overheating

[thabadguy]

well everytime i open the hood my resoivor is allways filled to the top with antifreeze. even after i drain it (yes i refill it).and my upper hose is really stiff. ..... now that i think of it i think its the wrong raditaior. it doesnt sit on the little rubber thingys and when i went to the boneyard ALL the camaro hose are on the oppisite side. my upper is on the left. tell me where yours is plz everyone. this could be a major prob. dont u think

[89IROC&RS]

and the TRUTH shall set you free

wrong cooling fan. wrong radiator...... prime example of "make it work"

but tends to bring out the glitches and the gremlins. id say given all that has been done, its time to put the correct radiator in there. as for the backup into the overflow tank, and the stiff upper radiator hose, those symptoms would support the idea of a plugged radiator.

also the previous post raised a good point. you should be running green coolant in that engine if youre not. dex cool is kinda a horrible concept. that makes me sad. it caused a lot of issues when i was working for chevy.

[thabadguy]

ok well i fixed it but i have no idea how. i just started unpluggin stuff and moving stuff around. but now i have a real big prob. it idles at 10 to 1500. at lights. and its running rich or lean. and wants to stall out when i step on the gas from a stopp. (it hesatates). i checked the vacuum lines, sprayed carb cleaner. nothing. i think i rather have it overheating. plz help

ps. i was reading another thread. and dudes were saying something bout unplugging the throttle body(which i did in order to do the thermo.) is this related?

[89IROC&RS]

at this point, if the idle is bouncing all over the place, flash the car for codes. thats the starting point.

the other things to check are your IAC valve, TPS, injector resistance, ignition control module, and probly a few that escape me..... i just got back from bar cleanup and im beat, mind isnt working alll that well right now...

[thabadguy]

ialready jumped the codes and got ect, map, low or open circuit, lean exhaust. o2. changed the tps sensor already.. whats the iac valve.

[89IROC&RS]

IAC = Idle air control valve.

its what lets air into the engine when the throttle blades are closed to adjust the idle speed of the engine. and keep it from stalling. kinda a self adjusting idle speed screw. its located in the front of the throttle body. i think its like a 1in or 1.25in hex head. and i cant remember right now the proper way to test it. a quick google search will probly provide that info.

at this point i would say find the testing procedure for the IAC, make sure thats working, or isnt, then test your injector resistances, its a no brainer dead easy thing to do. you might as well replace the O2 sensor, they arent expensive and its prolby due to be replaced anyway. If at that point youre still havin problems its time to look at the Map sensor. (Manifold Absolute Pressure).

also you mentioned a code for an open or low circuit. thats pretty vuage, what circuit exactly was the code for? more to the point, what number was the code?

[thabadguy]

(15)Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor-- possible circuit low or open circuit
(22)Throttle Position (TP) sensor circuit--signal voltage low
(34)Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor--signal out of range, low -or- Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor circuit (gm/sec low)
(44)Oxygen Sensor (O2S), left side on 2 sensor system--lean exhaust indicated

[89IROC&RS]

i find the code 15 the most telling. if the temp sensor is an open circuit, the fan wont turn on, and the car will overheat.

if youve already replaced the sensor, id say its time to start checking the wiring harness for damage.

also, the TPS can alter your air fuel ratios if its off. by confusing the computer as to how much throttle youre actually giving the engine. if you havent tested or replaced the sensor, that would also be a good cirucit to check for damage.

same for MAP/MAF

with all these sensors saying the same thing, about low voltage or open, it sounds like you have a pinched or damaged harness somewhere. its a painstaking and slow process, and someone will probly need to give you access to the wiring diagrams. wherever those harnesses all converge is probly where some damage is.

[thabadguy]

sounds like alot of work. is it expensive to take it in somewhere

[89IROC&RS]

Originally Posted by thabadguy

sounds like alot of work. is it expensive to take it in somewhere

its easier to answer the second question first..... resounding yes. electrical diagnostics are a huge PITA, i used to do them at the dealership. the sensors you can most likely test yourself if youre familiar with a voltmeter, and replacing them is also easy, no need for a trip to someone on that front.

Now, if it does turn out to be a wiring harness problem.... its a gray area. Electrical problems can be figured out in 5 minutes, or 5 weeks, its really hard to say. It can be done without the wiring diagrams, or diagnostic flow charts, but it takes a good deal of experience. and understanding of the wiring youre looking at. Im not a fan of places like jiffy lube for repairs in general, but especially for electronics diagnostics. The dealership is more expensive, but you get the benifit of guys who know the systems, how they operate, how they tend to malfunction, and have all the tools and information needed to solve the problem as quickly (aka cheaply) as possible.

that being said, if you take it anywhere, youre most likely looking at a couple hundred dollars worth of work.

to start, id say check the TPS with a voltmeter, off the top of my head (which is usually off a bit) the voltage on that should go from 0 to 5 as you move the throttle from closed to open. there should be no "dead" spots.

after that, start visually inspecting the temp sensor wiring harness. im not sure which sensor that code is about, there are two on the block. on is in the passenger side of the block, the other is in the cylender head. i forget exactly where. someone else here should be able to fill in that gap. (got a major head cold, and the camaro is 180 miles away, so im a bit off today), if there isnt any visual damage to the harnesses, use the voltmeter to check for continuity (no open circuits) of the harness, the wire may be broken inside the insulation. if all that checks out, the sensors are pretty cheap, so id say replace them, and see if it solves the problem. If not, it may be time to bite the bullet and drop it off at the dealership.

on that note, not all mechanics are "tech's". there are certain guys that are better suited to working on front suspensions with sledge hammers, and some guys that dont get dirty and deal with electronics, make sure you tell the service writer that you want a tech, or an electronics guy to look at your car. most dealerships should have at LEAST one. although the car might be there for a while until he gets to it, and like i said, it may take a while to sort out even once he gets to it.

[thabadguy]

the sensor is f-ed up. so when i replace that. it should run fine? but wait that wouldnt solve my air fuel prob would it?