Coolant problems or not?

[Goku]

I've been getting high temp readings and just found out that when my parents had my car while i first moved to college my father put in the new "pink" coolant instaed of the usuall green stuff that is supposed to be in it. Would that have ANYTHING to do with overheating? Will a simple coolant flush fix it?


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ßrªÐL£µ
88' 951
2k VW Golf 1.8L TURBO
Reluctantly crouched at the starting line...

[Bob's944]

shouldn't cause overheating, the difference is to protect the different metals

[javier]

the problem could be that your father may not have vented any or all of the air from the system.

You probably have a pretty good air bubble.

vent the system and see what happens over the course of a normal day.

[Goku]

Being technically uninclined..i don't know how to vent the thing? It also seems pretty ok in morning temps at 7am (low 90's) but when the sun is out and it's 107 outside that drive home it starts to warm up. Anyone have a step by step? And should i just do a complete flush sence it needs it anyways?

[Goku]

BUMP!

[ae1969]

Remove the bleeding plug.... RUn the car...turn the heater on full blast......start adding coolant into the resorvoir tank.....once you see coolant overflowing throught the bleeder plug you should be done.

If that doesn't work to fix your overheating problems. ...your thermostat could be toast (or wrong range)......worst case scenario...water pump could be failing....

[Bob's944]

Are you in the red? It might be normal for those outside temps to operate from 1/2 to 3/4 on your gauge, 3/4 in traffic and 1/2 when moving along. If your waterpump is going, you should be occasionally hearing a noise coming from under the cam cover that varies with engine speed and may come and go. You may also see steam coming from around the distributor cap when the water pump bearing seals go, which may cause your car to miss and feel like it's not running on all cylinders. If it does that, you will seriously overheat very soon as the waterpump is about to fail completely.

[Lawrence Coppari]

Try bleeding system. Make sure water pump is not slipping. It is driven by back of cam belt (on 951).

[Britwrench]

Is the engine overheating, do the cooling fans work correctly, does the heater work as it should and provide constant hot air when operated? Temp gauges on these cars are not an accurate guide to the actual readings.
So before you do anything make sure you really have a problem and not a mis-reading gauge.

To bleed the cooling system, turn the heater on to the full hot position, make sure the coolant level is to the very top of the tank and start the engine, carefully loosen the 12mm headed bolt that is on the top hose outlet at the front of the cylinder head and wait until coolant flows out of it, continue to top up the level and wait until the thermostat opens and the cooling fans cycle, once the above has been done check coolant level when the engine is cold.

[Goku]

Thanks guys. The fans are working and i believe the gauge is too. WHen it gets to above 3/4 when going into idle the oil pressure like flickers on because of the oil thinning out. I havn't bled the system before. SO a pick of the bleed valve might be helpful. But if you can't find a pick i'm sure i can find it (hopefully). THanks a lot guys

------------------
ßrªÐL£µ
88' 951
2k VW Golf 1.8L TURBO
Reluctantly crouched at the starting line...

[Goku]

I can really use a picture...thanks

BUMP

[Goku]

And especially if you have a Turbo (the engines are sat differently)

[Goku]

I found the valve. I'll tell ya if it helps at all

[Goku]

Ok guys. I let the valve loose and turned the car on and let it run for like 10-15 mins and get just above the 1/4 mark. IS there something i'm not doing to do this? The coolant is at max and even a little above. Also..i tried turning on my A/C and i didn't hear the high fan kick on? My water pumps were giving me problems (leaking) a while ago and we put in stop leak and it seemed to fix it. I don't really know what to do. Coolant never came out of the bleeder screw dealio. HELP!??

------------------
ßrªÐL£µ
88' 951
2k VW Golf 1.8L TURBO
Reluctantly crouched at the starting line...

[Lawrence Coppari]

Poke something in the hole where the bleeder bolt is. Your Stop Leak could be plugging it. I, for one, would not put that stuff in any of my cars. If your water pump is leaking, you should replace it. I bought a rebuilt pump for considerably less than $100 bucks this spring. It took me a couple of days to put it in but I am slow at repairs. The temperature gauge never goes above 1/2 now. It used to go to 3/4+ at low rpm.

And if you change out the water pump, change the thermostat as well.


[This message has been edited by Lawrence Coppari (edited 09-16-2001).]

[ae1969]

... since I changed my head gasket and I no longer have a coolant problem, my temp does not go over 1/2....it usually sits around a 1/4.

You should at least see steam coming from the bleeder plug, until finally it overflows.

But... if you don't have air in your system..... that thermostat or secondary fan could be the problem (I am excluding the water pump, because you say it is OK)

That oil pressure light turning red would scare the CRAP out of me....did I hear(read) you right that as you overheat the pressure drops?????

[ae1969]

oh.... and to be even more "doom and gloom"

if you keep driving this car while it keeps overheating...... it will seriously deteriorate your head gasket....if it has not allready....

[Goku]

I havn't been driving the car much at all since i have another. I do not think the water pumps were fine. I'm not sure. But when i had the bleeder plug out NOTHING came out. No steam nothing. The pipe it was on was also hot if that means anything. I would love to replace my pumps..but i have no money, no garage and no time. So i'd have to pay somebody 600 bux to do it plus parts. I don't have the money =(. Life freaking sucks right now. bleh. I don't know what to do. I need to sell my other car so i can actually afford rent, but if i sell it and my porsche is broken...whats the point............................................. .................................................. .......

[lordgrommit]

if the car was fine before the coolant was added then the bled system is all you need to do.. if there is alot of air in the system the thermostat may not be opening. I just put a 12mm wrench in the car and started driving. I'd get somewhere the car was hot I'd open up the bled valve... steam mostly would come out.. finally about the 100th time I did it water flowed out. seems to make a diffrence if the cap is on the fill tank.. I usally had the best luck with it off...

matt

[Ehab]

I also think that you could add water to the bleeder plug to fill up the rest of the system beyond the thermostat, which might help the blockage ...

good luck,
e