Replaced ignition coil, which also doesn't like heat. On my 3rd gen V6, it was right next to the intake- on the left (while facing the engine) approx 2inches from the intake. there will be a spark plug wire running to it from the distributor. Replace it. 4 bolts keeps it in place. I had to chisel them off with hammer and screwdriver since they weren't screws, just bolts. new ignition coil will come with new screws and brackets. FIXED PROBLEM! I'M HAPPY!
(Also some coils are actually right inside distr. cap). Looks just like a big roll of wire. If your's is you will have to remove it to get to ICM anyway.

Another possibility would be ignition switch which is under/inside steering column which is not going to be easy to replace.

Please let me know if this helps.

Well ... instantkevin217's problem sounded so similar to mine, I went out and had my ignition control module and ignition coil replaced.

And nothing! Still has the same problem. Course ... I'm running out of possabilities here ... I guess my next step is to replace the starter and after that ... I'm beginning to wonder... my alternator's output has been a bit low lately and it is about time to get it replaced ... I wonder if it is just short on power? ... I'd like to test the hot wire when it starts but I always forget which one it is :P

Anyway thanks for the suggestion. I'm sure it will save me some trouble in the future, and who knows, maybe they were part of the problem ...

Hey Default.... new user here. I just found this site through an online search and your post showed up! I have the same car... a 1989 Camaro RS V6. Just got the car a few days ago. But I got it knowing that it needed some work. I am having problems with my radiator cooling fan not turning on at all. Tried messing around with the car today but I haven't gotten very far yet. The fan does work (ran another plug with pos/neg off of the battery. So that's good. I did find the relay... except I'm "electrically challenged" and I'm not even sure how to test the thing. But my BIG question for you is..... what triggers the relay? Just wondering if you might know. Does the ECM turn it on or is it a simple collant sensor? That's my next step to check out. Well- at least once I figure out the relay. I haven't found a wiring diagram for the car (or even just the electric fan system) yet.

Let's start with the starter problem....

Having owned two 1985's over the last 12 years I have fixed numerous problems and still need to figure someout tham maybe you guys can help me with.

The starter is suffering from heat soak. They are weak to begin with and only last two years in the Bakersfield heat before they go out. I installed a gear reduction starter and haven't changed a starter in 7 years. Make absolutely sure the teeth in the new starter are fully engaging the flexplate teeth or you will be replaceing the flexplate every year. I had to mill .080 off of mine before it engaged deeply enough. Remember those starters are nade for highly modified race engines that have been decked, aline bored, aline honed, ad nauseum..... That's why you have to have that little bit of work done. Still, it's half the price of a Corvetter gear reduction starter.

Now to the heating: Beats the you know what out of me!!!! But I do have ideas..... My Camaor does the same thing but it runs really lean whcih is the problems Ihave to figure out. I'll start a new thread for that one....

I have a 160 degree Robert Shaw high Flow Theromstat (Mr Gasket sells the same one) I have the Be-Cool radiator with 2 - 1 cores and it helped a little, but not much (BTW, only paid $550 through Summit). I also have a FlowKooler high volume water pump. I have replaced the factory 15" electric fan with a 16" fan along with a 10" fan behind the radiator. IN front of the radiator I have another 10" fan and a 14" fan. It still runs hot in the summer! It's acceptable on the highway (210-220 when it's 110 outside) but it will hit 260 with the A/C on around town. I will turn off the A/C by then not to see if it gets higher!!!!!

I have a ZZ4 cam in the engine and it may be making the computer run lean due to cam overlap, although I am hoping that isn't it. But running lean or having your A/C overcharged will make your car run hot as well. Do a vacuum check on your engine to diagnose a possible clogged CAT. That will make a vehicle run hot, not to mention like garbage......

:2cents:

Well ... I finally had the starter replaced and guess what? Nothing!

Actually ... I do notice a difference. The same problem persists, but while before the car would just click when I tried to start it, now I actually hear a very slight grinding noise. I may actually take that guy's advice about the high performance starter although all of the mechanics I go to say that that won't do any good ... it does seem to be a step in the right direction finally! ...

Anyway ... I've had some minor setbacks as well. While having the starter replaced I was informed that both of my rear axles are bent. This doesn't surprise me because I've been riding on a right rear wheel that is a tiny bit bent for 3 years. I just never felt like shelling out the cash to get new wheels because the ones I want cost 1 grand for the set, and Chevy wants 500 a piece for a set of the originals. So ... today I bought my dream wheels. Torque Thrust Ds, the non-chrome ones. After that I'll have to spend another insane amount of cash getting the axles fixed ... sigh.

I know it won't always be like this but ... car sure has been a pain in the ass lately. Thanks for all your help you guys, I'll continue to update on what goes on.

turns out that the ICM did not fix the problem although it did help a whole lot. engine would start more often after being turned off when hot. :) However, I still had the same problem...Just replaced the starter ($45 @ Autozone w/ 3 month warranty) and it starts almost perfectly now when even really hot- in this summer 110 degree weather. Occassionally, starter will just click (no start - when hot), but if i turn the ignition again a second or third time, it will start with no problem. This is very rare though. I would recommend just paying the extra $20 for the lifetime warranty starter and installing the heat shield on the solenoid, which is that part that causes the starter to not crank when hot. It's only $3.


Well ... instantkevin217's problem sounded so similar to mine, I went out and had my ignition control module and ignition coil replaced.

And nothing! Still has the same problem. Course ... I'm running out of possabilities here ... I guess my next step is to replace the starter and after that ... I'm beginning to wonder... my alternator's output has been a bit low lately and it is about time to get it replaced ... I wonder if it is just short on power? ... I'd like to test the hot wire when it starts but I always forget which one it is :P

Anyway thanks for the suggestion. I'm sure it will save me some trouble in the future, and who knows, maybe they were part of the problem ...

when you do your next rebuild have the block soda blasted this should get everything out of the water jackets and help the cooling of your motor next go around. Me and my buddy did this to an old 455 bb and definatly help it out alot.

After reading Instantkevin's last post ... I thought I'd test my car again ... and it turns out that my situation is exactly the same as his! ... after having the ignition coil, ignition control module and the starter replaced, as I posted earlier ... I am still having the problem. But upon testing again, I found that while before the car would not start at all if it was hot, the car will now start if I try 3 or 4 times! :) ... its not exactly what I wanted and I wish I could get rid of this pain in the ass problem but at least I know I won't be stuck waiting for my car to cool off anymore :) ... I think I'll be satisfied with the way it is for now ... have other things to work on such as some minor frame damage and then re-doing the car's interior and getting a new paint job and stereo system ...

Other than that I am short on cash but happy because I just had the last major mechanical problems with the car fixed... got bent axles replaced, bent wheels replaced, leaky brakes fixed, weak alternator replaced ... Feelin pretty good in my car now :)

And thanks for the post Daeckert I'll definitely ask about that next time I have the engine rebuilt.

Well that's good that you got it fixed. I know how you feel, I felt the same way when mine started working. Another thing to check would be the cables and wires running between the starter and the battery. I haven't checked mine yet, but apparently (I've read) that calcium deposits and gunk build up will prevent the car from starting. They cause more electrical resistance in the wires. I think this might be why sometimes it doesn't start on the first key turn every now and then.

Anyway, I have a question for you (default013). I am also wanting to redo my interior completely, different fabric for door panels and seats, new floor carpet (also new headliner). I, like you, am a little short on cash at the moment, but of course I would like to find the cheapest way to get this done. I'm in no rush. But I was wondering how are you planning to do it and how much would it cost? I was thinking about buying the fabric from a hobby store or something and taking the seats and door panels to someone who would sew it together relatively cheaply. what do you think?


After reading Instantkevin's last post ... I thought I'd test my car again ... and it turns out that my situation is exactly the same as his! ... after having the ignition coil, ignition control module and the starter replaced, as I posted earlier ... I am still having the problem. But upon testing again, I found that while before the car would not start at all if it was hot, the car will now start if I try 3 or 4 times! :) ... its not exactly what I wanted and I wish I could get rid of this pain in the ass problem but at least I know I won't be stuck waiting for my car to cool off anymore :) ... I think I'll be satisfied with the way it is for now ... have other things to work on such as some minor frame damage and then re-doing the car's interior and getting a new paint job and stereo system ...

Other than that I am short on cash but happy because I just had the last major mechanical problems with the car fixed... got bent axles replaced, bent wheels replaced, leaky brakes fixed, weak alternator replaced ... Feelin pretty good in my car now :)

And thanks for the post Daeckert I'll definitely ask about that next time I have the engine rebuilt.

Well truthfully I'm not as auto-savvy as most of you guys on here probably are ... I know how to do simple things that I learned from my dad who was a mechanic ... but I also work almost 70 hours a week and truthfully don't have time to do much myself ... except pretty easy stuff ...

I haven't really started looking into it yet but ... My last paint job I went to maaco (big mistake) ... the car is red and I just had it repainted the original color. I got their 2nd best package out of 4 packages and found that their paint peels of very easily on the plastic parts of the car. The rest of the car is fine but I only got the paint job 2 years ago and there are already little peels in it mostly on the plastic parts (ground effects etc.) of the car ... so don't get maaco! ... I'm going to look for one of those custom paint shops that does a really nice job. Probably going to have to spend a bit of money on it ... going to have the whole thing sanded down and redone.

As far as the interior ... I have that ugly red interior ... all original in the car. I'm a smoker so ... I'm not going to get leather cause I'd probably just put cigarette burns in the nice new stuff. ... As far as that goes, I may do some of the more minor interior plastic pieces myself ... but ... can rarely find that stuff at the salvage so will probably have to shell out the big bucks to get new stuff from Chevy. (like the console inside and the plastic pieces surrounding the seatbelts and trunk area) For the seats ... I may try to see if I can get some decent ones from a salvage ... they don't have to be new but ... I'd like them to be semi- new looking anyway ... I have checked on having them repaired but having them repaired was more expensive than simply replacing them with new seats from what I've found so far ... so I'll probably just get new ones. I'm going to pay whoever does the carpeting (I'm getting cheap plastic stuff for the flooring (to protect against cigarette burns again, and ... because it lasts forever) to put the seats in because I just don't want to do that ... too much time and trouble for me anyway ... And I'll have them replace the dash also. ... Where I live there is a guy that will replace the headliner for about 50 bucks so I'll probably just go to him for that. And thats about it. Its an 89 RS with all the original trim ... and I'm planning to put the '92 Z28 trim on it at whatever body shop I take it to ... it will be re-painted patriot blue ...

One thing that might be of help ... I used the link at the bottom of the page at americanracing.com to see what my car would look like if it were the '92 Z28 with blue paint and the new wheels I just got on it ... looks pretty nice :) ... can help make your decisions ...

Anyway ... I don't suspect I'll be able to get much else done until sometime around December ... I'll update with what happens and post a pic if I'm successful with everything :)

Good luck, i'll help with any info I can. ... but like I said I'm not the most car-savvy guy around.

Hey Default.... new user here. I just found this site through an online search and your post showed up! I have the same car... a 1989 Camaro RS V6. Just got the car a few days ago. But I got it knowing that it needed some work. I am having problems with my radiator cooling fan not turning on at all. Tried messing around with the car today but I haven't gotten very far yet. The fan does work (ran another plug with pos/neg off of the battery. So that's good. I did find the relay... except I'm "electrically challenged" and I'm not even sure how to test the thing. But my BIG question for you is..... what triggers the relay? Just wondering if you might know. Does the ECM turn it on or is it a simple collant sensor? That's my next step to check out. Well- at least once I figure out the relay. I haven't found a wiring diagram for the car (or even just the electric fan system) yet.

Did you ever find the answer to this question?

Did you ever find the answer to this question?
2 year old thread, that's friggen sweet.)

If either the relay or temp switch (located in the passanger side head below and between the #6 & 8 cylinders) is shot, the fan(s) will not come on.

Just put in a bigger radiator and a manual switch with a relay , plus u can also have another fan on the outside of the radiator (pusher), and also add less antifreeze and put in a 160 thermostat (flash the system too.)
Also i recomend removing the weather strip in the rear

what the hell,the tred is freaking 2 years old