Heat

[jackmalone2001]

Hi everybody, I have a baffling situation with my 94 Camaro (3.4l V-6 160,000 miles) that I am hoping you can help me with. I have replaced my thermostat two times in the last two months, and just flushed the coolant and my car is still running really hot. I can smell that hot engine smell that is really concerning me. My car will run fine in the normal temp. range for a week or so, then it will jump up to almost the red zone on my temp gage almost immediately after start up. Yes, I realize it is summer time, and it's hot outside, but what would cause my t-stats to fail so quickly? Why will the heat climb so fast, and not lower to normal while on highways? The car has not technically "over heated" but it is on it's way. I would like to know if anyone has run into this issue and what I should do about it.

Thanks!

Jack

[SG007]

Is your fan coming on?

[wrightz28]

Originally Posted by SG007

Is your fan coming on?

Also, rule of thumb, when you replace the stat, replace the radiator cap which keps pressure on the system. A closed sytem with pressure on it has a much higher boiling point, ie a car's is 260(ish) versus a open system at half that.

[jackmalone2001]

Yes the fan is coming on, but it is not bringing the temp into the normal range. Could an old Radiator Cap cause the t-stats to fail so quickly? When I replace the t-satt the next time I will look into a new cap. Any other ideas?

Thanks!

Jack

[Nicholass1979]

I have a 94 formula and I was having a heat problem, granted, it hasn't been really hot here since I "fixed" it, so its not that proven, but for starters, my coolant was mixed to strong, my father tested it and it was at -60 and we diluted it by taking some out and adding water to -30, I also read somewhere that someone else had heat problems do to dirt in the radiator, and when we blew it out with an air hose it was like we were in a cloud of dust. the good news is, if you have an air hose, both of those problems are free to fix... if not I've seen in various catalogs like summit, either a manual switch to turn the fans on or a thingie that turns them on at a lower temp

[SG007]

Maybe you need to reset your computer? If your coolant, fan and stat are good I can't think of anything else. Exorcism. lol

[ikeyballz]

yeh. first off, when your car heats up, make sure your radiator is as hot as your engine.. if it is, its not the tstat.. its letting the water come in/out... if its not, the 'smell' may come from a LEAK of the coolant falling onto hot stuff like the headers...

that is if you mean the smell of coolant burning..

if you mean red hot metal.. that could just be youir headers paint or something..

is it stock headers? has it always been like that? what does the temp read inside your car?

[jackmalone2001]

I checked the radiator the last time I changed the t-stat (two weeks ago) and the radiator was cool, but the coolant hoses on the engine were very hot.
The smell is going to be hard for me to describe, because it is almost too many things at once, but it is not burning coolant or metal it is the "hot engine" smell, a mixture of hot oil from the breather, hot coolant, and the feeling the heat if you open the enging bay.
Everything on the car is stock, and this is a recent problem (part of last summer and this summer). The t-stat I will put in this weekend will be my third in as many monthes.
The temp. gauge reads right under 240 and hovers there, and at highway speeds the temp dips but fractionally. The last t-stat I put in was 195 F.

Thanks for all who replied! I have a new t-stat, new gasket, and new radiator cap, and will install this weekend.

Jack

[wrightz28]

Do yourself a favor and test the stat that you're taking out.

[jackmalone2001]

Do I just put it a pot of water and heat it and wait for it to open or not?

[wrightz28]

Originally Posted by jackmalone2001

Do I just put it a pot of water and heat it and wait for it to open or not?

Exactamundo

[ikeyballz]

ok..thats a messed up problem if the rad is cool..

if its not the t-stat (after you check it) you may have a busted water pump..

[jackmalone2001]

Okay, here goes...

I am extremely embarassed to report that the problem is one of my own making. When I flushed my coolant system last time, I filled the radiator with a 50/50 mix but did not let the engine run while filling to fill the entire coolant system. Effectively I was running a system half filled with water and half filled with air. The coolant overflow/resovoir always seemed to indicate proper levels for some reason (more to come after I investigate that).

So for the benefit of all, I am posting my error (please be gentle in your scorning).

Now we have another problem. I keep getting a check engine light and the car is running like a Yugo. Take it to the autoparts store to check codes, and it comes back temp sensor is bad. Running a low coolant system damaged my temp sensor as well as the t-stat. Turns out this temp sensor controls many functions of the car and this little sensor can strand you. Trust me, fill your system fully, replace the cap and thermostat properly to avoid this headache!

$14.99 cures all, and I'm back on the road, but under hard braking I get a "brake" light. It is the same light I get when I put on my emergency brake. This is over the last three days. Any idea what's that about?

[wrightz28]

Originally Posted by jackmalone2001

(please be gentle in your scorning).

K.I.S.S.

Originally Posted by jackmalone2001

but under hard braking I get a "brake" light. It is the same light I get when I put on my emergency brake. This is over the last three days. Any idea what's that about?

Probably the same thing, low fluid.

[jackmalone2001]

Seriously?