overheating.....

[180sxidey]

hi,
sr w/ koyo radi & flex dual fan.. the fan is on all time..
water pump is fairly new... less than 10k
stock hg w/ gt28rs...
haven't tune it yet.... think it s running lil lean....
but never really drove that hard...

one day no issue..
but time to time the temp gage jumps around...
it goes over the max temp reading..
so i thought it was some kinda wiring problem.. or something

oh yea.. and my idle went up during cold start... goes up to 2k
and gradually.. comes back to ~1k.....

but today i was stuck in traffic and the temp gage constantly stayed way up...
noticed no coolant in the reservoir,, so i poured some in...
waited little.. but it was still reading.. high..
fu.. it just drove it home... coolant wasn' boilin but it was almost gone again..
i couldn't really tell if there was any leak... but nothin on the floor...
but the engine bay was definitely hotter than usual...

i thnk my hg is blown.. but just making sure.. w/ experts..
if it s the hg... inspection for warps required.... before replace em?

i am a noob.. w/ no money...
i appreciate any cmts or suggs.

[DrIvEsldEwAyS]

compression test it

[Gnnr]

Do a radiator flush, refill system with 50/50 coolant, fill reserve tank to MAX line, and bleed the system for air as per FSM. You may want to change the thermostat and radiator cap with a new one from the dealer, its relatively cheap.

[joewantstodrift]

make sure that coolant isnt leaking out. and check your exhaust for white smoke. when your engine is up to runnng temp, feel both hoses, if they are the same temp it means your thermostat is opening. if the top hose is hot and the bottom isnt then your thermostat is stuck shut. get an aftermarket water temp guage too.

[180sxidey]

woo.. good infos thx...
no white smoke unless throttle is wide open...
how do i check for coolant leak? i didn't have time to flush the coolant but i did refilled the coolant.. and i saw some bubbles coming up.... maybe i didnt bleed the cycle properly..... hope this fixes it... oh... and do you know where i could find the FSM for 180sx w/ sr20det -96
thx

[Gnnr]

woo.. good infos thx...
no white smoke unless throttle is wide open...


White smoke is not a good sign. Check your engine oil level, make sure its full. You can get the FSM here:

http://www.camel-towing.com/

[infinitexsound]

http://advanced-autosports.com/images/Longacre/leak_down_tester_L.jpg
leak down test w/ air.. thru ur sparkplug hole.. pop the radiator cap.. if u see bubbles... u got a blown hg.... thats one of the easy ways of finding out other then pullin ur dip stick to see choco colored oil...u can always rent one...

more then likely u might have air... in ur coolant stream... or ur temp sensor is bad... replace the temp sensor and refill ur radiator...

bubbles will always happen regardless when youve drain ur radiator and refill it.. but to bleed the system... theres like a bolt by the throttle body on the manifold usually, where u can crack it loose and bleed it... but i prefer filling it and waiting for operating temp. so that the thermostat pops open.. (that way u can tell if u have a bad thermostat if it doesnt)... and add water accordingly..

[cmcdougle]

I have a compression guage you can buy for $40. It is brand new.

[silverarrow27]

I dunno but sounds bad what you did.

[180sxidey]

thanks for the help...
car didn overheat until yesterday
i noticed my parking space is flooded w/ my coolant.. :(
i should get a leak down test like you guys are recommending..
since it s obvious that i have leak somewhere, is there different test other than gauge test that locates the leak?
i don't think i have crack on radi. it was drippin down to the trans housing??
thx

[bardabe]

thanks for the help...
car didn overheat until yesterday
i noticed my parking space is flooded w/ my coolant.. :(
i should get a leak down test like you guys are recommending..
since it s obvious that i have leak somewhere, is there different test other than gauge test that locates the leak?
i don't think i have crack on radi. it was drippin down to the trans housing??
thx
check and make sure the lines by the intake manifold are not leaking.

[HalveBlue]

White smoke = cooland entering combustion chamber = blown headgasket.

Sorry, but all signs are leading to a blown headgasket.

My car did the EXACT same thing a few weeks before it decided to go poof!

Replace the HG now before you break more stuff and it becomes even more expensive.

Good Luck.

[infinitexsound]

busted freeze plug maybe... like mines.. u might want to pull the exhaust manifold cover off to see if ur leaking from that side.... thats my guess..