# Over Heating



## Rottdog (May 2, 2003)

My B12 Has been over heating ever since i got it , there is no thermostat anymore i took it out , also i have known several people with b12's that have had the same problem , and the only reason i haven't replaced the fans or the water pump of flushed the radiator is cause all the people i know did those things and it still over heated , it only does it when ur stopped with the car running , not when ur driving and not aslong as you have the ac compressor kicked on cause it kicks on the second electric fan , anybody experience this or know someone that has ? i know this is a common problem so i'm curious as to what it might be


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## xXB12RacerXx (Mar 6, 2003)

Rottdog said:


> *My B12 Has been over heating ever since i got it , there is no thermostat anymore i took it out , also i have known several people with b12's that have had the same problem , and the only reason i haven't replaced the fans or the water pump of flushed the radiator is cause all the people i know did those things and it still over heated , it only does it when ur stopped with the car running , not when ur driving and not aslong as you have the ac compressor kicked on cause it kicks on the second electric fan , anybody experience this or know someone that has ? i know this is a common problem so i'm curious as to what it might be *


 check your fan fuse


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## sentrastud (May 3, 2002)

check the entire fan. A burnout/ shorted out motor could be a likely cuplrit. its most likely somehtign to do with the fan if its overheating at idle. 
Also flushing the system and changing th coolant never hurt anyone either.

-Nick


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## Webfoot (Apr 24, 2003)

Hey Dogg, does it actually boil over or is the needle telling you it's hot? I lost a lot of hair and money b4 figuring out it was the cluster. Bout the only time my fan kicks on is while idleing for 5+ mins.


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## Rottdog (May 2, 2003)

its the needle going all the way up , but the fan doesnt kick on no matter what unless i kick the AC switch on


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## Webfoot (Apr 24, 2003)

It's not going to kick on as long as ther's no thermostat. By chance, does your gas gage stay pegged on full till the last couple gallons?


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## xXB12RacerXx (Mar 6, 2003)

Webfoot said:


> *It's not going to kick on as long as ther's no thermostat. *


 DOH!!


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## fastpakr (Sep 18, 2002)

Not having a thermostat to open/close water flow to the radiator wouldn't stop the fan from kicking on. That being said, you'd be dramatically better off with a thermostat in place. Removing it does not increase your cooling capacity. With it out, you will run excessively cold under normal/low load conditions, and coolant will cycle through too quickly to be adequately cooled when there is a load on the engine or during excessively hot days.


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## Webfoot (Apr 24, 2003)

fastpakr said:


> *Not having a thermostat to open/close water flow to the radiator wouldn't stop the fan from kicking on. That being said, you'd be dramatically better off with a thermostat in place. Removing it does not increase your cooling capacity. With it out, you will run excessively cold under normal/low load conditions, and coolant will cycle through too quickly to be adequately cooled when there is a load on the engine or during excessively hot days. *


So the temp never gets high enough for the fan to kick on - under normal driving conditions. Just unplug the dam fan and give it 12v from the battery - for test purposes. I'm thinkin the regulator on the cluster is bad.


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## Crazy-Mart (Jul 14, 2002)

you can jump the sensor on the radiator to get the fan working... ive used that method when my sensor when out...


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## fastpakr (Sep 18, 2002)

Webfoot - if the temp doesn't get high enough for the fans to come on, obviously the fan doesn't need to come on. Once it does, the fans will come on as necessary. Having the thermostat out has no effect on the functionality of the fans.


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## soon2be (Jun 16, 2003)

I am having this problem. It gets all the way to hot before it kicks on. The car runs like crap when it gets up there I thought webfoot's idea about the cluster was correct so I waited till it got hot then opened the cap it was HOT. so I think it my be a fuse or a fan relay. Please someone help!!!!!


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## xXB12RacerXx (Mar 6, 2003)

you checked your fan fuse in yoru engine bay right?


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## Guest (Jul 7, 2003)

i've got similar issues . . . out here it's 110 daily . .. my temp gauge likes to hover around 3/4 on days like this . . . i'm looking into hood vents and heat wrap on the exhaust . . . . i recently installed a new thermostat , and i've seen the fan run . . ..


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## Webfoot (Apr 24, 2003)

Shees, Pheonix..... too hot for me. We hit a record for june. 6 days over 90 lol. Make sure your AC is not giving probs. Othern' that. Make sure ALL your colling components are in tip top cond. The radiator most of all. Try running a lower temp thermostat. My temp gage stays at 1/2 all the time cept when idleing. Then it might go to 3/4 b4 the fan kicks in. But thats just what the gage says.


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## B12 Dream Boy (Mar 19, 2003)

did u try the fan relay fuse


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## Rottdog (May 2, 2003)

thats one of the few things i didn't check 
but say its not that i'm still stumped


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## xXB12RacerXx (Mar 6, 2003)

Rottdog said:


> *thats one of the few things i didn't check
> but say its not that i'm still stumped *


 say it is and check it out dude, its bout 15 bucks, and if it dont work, bring it back and say you didnt use it  but it fixed my prob


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## soon2be (Jun 16, 2003)

I have replaced Thermostat, Gasket, Thermostat Housing, Radiator Fluid, Temperature sensor, Thermostatic switch, Fan relay and the damn thing is still overheating. Any suggestions???


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## xXB12RacerXx (Mar 6, 2003)

soon2be said:


> *I have replaced Thermostat, Gasket, Thermostat Housing, Radiator Fluid, Temperature sensor, Thermostatic switch, Fan relay and the damn thing is still overheating. Any suggestions??? *


 whats your radiator and hoses look like? are the hoses squishie or firm? 

is your radiator origional? if so how many miles?

what viscosity of engine oil are you running? and whats the tempurature like where you live? 

what mix of radiator fluid you running? is it 50/50?

have you tried a radiator flush? 

you may need a new radiator. 

this is all my undoctored, been pulled straight outa my ass ideas, so sorry if i wasted your time and sorry if they dont hit close to home.


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## Webfoot (Apr 24, 2003)

soon2be said:


> *I am having this problem. It gets all the way to hot before it kicks on. The car runs like crap when it gets up there I thought webfoot's idea about the cluster was correct so I waited till it got hot then opened the cap it was HOT. so I think it my be a fuse or a fan relay. Please someone help!!!!! *


 Dude, NEVER open the cap when it's hot. Any car is gonna boil when you release the pressure. You got got the problem narrowed down. But dont discount the gage yet.


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## BennittoMallito (May 20, 2002)

I am having similar issues. I took it to a mech today cause I have work to do and can't be bothered to dick with it anymore. He checked the pressure on the system and it was ok. Although there is a small leak in 2 places. Due to corrosion.

My fans never kick on, I can drive fine on highway, but traffic/idling in excess of like 30-40 minutes will blow the cap and send water pouring out the reservoir. 

Fan switch is fine, as well as the fuse. The mech told me the thermostat is ok. 

The radiator is on its last legs, but if it was bad it would overheat on highway. I routinely cruise in excess of 80mph no prob. with the radiator as of yet. 

I am having a flush today. We'll see if that helps. 

The mech at the radiator shop said if in isn't the fan motor, then the water pump is the next place to look. Since everyone uses water instead of coolant down here there may be corrosion on the "impellers"?? That's what the guy said. 

hope that helps. b


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## xXB12RacerXx (Mar 6, 2003)

BennittoMallito said:


> * The radiator is on its last legs, but if it was bad it would overheat on highway. *


 i would think, even if your radiator was bad, the wind blowing on it at that speed would allow you to cruise without it blowing...imo...



BennittoMallito said:


> * I am having a flush today. We'll see if that helps. *


 you need to learn to do thsi stuff yoruself, save you lotsa $$$ to fix stuff...but hey its your moneies 



BennittoMallito said:


> * The mech at the radiator shop said if in isn't the fan motor, then the water pump is the next place to look. *


 thats a good idea, i never thought of that...that is possible


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## Webfoot (Apr 24, 2003)

BennittoMallito said:


> *I am having similar issues. I took it to a mech today cause I have work to do and can't be bothered to dick with it anymore. He checked the pressure on the system and it was ok. Although there is a small leak in 2 places. Due to corrosion.
> 
> My fans never kick on, I can drive fine on highway, but traffic/idling in excess of like 30-40 minutes will blow the cap and send water pouring out the reservoir.
> 
> ...


Sometimes the spring under the cap weakens and pops open prematurely causing it to boil over. My blazer did this on a sub-zero day. 
Running a car without ethylen glycol (anti freeze) is bad. Antifreeze lubricates your water pump as well as raises the boiling point of your water. It also contains anti corrosives that are vital. I can't think of too many other ways to ruin a head gasket. 
If your radiator has pinholes (again, no antifreeze), it's time for a new one. They won't rebuild these ones cuz they have cheap cores and plastic resivors. I bought one new for around 115$.


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## BennittoMallito (May 20, 2002)

quote:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by BennittoMallito 
The radiator is on its last legs, but if it was bad it would overheat on highway. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
quote:
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Originally posted by xXB12RacerXx

i would think, even if your radiator was bad, the wind blowing on it at that speed would allow you to cruise without it blowing...imo...
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This is what the fella at the radiator shop told me, I thought it sounded funny as well. I am just relaying what he said.
The engine flush cost me the equivalent of $6 with the proper coolant included. Advantage of South Africa implied  
Fan motor kicks on as it should according to the guy who did the flush, although I never see it do so. 

quote
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Webfoot 
Running a car without ethylen glycol (anti freeze) is bad. Antifreeze lubricates your water pump as well as raises the boiling point of your water. It also contains anti corrosives that are vital. I can't think of too many other ways to ruin a head gasket. 
If your radiator has pinholes (again, no antifreeze), it's time for a new one. They won't rebuild these ones cuz they have cheap cores and plastic resivors. I bought one new for around 115$.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Radiator cap is a brand new OEM equivalent, so thats not it. I know about coolant and all, but nobody down here seems to. The whole system is totally corroded. Now I have real coolant and it overheated even quicker. 

After overheating yesterday in like ten minutes I have concluded a massive water pump failure is my culprit. The seal was hissing, and dripping very slowly. I had never noticed this on any previous overheating episodes, but there it was staring me in the face. I will bring it in and have the timing belt and a few other things done at the same time. I know a good German mech. who works dirt cheap.
I've only had the car a few weeks. It came with coolant, but judging by the corrosion, it must have been recent. I don't know how long it had just water previously. It runs really nice, but could have longer term problems due to this. Just a lesson about cheaping out and cutting cornere I guess.


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## BennittoMallito (May 20, 2002)

Alright I beleive my cooling woes are over. I have a new water pump, and Fan temp. sensor (one setting lower to kick on a bit earlier). I've done some driving, and no overheat as of yet. I also had the cam belt done, as the mech. described it as being "Wafer thin" 

The real test is this weekend. The swell is going to be epic down here, and the car will see some heavy driving. Gee I really hope the head gasket didn't suffer from all that time without anti-freeze. 

It was with a free int/ext wash, and they power-washed the engine. Actually that sucked because they filled the plug wells with like half a liter of water, and had to take it apart and blast it with pressurized air. I was so pissed. 

The grand total for all the labor, 14% VAT (tax) and all the parts was $170.xx  I think that might raise a few eyebrows.


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