Cooling system problem with 93 Escort

[mkearns]

I top off coolant reservoir and radiator and car runs fine. After driving the car I will begin to hear and see steam from under hood. Temperature gauge inside car does not indicate overheating until water is totally boiled out of radiator. Also, the overflow/reservoir is still full. Any ideas? This doesn't seem like a thermostat problem to me, as car would overheat quickly. Water pump?

[need4speed420]

you probably have a leak, try getting a cold compresion test at a local shop, it can tell you if the cap or the radiator has a hole.......

[bigrod118]

I dont know why you dont think its the thermostat. sounds to me like it is. your temp gauge isnt working, its obviously not opening up to cirulate the coolant. I would check the thermostat. it proly isnt a leak considering you said it boiled out of the cap, if there was a leak, it would boil out of wherever the leak is. so I would check the thermostat

[need4speed420]

if the thermostat doesn't work, then the coolant that is in the radiator wont get hot at all....... the cap has a presure rating, if you get a compression test on the cap, it may tell you if it lets the coolant out too soon, which it could be letting out coolant at say.. 10 psi when its supposed to let out coolant at 16, or the cap may not hold any pressure and always let coolant out, over flowing the resivoir...... which is what it sounds like...... because, the more pressure you put on the coolant, the higher the boiling point. its not supposed to boil, and if the cap lets out too soon, it will boil quicker, and boil everything out of it......