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HELP!! 94 LeBaron Convertible is overheating BAD!



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 23rd 05, 12:43 AM
SMoo
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Default HELP!! 94 LeBaron Convertible is overheating BAD!

The other day I went to get a new battery for my car, and on the way it
overheated.

I pulled the 195deg thermostat out and replaced it with a 192deg, but it's
still overheating.
When I parked it, I heard a sort-of "gurgling" sound coming from where the
thermostat is, and the upper hose is easy to squeeze.
It also smoked for a little bit after parking, and the coolant smell was
overwhelming.

I had the radiator flushed and refilled, and that hasn't helped.

I barely got my car home before it got too hot to drive today, but I *NEED*
this car for work, and my wife is getting a little ****ed about me taking
her car more than a couple times.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks
Steve


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  #2  
Old July 23rd 05, 01:59 AM
tim bur
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is the cooling fan coming on???????

SMoo wrote:

> The other day I went to get a new battery for my car, and on the way it
> overheated.
>
> I pulled the 195deg thermostat out and replaced it with a 192deg, but it's
> still overheating.
> When I parked it, I heard a sort-of "gurgling" sound coming from where the
> thermostat is, and the upper hose is easy to squeeze.
> It also smoked for a little bit after parking, and the coolant smell was
> overwhelming.
>
> I had the radiator flushed and refilled, and that hasn't helped.
>
> I barely got my car home before it got too hot to drive today, but I *NEED*
> this car for work, and my wife is getting a little ****ed about me taking
> her car more than a couple times.
>
> Any help is appreciated.
>
> Thanks
> Steve


  #3  
Old July 23rd 05, 06:08 AM
Steve B.
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On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 23:43:55 GMT, "SMoo" >
wrote:

>The other day I went to get a new battery for my car, and on the way it
>overheated.
>


Well the bad news is that after overheating it like this a few times
you probably have bigger problems than the original cooling problem.
Modern engines can not tolerate being overheated like the old 60's
iron could.

The problem could be many things:
Fan(s) not working properly
Clogged radiator (unlikely in a sudden onset case like this)
Collapsing hoses
Failed water pump
blown head gasket


When the light comes on or the gauge goes to H pull over, turn the
heat on high and rev the engine a little bit. If the temp doesn't
start coming right down shut the engine off and have it towed to a
place where it can be repaired or you can repair it. Severely
overheating an engine will warp the head, cause the head gasket to
blow, play hell on the bearings and cause the pistons to scuff the
heck out of the bores.


Steve B.

  #4  
Old July 23rd 05, 10:22 AM
Ted Mittelstaedt
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"SMoo" > wrote in message
...
> The other day I went to get a new battery for my car, and on the way it
> overheated.
>


Is coolant level in the radiator dropping? If it isn't, then you don't have
a leak, and it's
probably the cooling fan like has been posted.

If it is dropping (and it probably is if you can smell coolant) then check
the end of
the air conditioning condensate drain on the underside of the car - if you
see coolant
coming out of there or smell it there, then you have a leaking heater core.

If you have coolant smell coming out of the tailpipe then the head gasket is
leaking.

Check for leaks elsewhere.

Ted


  #5  
Old July 23rd 05, 04:27 PM
SMoo
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Yes, the fan comes on, but when it gets to about 3/4 of the temp gauge, it
stays on all the time.


"tim bur" > wrote in message
...
> is the cooling fan coming on???????
>
> SMoo wrote:
>
>> The other day I went to get a new battery for my car, and on the way it
>> overheated.
>>
>> I pulled the 195deg thermostat out and replaced it with a 192deg, but
>> it's
>> still overheating.
>> When I parked it, I heard a sort-of "gurgling" sound coming from where
>> the
>> thermostat is, and the upper hose is easy to squeeze.
>> It also smoked for a little bit after parking, and the coolant smell was
>> overwhelming.
>>
>> I had the radiator flushed and refilled, and that hasn't helped.
>>
>> I barely got my car home before it got too hot to drive today, but I
>> *NEED*
>> this car for work, and my wife is getting a little ****ed about me taking
>> her car more than a couple times.
>>
>> Any help is appreciated.
>>
>> Thanks
>> Steve

>



  #6  
Old July 23rd 05, 04:36 PM
SMoo
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Posts: n/a
Default

I just ran outside and looked, and the radiator is half empty now!

I can't tell if there's coolant dripping anywhere, as we have a gravel
driveway...

I'll start the car in a while and see if there's a coolant smell from the
tailpipe (The one tailpipe that isn't fake on this car)



"Ted Mittelstaedt" > wrote in message
...
>
> "SMoo" > wrote in message
> ...
>> The other day I went to get a new battery for my car, and on the way it
>> overheated.
>>

>
> Is coolant level in the radiator dropping? If it isn't, then you don't
> have
> a leak, and it's
> probably the cooling fan like has been posted.
>
> If it is dropping (and it probably is if you can smell coolant) then check
> the end of
> the air conditioning condensate drain on the underside of the car - if you
> see coolant
> coming out of there or smell it there, then you have a leaking heater
> core.
>
> If you have coolant smell coming out of the tailpipe then the head gasket
> is
> leaking.
>
> Check for leaks elsewhere.
>
> Ted
>
>



  #7  
Old July 24th 05, 01:13 AM
SMoo
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I just got back from the car...

I popped off the radiator cap, and got the car running nice and warm...

When I did, coolant started pouring out from somewhere I can't see. From the
bottom of the car, it looks to be from between the fender and the oil pan...

Could this be the heater core?

Is it safe to bypass it? We're not going to have much need for a heater
during July in Texas...



"Ted Mittelstaedt" > wrote in message
...
>
> "SMoo" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I just ran outside and looked, and the radiator is half empty now!
>>
>> I can't tell if there's coolant dripping anywhere, as we have a gravel
>> driveway...
>>
>> I'll start the car in a while and see if there's a coolant smell from the
>> tailpipe (The one tailpipe that isn't fake on this car)
>>

>
> It's hard even with a concrete driveway to see coolant leaks. What
> happens is you get a small hole, when the cooling system isn't running
> the coolant just drips out a drop an hour or so, then when it gets hot
> the pressure in the system opens the hole up and the coolant squirts
> out at far higher volume.
>
> Did you put a new rad cap on it?
>
> Fill it with coolant, and if you have jackstands (nice big fat ones)
> jack the front of the car up, start it and run until it's nice and hot,
> then turn on the heater full blast in the car and sniff for coolant smell,
> if you smell it coming out of the air vents in the car, the heater core
> is leaking.
>
> Then, shut down and immediately get under the car and listen for
> hissing, and coolant dripping. Coolant can run quite a ways down
> and if the leak is in some inconvenient place (like the underside of the
> heater bypass hose that is invisible from the top and the bottom
> of the engine) you may have a devil of a time figuring out exactly
> where the coolant is coming out from.
>
> Quite often water pump bleed holes are obscured when the pump
> is on the vehicle, so don't rule out the water pump if you see coolant
> coming out near it.
>
> If you can't find it in the engine compartment or passenger compartment
> then
> a head gasket leak is the only other possibility. But I would bet it's
> not that, since you already posted that you got a strong coolant smell.
>
> Needless to say, running an engine for a long period of time with that
> much coolant missing is going to destroy it.
>
> Ted
>
>



  #8  
Old July 24th 05, 05:54 AM
Ted Mittelstaedt
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Default


"SMoo" > wrote in message
...
> I just got back from the car...
>
> I popped off the radiator cap, and got the car running nice and warm...
>


Be careful doing that - hot coolant expands and if there's no large leaks
it will come spewing out the radiator. You should never run it without
a rad cap.

> When I did, coolant started pouring out from somewhere I can't see. From

the
> bottom of the car, it looks to be from between the fender and the oil

pan...
>
> Could this be the heater core?
>


Does it stink like coolant inside the passenger compartment?

Usually bad heater cores will pee all over the inside of the car, leaving
you with a carpet full of stinking coolant that you have to shampoo out
of there. You can choose to do this before you replace the heater
core, in which case when you pull the core out more residual coolant will
come pouring out onto the carpet, and you have to shampoo it again -
or you can do it after you replace the core in which case your going to
be lying in the coolant while you undo the dash to get the core out.

It's one of my most fun jobs to do! ;-)

You really need to get it on jackstands.

> Is it safe to bypass it?


Yes, if that is the problem.

Ted


  #9  
Old July 24th 05, 06:12 AM
SMoo
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Posts: n/a
Default

I don't think there is coolant inside the vehicle...

I've been told that this car has the core completely outside of the cabin...


"Ted Mittelstaedt" > wrote in message
...
>
> "SMoo" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I just got back from the car...
>>
>> I popped off the radiator cap, and got the car running nice and warm...
>>

>
> Be careful doing that - hot coolant expands and if there's no large leaks
> it will come spewing out the radiator. You should never run it without
> a rad cap.
>
>> When I did, coolant started pouring out from somewhere I can't see. From

> the
>> bottom of the car, it looks to be from between the fender and the oil

> pan...
>>
>> Could this be the heater core?
>>

>
> Does it stink like coolant inside the passenger compartment?
>
> Usually bad heater cores will pee all over the inside of the car, leaving
> you with a carpet full of stinking coolant that you have to shampoo out
> of there. You can choose to do this before you replace the heater
> core, in which case when you pull the core out more residual coolant will
> come pouring out onto the carpet, and you have to shampoo it again -
> or you can do it after you replace the core in which case your going to
> be lying in the coolant while you undo the dash to get the core out.
>
> It's one of my most fun jobs to do! ;-)
>
> You really need to get it on jackstands.
>
>> Is it safe to bypass it?

>
> Yes, if that is the problem.
>
> Ted
>
>



  #10  
Old July 25th 05, 11:04 AM
Ted Mittelstaedt
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Posts: n/a
Default


"SMoo" > wrote in message
...
> I don't think there is coolant inside the vehicle...
>
> I've been told that this car has the core completely outside of the

cabin...
>
>


That may be so, but if the core is bad you most definitely are going to
smell
coolant with the heater or defroster on, since it's blowing air over the bad
core then into the passenger compartment. If you don't smell it then your
probably fine with the heater. You could have a crack in a hose going to
the heater. Hoses often crack first at stress points, such as where the
hose is clamped to a tube.

Another kind of rule of thumb is that if you have coolant just hissing or
dripping out, it's probably a hole or crack in some metal coolant line. If
you have coolant gushing out it's probably a crack in a flexible line like
a hose. When hoses crack the crack bursts open like a balloon popping
and usually gets a lot larger, a lot quicker. There are exceptions of
course
to this.

Ted


 




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