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coolant issues

popeyenate

popeyenate

New member
hey all!! a while back, i replaced the uim and lim gaskets, coolant elbows, coolant temp sensons, and rad cap. I need to flush that orange crap out fully and just run real coolant. i have been having issues with my engine heating up. the elbows arent leaking, no puddles of coolant when car sits, and i occasionally run low on coolant. the light came on a few days ago, so i cracked the cap and checked it out. it was about 2 quarts low, which is scary. anyways, my fans wont kick on when its hot. im about to swap out the relays with the ignition ones and try to test that. if car doesnt start, bad relays. anyone ever have issues like this? oh, i disconnected the coolant temp sensor, and the fans kick on that way. cant afford new car or engine...just feeling out and about for help. let you know what i find out here in a few minutes on relays.
 


Well, if the coolant is not leaking anywhere on the ground and its not pooling anywhere, its most likely eating it.

And to me it sounds like its not hot enough yet for the fans to kick on, its 214º and 226º for the fans.
 
it will get up to about 235 according to the gauge, a little too hot for my comfort. it was the BWD sensor that everyone says to get. could it possibly be wrong? swapped out the relays, all of them started the car. another quick question...the pics on the relays that show pinouts, which way should they face? i see other relays in the block have pics face to passenger side, and some are facing to driver side...where can i find this information?
 
brand new gates water pump...any other things it could be? belt is put on the right way as well...i did notice that part of my uim is slightly loose, when i hit the throttle to suck in coolant around 2300rpms, i noticed the uim moving and a large vacuum sound. it comes to be that the umi to lmi isnt fully seated...where the hell can i get a cheap in-lb torque wrench? i mean like 40 bucks or less?? maybe explain my coolant loss and ever lowering mpg...
 
I just had that issue with coolant disappearing and the radiator was about 2-3 qts low. Took it to the dealer twice and they did a pressure test and said there was no leak. The only thing they never checked was the radiator neck or the cap. I found just a small trace of coolant by the cap head and some just below it. Bought a new radiator cap with the red pressure safety release, $8.99. No problems since.

Now if I can just get the stupid misfiring issue resolved. So far it looks like a bad ICM. Hope this helps you.
 


i too bought a safety release rad cap...i think thats my issue...its a murray brand. that and my fans never turn on. the temp on gauge gets up to 230 or 235, so they should kick on, but never do. maybe my pcm is toast? anyone in san diego area have a nifty command power tracer tool?
 
so everyone thinks its my rad cap, its a piece of crap and i should buy a new one? anoyne have suggestions of which brand and where to buy??
 
popeyenate said:
so everyone thinks its my rad cap, its a piece of crap and i should buy a new one? anoyne have suggestions of which brand and where to buy??
Click to expand...

I had bought a new regular radiator cap from O'reilly's and it caused my leak at the fill neck when it was under pressure and I was driving; which is why I never saw anything much of a leak when the car was parked. I just went back and got a new one and it hasn't leaked since. The brand I got was made in Israel. I figure the 1st one didn't have a good enough pressure seal, so it leaked under high pressure.
 
hope this works!! thanks for the info. strange thing is, when i have the defrost on, temps stay at 185 on gauge...but when its off, goes to 210 and sits...
 
popeyenate said:
hope this works!! thanks for the info. strange thing is, when i have the defrost on, temps stay at 185 on gauge...but when its off, goes to 210 and sits...
Click to expand...
Of what I have read, is that when you run the Defrost/AC, your 2nd cooling fan will kick in. I was wondering why only 1 of the 2 come on when the car heats up, and what I was able to fine is that 1 is for cooling your radiator, and the second one on the drive side comes on only when the A/C system is used.
 


no fans come on at all when its hot. only when defrost/ac is on. thats the dilemma. the relays are fine, the fans spin, the coolant temp sensor is one from oreilly like everyone said to buy, new waterpump, new coolant elbows, no leaks, new lim gaskets too. just baffled...that or my ecm is toast, not telling fans to kick on?
 
well like said, the fans are set very high for the temp at which they turn on. find a local tuner or get a mailed pcm and get the fans lowered. or if you want to go the cheap way... get a relay and set the fan or fans to always run when the car is on... but i would recommend just getting the tune or pcm.
 
i know that would be beneficial to car, but the thing is, it didnt do this before. i would like to fix the issue here. gotta wait till weekend to get rad cap, busy work weeks.
 
replaced my UIM and put new aluminum gaskets in as stated before...i didnt plug the holes going to TB in the lim, but everyhting should be sealed up right. no one knows where to get a decent inch pound torque wrench these days?
 


nvm i will find one somewheres, google or whatever. looking at KD tools for now...

scratch that...too much money. unless i can find one at work...im screwed lol
 
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well my high speed fans kick on at 238 according to my gauge, but the engine doesnt seem that hot. think my sensor sucks (even though its the one everyone says to get from oreillys) so those numbskulls probably dropped it or its just bad.
 
Im having kind of the same issue but without any fluid loss or o2 issues. New rad cap fan relays and temp sensor. Im stumped o and also new 180 thermastat. The only thing i can think of is cloged up cat. Let me know what u come up with.
 
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