Car Overheated
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Driver School Candidate
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 26
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From: ca
Car Overheated
Ok lastnight driving to work I noticed my cars temp rise dramatically (2002 IS300), I blasted the heater and yet it begin to slow rise and overheat....... I pull over and see smoke coming out of the engine bay....... I didn't open the hood yet because I wasn't sure if I was gonna have fluid spray everywhere.... After letting it cool down for a little bit I popped the hood and noticed coolant fluid on the engine bay and hood, not alot though.......... I checked the reservoir and it was full......... i then opened up the cap on the radiator and it looked completely dry............. I put about 5 bottles of water (20oz) and looked for signs of it leaking from the bottom, but nothing......... I then ran the engine for a little bit and there seemed to be little pressure from the radiator hose to the engine............. ANY IDEAS OF WHAT THE PROBLEM IS? A CRACKED RADIATOR? BAD HOSE? ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED......
bad radiator cap
small leak
inoperative thermostat
dirty/corroded radiator
one or more of the above...
I would start with refilling the system with water and checking for leaks - inspect the radiator cap for cracking of the rubber gaskets - replace either way (it also holds pressure via spring pressure), then check for leaks - there is a good chance you have a small leak - water pump, hoses, hose connections, radiator - more than likely one of the above is leaking... if not obvious, run car until it gets to operating temperature and keep looking, if still not obvious, I'd take it to a shop and have it pressure tested... replace leaking part(s) and also the thermostat - thermostats can be damaged by overheating, so it's good, cheap insurance to replace them...
small leak
inoperative thermostat
dirty/corroded radiator
one or more of the above...
I would start with refilling the system with water and checking for leaks - inspect the radiator cap for cracking of the rubber gaskets - replace either way (it also holds pressure via spring pressure), then check for leaks - there is a good chance you have a small leak - water pump, hoses, hose connections, radiator - more than likely one of the above is leaking... if not obvious, run car until it gets to operating temperature and keep looking, if still not obvious, I'd take it to a shop and have it pressure tested... replace leaking part(s) and also the thermostat - thermostats can be damaged by overheating, so it's good, cheap insurance to replace them...
Last edited by mitsuguy; Aug 20, 2007 at 02:10 PM.
One key element will be any auxiliary fans - if it only overheats at low speed or while parked / stopped, you could have an auxiliary cooling fan that is not operating - you definitely want to check that, and also, check for blockages in front or behind the radiator...
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