02 PT overheating?? grr...

[fdrx7man]

Ok new owner here, owned it 2 weeks and am happy so far besides it overheating on me.. Ive searched guys believe me..

ok i asked the previous owner and before i even bougbht it they showed me reciepts of new radiator, thermostat, and water pump not 3000 miles ago.

anywho it overheats and i lose coolant, i checked or leaks and cant find them.. i drive for about 15 mins and it gets hot and i pull over and the water comes out the overflow tank and it goes on the ground.. (oil is water free) and no oil in the coolant aswell.

I figure thermostat, but with it being a new one im doubtful but i still spectulate.

i searched and i come up with electric fans.. the low speed fan works at idle.. and it over heats when im cruising on the highway or stop and go traffic so i doubt its the fans.. cause if im cruising at 65-70mph the fans arnt terribly needed anyways cause of the force air in the front.. correct?

and i can visually see the water being pumped in the radiator when its cold and i pop the radiator cap (which I just purchased a new one 2 days ago).. still it overheats..

the power is fine and doesnt lack at all.. as i suspected head gasket.

at first start up it idles odd but smooths right out about 10-15 seconds of running..

i tested it at autozone with no codes but a missfire in 2-3-4 which i assume are old codes.

then i changed plugs and wires thining the misfire was caused by it.. nope still does it..

anyone have any advice on what this can be?

and you can visually look at the radiator and see its new.. and i have reciepts that say soo also. im just at my wits end on this.. im confused and about to change the thermostat out myself just to elminate that out of my head..

any ideas guys!??

Thanks

[clarkg1124]

Was the cooling systen bled properly after the repairs were done?
Clark

[fdrx7man]

cant say for sure, but ive done it myself twice and it still manages to overheat and boil the overflow tank till i have to add more coolant.. ive been adding about half a gallon at a time when this happens.

[fdrx7man]

well now im leaning towards a head gasket, for these reasons. someone correct me if im wrong on assuming this.

1. i bleed the system, and i take it for a drive and i still build up pressure a lot of it in the system.

2. still is overheating, goes up and down around the halfway mark till finally it climbs and wont go down.. much like air in the lines would do.. then the collant boils out and im low on coolant yet again..

im confused.. there is no oil in the coolant, no coolant in the oil.. only leak is from the overflow tank when it boils out. or when im bleeding the system which is natural.

im out of idea's... where is this pressure comming from?

[mrcruzer]

hey smell the recibour.if you smell alcohol or a weird smell other then coolant or mixed with coolant than most likely is going to be the head gasket

[fdrx7man]

ok im bringing this back, ive been on vacation so im sorry for not staying with this.. but the problem is still there, i have parked the pt till i can figure this out.. im about to have the head gasket replaced and hope it takes care of it. I am just out of idea's...??

[CREWZIN]

I've done some exhaustive research and the list of things that cause overheating doesn't include the head gasket. That might cause a loss of fluid so it does over heat but it's the loss of fluid not the gasket itself to blame.

In your own words: anywho it overheats and i lose coolant, i checked or leaks and cant find them..

So, was it low in coolant before it overheated or overheated and then lost the coolant? Hard to tell. If your sure the coolant was completely full when you started with no air traps and it overheats in just a little drive, a small head gasket leak into the cylinders wouldn't lose that much in a small drive. If it was a big crack in the gasket, white smoke and probably a rough engine would result. If your not sure it was completely full of coolant, a small amount more from a small gasket leak might be enough to overheat the rest of the coolant.

All things being equal, the head gasket looks like a likely culprit. But don't change it on my say so. Do it because you ran out of options.

[fdrx7man]

crewzin, thanks for the help.

Yes I am positive it was full of coolant before and no air pockets were in the line. (i know this cause i have been fulling it and beeding it over the mast month and it still happens haha)

this sucks. No white smoke no fluids interchanged.. im lost.. it is starting to idle rough at startup but after about 45 seconds it smooths out and runs fine. I once thought it was the fans but it comes on with the ac on and when im cruisin 55-60 down the highway it shouldnt overheat due to fans, cause the air im driving into should keep the radiator cool.

so then i checked the thermostat and it opens right on up when it gets warm, then the water pump.. I can see the water pumping when i start up the motor and have the cap off, and its a new water pump anyways not 6 months old max. so im really out of idea's this is really p'd me off! im a poor college student and my job is horriable cause hours are getting cut due to slow sales, and im makin enough to pay the payment on it and feed myself.. i even had to drop full coverage on it and go down to the state minimums.. sucks....

[quicksilverdon]

I know you said you checked for leaks, but I'd say start it, let it idle, and wait for fan to come on & then check for leaks.
I haven't bled a cooling system, but you have heat on? The heater core could trap air - sure you're bleeding it correctly?
If no leaks, no air in system, head gasket seems to be all that's left.
Gasket separates oil from coolant from combustion chamber, so I guess gap could just be combustion chamber to coolant, causing the pressure....

[fdrx7man]

thats my thinking exactly.. that its just a hairline crack thats letting pressure and gas into the coolant but not allowing any to escape.. thus causeing it to heat up and the cooling system just cant keep up.. it almost has to be!