Coolant reservoir & other cooling issue
02-09-2010, 01:32 PM
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Coolant reservoir & other cooling issue
I've been reading up on this stuff for months now. I can't seem to find an exact solution to my problem or even what the exact culprit is. I've got some ideas on what might be causing my cooling issues but there is SO much information that it's tough to sort out.
So here's my problems. 1st off my fans don't turn on if my temp gauge gets up to 225 or higher. The 1st fan should kick on @ 225 or so & then the 2nd one is supposed to kick on @ around 235-240F. I tested this by letting my car run one day for several mins with the temp getting up to 235F. I shut it off then. My fans DO turn on when I turn the heater or a.c. on but then after a few mins they'll shut off.
Normally my car runs @ 200F -220F when I'm on the highway. Even if I'm in the city (as long as I don't have to stop much) my car runs between 200-225F. So my fans don't come on like they should & I'm confused about what the culprit might be.
2nd thing is my coolant reservoir overflowed twice in the last 2 months. After parking one time it all came out for about 2 mins. Then there was nothing left in the reservoir tank. The 2nd time I was stuck in a line to get my car washed. Eventually the coolant all came out (and you can hear the bubbles from inside the driver seat). I had to refill it.
I don't drive it much because it's a semi-classic so I don't want anything bad to happen. But this coolant issue is annoying.
3rd, my heater core might be bad. I say this because when I 1st turn on my heater I can smell coolant. The smell goes away after a few mins. Could this be a hose or the heater core starting to go bad?
Other useful info in answering my question is I use 50/50 coolant. I just switched to the gold stuff but I forgot the name of the brand. I buy it at Quik-Trip. My car is a 88 IROC-Z L98. My radiator cap shows signs of wear & I can see some coolant trickling out of it once I park it. I also think that my radiator might be cracked somewhere because my radiator is the stock GM from 22 years ago. I have never seen coolant boil out of my radiator. It's just bubbling in the reservoir & it "steams" out onto the pavement. I'm thinking maybe alot of air is getting stuck somehow? I replaced my t-stat with a 195F t-stat a few months ago. Could my t-stat be getting stuck?
The coolant boiling out of the reservoir has happened twice since Dec. 2009. I want to solve this problem before it goes further. I have alot of new parts for my cooling system at home here but I have not installed them yet. Either way I would appreciate some in depth answers. I will run a compression test later. Right now in St. Louis the temps have been around 25F average. I don't drive it often but the temps here are cold as hell if that matters.
So here's my problems. 1st off my fans don't turn on if my temp gauge gets up to 225 or higher. The 1st fan should kick on @ 225 or so & then the 2nd one is supposed to kick on @ around 235-240F. I tested this by letting my car run one day for several mins with the temp getting up to 235F. I shut it off then. My fans DO turn on when I turn the heater or a.c. on but then after a few mins they'll shut off.
Normally my car runs @ 200F -220F when I'm on the highway. Even if I'm in the city (as long as I don't have to stop much) my car runs between 200-225F. So my fans don't come on like they should & I'm confused about what the culprit might be.
2nd thing is my coolant reservoir overflowed twice in the last 2 months. After parking one time it all came out for about 2 mins. Then there was nothing left in the reservoir tank. The 2nd time I was stuck in a line to get my car washed. Eventually the coolant all came out (and you can hear the bubbles from inside the driver seat). I had to refill it.
I don't drive it much because it's a semi-classic so I don't want anything bad to happen. But this coolant issue is annoying.
3rd, my heater core might be bad. I say this because when I 1st turn on my heater I can smell coolant. The smell goes away after a few mins. Could this be a hose or the heater core starting to go bad?
Other useful info in answering my question is I use 50/50 coolant. I just switched to the gold stuff but I forgot the name of the brand. I buy it at Quik-Trip. My car is a 88 IROC-Z L98. My radiator cap shows signs of wear & I can see some coolant trickling out of it once I park it. I also think that my radiator might be cracked somewhere because my radiator is the stock GM from 22 years ago. I have never seen coolant boil out of my radiator. It's just bubbling in the reservoir & it "steams" out onto the pavement. I'm thinking maybe alot of air is getting stuck somehow? I replaced my t-stat with a 195F t-stat a few months ago. Could my t-stat be getting stuck?
The coolant boiling out of the reservoir has happened twice since Dec. 2009. I want to solve this problem before it goes further. I have alot of new parts for my cooling system at home here but I have not installed them yet. Either way I would appreciate some in depth answers. I will run a compression test later. Right now in St. Louis the temps have been around 25F average. I don't drive it often but the temps here are cold as hell if that matters.
Last edited by CamaroIROC88350; 02-09-2010 at 01:36 PM. Reason: Corrections.
02-09-2010, 07:52 PM
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Re: Coolant reservoir & other cooling issue
well, first off, the factory gauge is not very accurate.
second, the factory fan switch is set to turn the fan on at as high a temp as 238 degrees!
if the cap is leaking, the system cant build pressure, and the water boils over faster, the water will boil at a higher temp under pressure.
if the radiator is origional, replace it. replace the cap. flush the system and replace with a 50/50 mix of antifreeze, green stuff not orange. This would be a good time to change the heater core if its leaking. It could be as simple as the hose connection at the firewall leaking, but its normally one of the solder joints on the core itself.
you can get a lower temp fan switch from GM, or from jet, hypertech, ect.
second, the factory fan switch is set to turn the fan on at as high a temp as 238 degrees!
if the cap is leaking, the system cant build pressure, and the water boils over faster, the water will boil at a higher temp under pressure.
if the radiator is origional, replace it. replace the cap. flush the system and replace with a 50/50 mix of antifreeze, green stuff not orange. This would be a good time to change the heater core if its leaking. It could be as simple as the hose connection at the firewall leaking, but its normally one of the solder joints on the core itself.
you can get a lower temp fan switch from GM, or from jet, hypertech, ect.
02-10-2010, 10:34 AM
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Re: Coolant reservoir & other cooling issue
You can get a 8 dollar fan switch from autozone part #SW502, if you wanted to replace the fan switch connector(napa maybe listed under knock sensor connector) too by soldering it --western union tie and heat shrink. Use yellow stuff, Prestone, or PEAK. I recommend you premix it with distilled water always to prevent calcium from decreasing performance of the radiator cooling.. A new cap is a must 16lbs vented..
and to bleed the air out of the radiator.. leave the cap off and start the engine, fill it up just before the top, and wait for the top hose to get hot, (usually 5-6 minutes maybe longer. but youll notice while you wait that the coolant level will drop, just keep adding some, you'll know when the air is bleed-because the coolant will expand and actually spill out<-- close the cap and watch out for drips on the MAF sensor, its right by the radiator cap. THat part is worth 230-300 big ones. Towls are the best.
-The heater core goes bad after 10 years of daily driving. Mines bad, if you smell coolant that very dangerous yo. The process is a headache to replace but fairly easy. you can always get a barb male two male fitting and bypass it for now. However the window will fog with a leaking heater core, and even if its bypass. I good way to tell if your heater core is leaking is to drive a bit on a cold morning or night, park the car with windows up, and if they fog up or create vertical fog lines on the windshield about off center to the passenger side.
If you radiator is leaking, it eventually crack big time and dump coolant which is very bad for animals --compared to regular oil. (they are actually going to change coolant to a bitter taste instead of Gatorade flavor, I like the Prestone "pet safe" Coolant.) Check the seals around the water pump from the top and bottom. theres a hole on the bottom of the pump, thats designed to "weep" when the pump is failing. if its dripping then the water pump internal is failing and GPM will be under rated.
Basically if your radiator boils, its the mixture thats off, and that radiator cap needs replacing every two years. you might want to try tightening your peat-****(thinks that what its called, its the plug on raidiator, same side as the filler cap, but on the bottom) tighten hoses, and wipe clean old coolant so to check for leak. SUcks about the car wash. probably know this, try not to mix different brands of coolant exp. orange and yellow .. Check the hose on the bottom to see if it collapsed blocking the passage.
Tip: recycle the old coolant, its very inconvenient to bottle. I usually use a cleaned out 5 gal paint bucket with lid and take it to a big name mechanic shop, and have them dispose of it.. a special recycler tank...
and to bleed the air out of the radiator.. leave the cap off and start the engine, fill it up just before the top, and wait for the top hose to get hot, (usually 5-6 minutes maybe longer. but youll notice while you wait that the coolant level will drop, just keep adding some, you'll know when the air is bleed-because the coolant will expand and actually spill out<-- close the cap and watch out for drips on the MAF sensor, its right by the radiator cap. THat part is worth 230-300 big ones. Towls are the best.
-The heater core goes bad after 10 years of daily driving. Mines bad, if you smell coolant that very dangerous yo. The process is a headache to replace but fairly easy. you can always get a barb male two male fitting and bypass it for now. However the window will fog with a leaking heater core, and even if its bypass. I good way to tell if your heater core is leaking is to drive a bit on a cold morning or night, park the car with windows up, and if they fog up or create vertical fog lines on the windshield about off center to the passenger side.
If you radiator is leaking, it eventually crack big time and dump coolant which is very bad for animals --compared to regular oil. (they are actually going to change coolant to a bitter taste instead of Gatorade flavor, I like the Prestone "pet safe" Coolant.) Check the seals around the water pump from the top and bottom. theres a hole on the bottom of the pump, thats designed to "weep" when the pump is failing. if its dripping then the water pump internal is failing and GPM will be under rated.
Basically if your radiator boils, its the mixture thats off, and that radiator cap needs replacing every two years. you might want to try tightening your peat-****(thinks that what its called, its the plug on raidiator, same side as the filler cap, but on the bottom) tighten hoses, and wipe clean old coolant so to check for leak. SUcks about the car wash. probably know this, try not to mix different brands of coolant exp. orange and yellow .. Check the hose on the bottom to see if it collapsed blocking the passage.
Tip: recycle the old coolant, its very inconvenient to bottle. I usually use a cleaned out 5 gal paint bucket with lid and take it to a big name mechanic shop, and have them dispose of it.. a special recycler tank...
Last edited by transam85dudeman; 02-10-2010 at 10:38 AM.
02-10-2010, 09:33 PM
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Re: Coolant reservoir & other cooling issue
With a 50/50 mix and a 15# rad cap, which is what I think yours is stock ( AC Delco # RC27 ), your coolant will not boil until 'roughly' 257 Degrees.
For it to boil enough to thump away in your overflow in a line-up tells me you definately want to look closer at your fans if they were not running then.
For it to boil after you shut it down means either the cap is pooched or you have air in the system causing it to boil heavily from hot spots in 'air pocket' areas of the cooling system ( boils when it hits really hot metal ).
There are other causes but check your cap first and inspect all under hood and under car areas you can see for stains and other signs of leakage.
I'm not in any way affiliated with GM or AC Delco.
With that said, Please use a factory cap. Aftermarket caps, at least Gates and Stant, are crap on GM vehicles.
If your fans aren't running correctly, you could try replacing the Sender for the fans, which I 'think' is the one in your passenger head. Double-check that. They get tired. If you wanna try saving it as a test, pull it out and clean off the muck build-up on it. Follow what TRANSAM85DUDEMAN said about proper fill and bleed/burp procedure.
I also agree with the comments on the heater.
You should not smell coolant in the car unless either the heater leaks, or there is a leak under the hood that is burning off something hot and then being sucked into the passenger area through the air intake vents.
For it to boil enough to thump away in your overflow in a line-up tells me you definately want to look closer at your fans if they were not running then.
For it to boil after you shut it down means either the cap is pooched or you have air in the system causing it to boil heavily from hot spots in 'air pocket' areas of the cooling system ( boils when it hits really hot metal ).
There are other causes but check your cap first and inspect all under hood and under car areas you can see for stains and other signs of leakage.
I'm not in any way affiliated with GM or AC Delco.
With that said, Please use a factory cap. Aftermarket caps, at least Gates and Stant, are crap on GM vehicles.
If your fans aren't running correctly, you could try replacing the Sender for the fans, which I 'think' is the one in your passenger head. Double-check that. They get tired. If you wanna try saving it as a test, pull it out and clean off the muck build-up on it. Follow what TRANSAM85DUDEMAN said about proper fill and bleed/burp procedure.
I also agree with the comments on the heater.
You should not smell coolant in the car unless either the heater leaks, or there is a leak under the hood that is burning off something hot and then being sucked into the passenger area through the air intake vents.
Last edited by Gregzz4; 02-10-2010 at 09:40 PM.
02-11-2010, 12:00 AM
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Re: Coolant reservoir & other cooling issue
With a 50/50 mix and a 15# rad cap, which is what I think yours is stock ( AC Delco # RC27 ), your coolant will not boil until 'roughly' 257 Degrees.
For it to boil enough to thump away in your overflow in a line-up tells me you definately want to look closer at your fans if they were not running then.
For it to boil after you shut it down means either the cap is pooched or you have air in the system causing it to boil heavily from hot spots in 'air pocket' areas of the cooling system ( boils when it hits really hot metal ).
There are other causes but check your cap first and inspect all under hood and under car areas you can see for stains and other signs of leakage.
I'm not in any way affiliated with GM or AC Delco.
With that said, Please use a factory cap. Aftermarket caps, at least Gates and Stant, are crap on GM vehicles.
If your fans aren't running correctly, you could try replacing the Sender for the fans, which I 'think' is the one in your passenger head. Double-check that. They get tired. If you wanna try saving it as a test, pull it out and clean off the muck build-up on it. Follow what TRANSAM85DUDEMAN said about proper fill and bleed/burp procedure.
I also agree with the comments on the heater.
You should not smell coolant in the car unless either the heater leaks, or there is a leak under the hood that is burning off something hot and then being sucked into the passenger area through the air intake vents.
For it to boil enough to thump away in your overflow in a line-up tells me you definately want to look closer at your fans if they were not running then.
For it to boil after you shut it down means either the cap is pooched or you have air in the system causing it to boil heavily from hot spots in 'air pocket' areas of the cooling system ( boils when it hits really hot metal ).
There are other causes but check your cap first and inspect all under hood and under car areas you can see for stains and other signs of leakage.
I'm not in any way affiliated with GM or AC Delco.
With that said, Please use a factory cap. Aftermarket caps, at least Gates and Stant, are crap on GM vehicles.
If your fans aren't running correctly, you could try replacing the Sender for the fans, which I 'think' is the one in your passenger head. Double-check that. They get tired. If you wanna try saving it as a test, pull it out and clean off the muck build-up on it. Follow what TRANSAM85DUDEMAN said about proper fill and bleed/burp procedure.
I also agree with the comments on the heater.
You should not smell coolant in the car unless either the heater leaks, or there is a leak under the hood that is burning off something hot and then being sucked into the passenger area through the air intake vents.
02-11-2010, 02:33 AM
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Re: Coolant reservoir & other cooling issue
Forgive my comments on your youtube account. But it's a;most common to smell something burning rom the Camaro. More than likely it's a tiny leak of oil around areas such as a leaking valve cover, rear main seal, of even the front pump seal from the transmission. ALso check the PCV valve, it may be getting clogged.
02-11-2010, 02:42 AM
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Re: Coolant reservoir & other cooling issue
Forgive my comments on your youtube account. But it's a;most common to smell something burning rom the Camaro. More than likely it's a tiny leak of oil around areas such as a leaking valve cover, rear main seal, of even the front pump seal from the transmission. ALso check the PCV valve, it may be getting clogged.
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02-11-2010, 04:54 PM
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Re: Coolant reservoir & other cooling issue
When I first tearing apart my engine, I got very nervous because I had no idea what went where, what wires connect into what. Just take a lot of pictures and I mean a lot. Then get your hands dirty. I now feel comfortable to disconnect everything and pull out the engine myself. Have confidence.
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