I got a call at midnight tonight and my sister's car was smoking and shooting coolant out from under the hood and leaking all over the pavement (saw a good gallon on the ground underneath the car) and I opened the hood and saw smoke coming from the battery terminals which were conveniently next to the coolant overflow tube which was where all the coolant came from. Any idea what could've caused coolant to come shooting out of the overflow reservoir? As far as I know, the car itself wasn't overheating. I turned it on to check the gauges and the temperature level was right around where it should be. I was starting to think that maybe the cap needs to be replaced... The car's a 94 Firebird Formula V8, if it helps any. Wish I could offer more detail but I wasn't the one driving it. We had it towed to a repair shop and I'll find out what's wrong with it tomorrow.
Sister's firebird is towed.. again (coolant issue)
- Thread starter ThirdeYe
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Just do the usual stuff: check the hoses, radiator and water pump for leaks. Look down into the radiator when it's at 195F and make sure the coolant is circulating (thermostat open). Make sure it's not boiling at 195F which would indicate a cap losing pressure.
Basically you're going to make sure the thermostat is opening up when it's supposed to and checking to see if the system is holding pressure.
Basically you're going to make sure the thermostat is opening up when it's supposed to and checking to see if the system is holding pressure.
I can't really see many of the hoses or the radiator for that matter, It's all covered up by a bunch of plastic covers. It's nothing like my Integra that I'm used to (Radiator right out in the open). Aren't thermostats designed to fail in the open position though? I know that's what happened when my thermostat went bad in my Integra. It never allowed the car to warmup, unless it was at a stop.
The thermostat in my 1978 Pontiac failed in the open position. Have no fear cooling issues are usually the easiest and cheapest to solve. Waterpumps can be a bear but it is easy to see if that is the problem...
Water coming out of the overflow could be a blown head gasket.
well being its an LT1, are you sure that the coolant system has been properly bled? Cap could be bad, or T-stat.
It could be as simple as a radiator cap. That happened to me once on my Camaro.
Last time I checked, thermostats are spring loaded to the closed position and open at their rated opening temperature.
Happened to my Altima too, that's why I'm hoping that's what this is. I'll keep this thread updated as I find out more. The car's at the shop right now. I don't know much about the history of this car, except for the fact that since we've owned it, it's been in the shop at least once a week.
I wish thermostats would always fail wide open. I had one fail to open on the highway in summer heat and I was lucky to escape with no permanent damage.
ThirdeYe-
Check your thermostat for failing to open (to much of most BITOGer's dismay, this is one of the 2 normal ways for thermostat to fail). Also check for collapsed upper/lower rad hose, broken water pump impeller vanes, blockage.
Q.
Check your thermostat for failing to open (to much of most BITOGer's dismay, this is one of the 2 normal ways for thermostat to fail). Also check for collapsed upper/lower rad hose, broken water pump impeller vanes, blockage.
Q.
If the temp was fine, then I'd suspect the cap totally failed. Same thing happened to my pop's Blazer; one day out of the blue, the coolant started boiling in the overflow tank and blew out the overflow tube all over the place.
Look under the oil fill cap to check for any signs of moisture.
Look under the oil fill cap to check for any signs of moisture.
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Ok so we got it back from the shop. They said the cap was holding pressure fine and the thermostat was also fine (supposedly) and that a fuse was blown causing the fans to not come on. They replaced the fuse and sent us on our way. We ran it for about 5 miles today and the coolant almost got into the red again so we had to bring it home and shut it down before it overheated again. Looks like we'll have to take it to another shop. Either the fuse blew again or it's something else (still thermostat maybe?)
several things here:
-collapsed rad hose (upper or lower),
-partially clogged radiator core,
-non functional thermostat (closed).
-electrical water temperature switch for the radiator fan non-functional
-electrical fan issues?
Because thermostat is relatively cheep, I wouldn't hesitate in throwing in a new thermostat into the system before moving to other potential culprits...
Again, pursue the proper direction.
Q.
-collapsed rad hose (upper or lower),
-partially clogged radiator core,
-non functional thermostat (closed).
-electrical water temperature switch for the radiator fan non-functional
-electrical fan issues?
Because thermostat is relatively cheep, I wouldn't hesitate in throwing in a new thermostat into the system before moving to other potential culprits...
Again, pursue the proper direction.
Q.
I heard them come on when I drove it home from the shop and heard the fans winding down when I shut the car down. Didn't hear them this time when we shut the car off. We're having a friend of the family who's also a mechanic look at the car tomorrow and we'll see what he says. Thanks for the help though everyone, and I would normally have the thermostat changed anyways but we're trying to sell the car and keep it on the cheap for now.
+1
If a cooling fan fuse blew again, there could be a short or some other electrical problem with the fan motors causing it. If that's the case, that electrical problem needs to be tracked down and fixed before you do anything else.
I don't have a lot of experience with electrical fans, but these things must work off of a temperature sensor, correct?
And the temp sensor must trigger a relay, right?
That, in addition to the wiring, is where I'd start.
If the fans are constantly blowing fuses, then I guess it's possible the fans themselves are bad and drawing too much current.
And the temp sensor must trigger a relay, right?
That, in addition to the wiring, is where I'd start.
If the fans are constantly blowing fuses, then I guess it's possible the fans themselves are bad and drawing too much current.
HardbodyLoyalist, that's EXACTLY what I'm saying.
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