Car Troubles!!!!!????

[81 clark racing]

i have a 94 mitsubshi galant and its over heating after like ten mins of driving. i fill the radiator up with fluid wait till it goes down and then fill it the rest of the way up. i put the cap on and start driving and then it gets hot and the radiator over flow hose starts spitting out a hot steam. both fans kick on and it just keeps getting hotter and hotter till it stauls out. any1 no how to fix this problem or any ideas? thanxs

[NacsMXer]

The thermostat could be done, try replacing it.

[Which 450?]

Ill bet its not a thermostat... I'm pretty sure the fan switch sensor is in the radiator, and the rad would not be getting hot if the thermostat was shot. Ill bet on a blown head gasket. Next time you add antifreeze, keep the radiator cap off and start the engine, tell me if you see bubbles in the antifreeze. Also, check the oil on the dipstick, is it a higher level then normal, or is it milky?

[NacsMXer]

Originally posted by Which 450?
Ill bet its not a thermostat... I'm pretty sure the fan switch sensor is in the radiator, and the rad would not be getting hot if the thermostat was shot. Ill bet on a blown head gasket. Next time you add antifreeze, keep the radiator cap off and start the engine, tell me if you see bubbles in the antifreeze. Also, check the oil on the dipstick, is it a higher level then normal, or is it milky?

Good observation, I didn't think of the fan switch sensor. The t-stat could be partially open/stuck you never know. I agree with you though, a head gasket could produce the symptoms as well.

[81 clark racing]

brandnew thermastat. i think its the head gasket. oil looks good and its not higher then normal. and no i didnt see any bubbles. im almonst positve its the headgasket. is there any addittives i can put in to help the headgasket? its not worth replacing so

[Which 450?]

Hmm, if you dont see bubbles, or no water in the oil then I would double check the head gasket before I went any farther.

I got one of these

http://www.arrowheadradiator.com/head_gasket_or_combustion_leak_test.htm

I bought mine off ebay for about 30 bucks

You hook the line up to a vacuum line and put the other end over the radiator neck, it sucks the air outta the radiator and the chemical in the tester changes color if it senses exhaust gases (blown head gasket)

It might not even be a head gasket, could be a cracked head or block, there's not much you can do to fix it besides replacing it, theres no chemical or anything you can put in it to seal out all the compression and temperature.

Only other thing I can think of, is take the oil filler cap off and run the engine and see if a lot of blow-by (or smoke or some sort) comes out.

[YZ400EX]

maybe the water pump??

[Which 450?]

Originally posted by YZ400EX
maybe the water pump??

If it was the water pump the radiator would not be getting hot!

[YZ400EX]

The radiator could be getting hot if it was the water pump.. just because water is not flowing through the engine doesnt mean it isnt creating heat which would be transferred through water sitting in the engine. More than likely it is the thermostat, but I just said the water pump could be the problem.

[Which 450?]

Originally posted by YZ400EX
The radiator could be getting hot if it was the water pump.. just because water is not flowing through the engine doesnt mean it isnt creating heat which would be transferred through water sitting in the engine. More than likely it is the thermostat, but I just said the water pump could be the problem.

It would not be getting hot that quick for sure!

[jmc400ex02]

I had the same problem with a grand am ...and it was a clogged heater core not allowing the antifreez to flow!

[NorCalRacer]

Originally posted by jmc400ex02
I had the same problem with a grand am ...and it was a clogged heater core not allowing the antifreez to flow!

Could easily be a clog somewhere. Try some radiator flush. Also, are you running antifreeze or just water?

[y3llow400ex]

could be a coolant temp sensor, t-stat or u could just have air in it.