Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

Alright well I noticed somthing very weird today while driving my car. While it's idling it starts to overheat... but when I drive it...even slightly, it goes back down to normal temperature. I checked my coolant resovioir and it somehow filled itself to the top for some reason. Normally it's at the maxi marking, but now it's totally full. Anyone know what may be causing this?

Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

Sounds like your head is lifting under boost but you said its fine when driving and only happens when in idle.

Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

Radiator cap, or most likely, the head gasket. Is your fan working?

Take the cap off, start the car, wait for it to warm up. Watch the water for bubbles.
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Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

I think the fan is the answer.

Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

Fan is working fine. So it looks like a headgasket eh...... well that sucks. :(

Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

Check the cap first. ;) Did you try to bleed the system?
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Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

I did what you said, there isnt much coolant in the rad anymore for some reason, even thought the rez is full. However... when reving the engine up it is spitting watter out the exhaust.... so it's almost certain it's the head gasket right? It didnt overheat this time thou.... :-\

Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

Yeah, it's probably your head gasket. :-\
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Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

So any recommendations for a new one? OEM or is there a better afermarket one? At least it's only the headgasket... could be worse. :) Oh well not bad for a 11 year old gasket. Haha.

Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

Your right could be a cracked head! :-*

Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

just go with OEM headgasket. the work great... and while your at it get some arp head studs

Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

and give it a coat of copper spray

Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

Word. Copper spray is the ----.
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Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

Yeah it's smoking white at idle....burning coolant correct?

Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

entirely possible

Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

I have the same problem. Entirely sure its not the head gasket for me thoughWhen im idling, it will go past 1/2, once I drive it goes back to 1/3.
If your headgasket was blown, when U boost, it would pressurize the coolant sysytem (assuming u have no leaks) and spit water out of the resevoir. It woudl over heat even when ur driving. But it coudl be the beginning of a head gasket failure. coudl be avery small leak, but if youre spitting water out the exhaust? Id be concerned about that. Unless its condensation.

I think its...
#1, turbo to close to radiator, vents all its hot air to rad and cooling takes a hit
#2 fan is not strong enough for application, does not stay on long enough (mine goes on for 5 seconds, then turns off)
#3 air pockets in coolant system
#4 rad cap like mentioned
#5 if its none of those, id pull the head. but do a compression test first. Another thing you can do is screw in an airhose fitting with the same thread as a sprakplug into your head, and pressurize the CC with about 80 psi of pressure, fill up the rad and watch for bubbles. its a definitive way of finding out if it leaks or not.

Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

Well, he said it fills his overflow to the top after driving.....
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Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

I had the same problem w/o the white smoke. Overflow would fill up and then overflow ;D

Replaced cap & thermostat. Replaced water pump and bled the system like a mofo and it's been cool ever since.

Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

Even if it overflowed to the top when driving, it woudl overheat. Has the car ever overheated under normal driving? Or just when idling?

If its only when idling then I doubt its the headgasket, if its the headgasket, if anythign it woudl overheat under driving and stay cool during idle.

Mayeb you have a small coolant leak somewhere, as you said your rad had no fluid. Or it coudl be the thermostat is stickign building up too much pressure, but that woudlnt explain why the temps go down ehn u drive. My 1st guess is air pocket in system and rad cap.

Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

If the coolant leaks out into the overflow, that means the cooling system is low, which would cause it to overheat.
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Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

Turns out, that's exactly what it was. I was dreading the headgasket, but I checked my cooling system one more time just to double check. Turns out, the rad was almost empty and when I removed the rad cap after it cooled down a bit, the main rad hoses went limp... so I refilled her, and she's been fine. Thanks for the help guys. :) This means I can beat the ---- outa her even more :D

*The water it was spitting was just vapor as it is getting cool here now*

Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

Ive also doen this today. I ran the car with the rad cap off and filled up with water while watching little bubbles come out. After about 1 min of slowly pouring, the bubbles finnaly stopped, even after the engine was revved.
It go past 1/2, but i still think the hot air from the turbo makes the cooling weaker.
After idling for a bit the temp stays to 1/2 now, and even if i roll down a hill with it idling in nuetral the temp guage instantly goes down.
I guess the solution is to install a stronger rad fan.

Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

Mine was doing the same thing... for four months. Perfect compression, (not the HG), filling the resiviour (sp). Over and over it would overheat, but usually the heater would fix it (turning it on)...

Bled the system, changed the coolant, same thing... Kept happening. Every time it would overheat the fan would be on but blowing cold air... and when it wasn't overheating everything would seem normal.

I did... nothing. It fixed itself. I swear to god. It's been 10k miles... and perfectly normal again. I don't have an answer. It was overheating last winter, and when summer rolled around, it went back to normal. Still fine today.

Go figure.

Matt

Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

CHECK the coolant level! Go to the back of the motor were the thermostate is there should be a release valve for air bubbles. I had the same probloms in my 97 LS ALL OF A SUDDEN. It kept on doing it for a week or so then stopped. Good compression no mixture in the oil or water.Just a simpe check if you haven't done it already

Re:Overheating problem....but it's weird....
 

the problem was fixed. mine had the fan switch sensor fucked up and the fans would turn on at idle, but after the car warmed up the fan switch sensor wouldn't turn the fans on anymore. replaced the fss and overheating stoped.
also, radiator caps,fanswitch sensors, and thermostats come in different kinds. the new fan switch sensor i installed turns the fans on at 189degrees the old one at 191degrees-that's what it says on the fan switch sensors. also, i bought a radiator cap that vents at 13 lbs and the factory one vented at 16 lbs, if it starts to vent sooner it'll start to cool down sooner.