Running thinner oil raised temps?

[Baltothewolf]

Ok I just arrived. Doing as you said mechanic helped A LOT. I only saw 235 once or twice for a couple mins. Other then that I was running 210.

[user removed]

Top off the recovery bottle to the max level not minimum, it has marks. The next time check it cold and see if the level has dropped. I think you have a air pocket in the engine. Check it daily (the recovery bottle), but fill the radiator and the bottle when it is cold. You want to keep doing this until the level in the recovery bottle stays the same and the radiator is absolutely full when you removed the cap with the engine cold.

NEVER REMOVE THE CAP HOT OR YOU COULD BE SCARRED FOR LIFE!!!!!!!!!!

I would check it before your drive to work and after you get off work. If you keep the radiator absolutely full COLD, then your overheating should stop.

If you can keep the radiator absolutely full, the level in the recovery bottle will rise when the engine gets hot, and drop as it cools off. If the rad is full and the recovery bottle level stays the same when the engine is cold, you're good. If the level in the radiator stays full but the level in the recovery bottle keeps dropping over a few days, you have a leak somewhere.

I have seen people ignore this advice and fry an engine in a $10k car, that was not even paid for and now they need to spend another 5k to fix it and they were upside down before they fried the engine.

That's why I wont touch a repo, I'd rather buy it totalled.

Let me know what happens.

regards
Mech

[user removed]

Basically you are burping the air pocket out of the engine.

regards
Mech

[Baltothewolf]

Ok ok, can I use just Straight distilled water or pre-mixed stuff? I'm going to use my uncles car to get whatever is needed tomorrow morning.

[user removed]

Not knowing what percentage of antifreeze you already have in the system, if it was me I would put straight antifreeze in it for now. That way you are not possibly creating another problem. The boiling point of coolant depends on the mix percentage and the pressure cap to be working properly.

Mercedes service bulletins in 1982 stated that the coolant in their new cars would function properly up to 256 degrees. I never want to see my car come near that temperature and you have been very close. Your problem could be as simple as not enough anitfreeze in the mix.

Without knowing which is the case, I would err on the side of straight coolant (add no water). If you use water then you could lower the boiling point where it could boil, just because the mix was not a high enough percentage of antifreeze.
I think you came very close to loosing that engine and the jury is still out so to speak.
Spend a few bucks on pure antifreeze.

I used to save used anitfreeze at my shop so we could pour it in cars that had problems like yours, so we could properly diagnose the problem. I also had good relations with a superb radiator shop, who could diagnose and repair problems properly.

The crucial question right now is do you have a leak ? I have not added a drop of coolant to my Fiesta in almost two years. Where did your coolant go and what has to be
done to make it stop loosing or boiling out coolant? Just get it full cold, both rad and bottle. Then see if that level holds. If it does then drain and refill with 50-50 mix of distilled water and antifreeze or buy some premixed 50-50.

This has been going on a while most likely, and it has just reached the critical point.
Be patient with me and we can walk you through it like you had been working on cars for 30 years.

The level in the bottle will rise as the coolant heats up and expands. Take amagic marker and mark the level cold on the bottle. Check,check,check the radiator and bottle for at least a week, every day. It may take a while to get all the air out of the engine, but when you do the bottle level will rise when ho and drop as it cools off.

regards
Mech

[Baltothewolf]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

Not knowing what percentage of antifreeze you already have in the system, if it was me I would put straight antifreeze in it for now. That way you are not possibly creating another problem. The boiling point of coolant depends on the mix percentage and the pressure cap to be working properly.

Mercedes service bulletins in 1982 stated that the coolant in their new cars would function properly up to 256 degrees. I never want to see my car come near that temperature and you have been very close. Your problem could be as simple as not enough anitfreeze in the mix.

Without knowing which is the case, I would err on the side of straight coolant (add no water). If you use water then you could lower the boiling point where it could boil, just because the mix was not a high enough percentage of antifreeze.
I think you came very close to loosing that engine and the jury is still out so to speak.
Spend a few bucks on pure antifreeze.

I used to save used anitfreeze at my shop so we could pour it in cars that had problems like yours, so we could properly diagnose the problem. I also had good relations with a superb radiator shop, who could diagnose and repair problems properly.

The crucial question right now is do you have a leak ? I have not added a drop of coolant to my Fiesta in almost two years. Where did your coolant go and what has to be
done to make it stop loosing or boiling out coolant? Just get it full cold, both rad and bottle. Then see if that level holds. If it does then drain and refill with 50-50 mix of distilled water and antifreeze or buy some premixed 50-50.

This has been going on a while most likely, and it has just reached the critical point.
Be patient with me and we can walk you through it like you had been working on cars for 30 years.

The level in the bottle will rise as the coolant heats up and expands. Take amagic marker and mark the level cold on the bottle. Check,check,check the radiator and bottle for at least a week, every day. It may take a while to get all the air out of the engine, but when you do the bottle level will rise when ho and drop as it cools off.

regards
Mech

Ok lemme try to respond to this and make some sense. I noticed the reservoir was completely empty about 2 months ago, so I grabbed some distilled water and filled it up. After that I cut my radiator hose to install the sensor for my Aftermarket gauge. I never added water after that. Maybe that was the start of the problem. Also, I don't think it has a leak, I park on concrete at work and home and never have seen anything but I'm not going to dismiss it just because my untrained eyes haven't seen it. I'll grab some Strait antifreeze tomorrow and see what happens.

[user removed]

I'm guessing you cut the top hose?

Absolutely use your uncle's car to get the antifreeze, then top the rad and bottle (at least 3/4 of the bottle) and drive it just enough to warmup. I'll bet your temp drops just from those actions.

Dont worry so much about responding to every post. it may take a few days to "burp" it. Absolutely watch for any leaks. I had one in my 99 Maxima. Drove it 400 miles and it never ran hot but I kept having to add coolant and finally spotted a leak at the top of the radiator, and replaced that day.

The coolant level was just low enough for it to not leak, it only leaked when I topped it up several times. I'll be here or in the ground.

regards
Mech

[XYZ]

Originally Posted by SmellyCat

Sometimes folks pour radiator stop leak and the radiator veins get all clogged up. . Then new radiator time.


Also try running around with the rad cap half loose. It will steam a little but will burp the system good

Oh, yeah, sure. It will "steam a little".

Not good advice. The guy's got enough problems already without driving around with a loose radiator cap.

[user removed]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owQcxSrKARA

This looks like a tech doing it with special tools. Not sure if it is the same year. I think you will be fine with my recommendations. Just get it warm enough for the temp gauge to read halfway. Do it a couple of times. When it runs cooler then drive it a little further.
You can't do it too much, unless the bottle coolant level stays the same. Run the heater on max heat to make sure you get any air out of the heater core as well.

DO NOT run it with the cap loose or removed. The air pocket could hit you with some very hot coolant or steam. Always check it cold. Wait at least 30 minutes at the very minimum, preferrably longer.

regards
Mech

[ksa8907]

My earlier post may have been overlooked, replace your pressure cap. The cooling systems are designed to operate when pressurized. No pressure=no cooling.

I had this problem a couple years ago, new thermostat, flushed the radiator, premium HOAT antifreeze and it was still running hot. Spent $6.99 on a new cap and temps never went over 210.

Less than $10 and less than a minute to replace.

As stated by old mech, DO NOT REMOVE THE CAP WHILE HOT!!!!