Your FTO Overheating? Read this first...some good info for u

[khunjeng]

Ok fellas.

I had been having a few issues with my car overheating for some time. I had been lazy as it never really went much over 90 bu then it started to and I thought its time for action...

as a background it would be fine for a while then after a good drive heat up a bit and over over 90. Eventually with some air flow it would drop down. Well I had noticed a bit of coolant being lost also. One hot day a few weeks back I was driving home and the gauge went spastic - next thing pop and water on the windscreen...not cool. Lucky for me I was driving down a long hill...it didn't get to hot but I pulled over to see heaps of coolant and a missing radiator cap...I feared the worst.

Anyway i found some water bottles and a tap and let the car cool down...filled her up with some water...couldn't find the cap..lucky i was only 5min form home - a drove slow and watched the guage...kept under 90..

So when i got home I pulled off the thermostat hosuing - is under the fill cap where the radiator cap goes...is taken off with a 12mm socket...

I decided to tested the thermostat in some water..the thing with boiling water which is 100 degrees wouldn't open much...basically this was the cause of my issue..I can only assume that it didn't open at all, the cap was a bit dodgy/old and it poped off under some pressure.

I went out about bought thermostat...having never done this before I was a bit of a noob. but I thought I would share my experience with you all...

I found that from Bursons you can buy a galant Thermostat package with gasket..was a bit expensive $46...but I cbf going anywhere else so I just bought it

Tridon - TT299-170 - $46.70 - I know its expensive!
Radiator cap - CPC - 560 90 $10.95.
2 x 5L bottles of coolant - I used Tectaloy brand so it was on special..pre mixed.

1. Pulled of the thermostat housing and cleaned the surfaces with a razor blade..
2. I used gasket silicon as I had some..put some around the gasket of the therm/s and put it in back in...fitted perfect. There will be a realse vavle on the therm/s...needs to be up from memory - was written on the instructions..cant rememebr.
3. I spread the same stuff over the surface of the housing and pt it on..then tighened up the bolts (12mm)
4. I also decided to take of the hoses and check them...looked out and I cleaned them, put them back on and used silicon again at each end to be sure.

As when i pulled off the hoses much coolant came out...I decided to drain the rest through the block. There is a bolt that sits on the back which you need to get to from underneight...I drained it all..

5. Put coolant back in...as much is it could take until full.
6. Ran the car a bit...with the cap off...topped up the coolant. Look for all the big bubbles to stop afer a few minutes..
7. Filled up the overfill bottle.
8. Took it for a drive around the block...turned on the heater full...got it to op. temp and came back..
9. Check the level and filled up as necessary..

From there on end its been sitting under 90 all the time..Lucky for me I didn't do a head gasket. In case you want to check, a few things can be done to check this out...

1. Color of the oil...will be mikly is it has coolant in it
2. Check the coolant..should be clear
3. Bubbles at this stage might still be around. But after its been running for a while run the car up and check for any major and consistant bubbles by taking off the radiator cap.

Another thing is watch for coolant loss. check pipes first...if u see no coolant in the bay and not dripping...might be the water pump...get under and have a look for any evidence of coolant...might be some white crap there...

SO since I have done that...rund like a dream...doesn't get over 90.

If your car heats up in heavy traffic but cools when u get some aitflow...its low coolant..something is leaking and needs to be suss'd out.


Just some info for you guys..Its a fairly simple DIY...no pics sorry!

KJ

[dstocks]

And check your overflow pipe. Ive had mine block up in the past andwhile the car didnt overheat, it caused a vacuum in the top radiator pipe - cutting of the flow significantly. If you mix the wrong coolants, it can cause solids and block off the overflow tank.

[khunjeng]

And check your overflow pipe. Ive had mine block up in the past andwhile the car didnt overheat, it caused a vacuum in the top radiator pipe - cutting of the flow significantly. If you mix the wrong coolants, it can cause solids and block off the overflow tank.

not sure what he was mixing but yes..use an good coolant with more than 33% of the gl. stuff in it (forgot the actual name)..

if you notice the coolant in the overflow going down u can be sure there is no blockage...but then u have a leak so thats not cool either!

[khunjeng]

ok for anyone who doesn't quite no what to do I have some pics I took...you will see its easy...

Shot of the radiator cap and the pipes...



Close shot of the thermostat housing and radiator pipes...the bolt you can see is the top bolt for the housing


Overflow bottle..just in case u didn't know...


Some different coolants I have used in the past..


A thermostate witht he gasket...black thing around the outside...


The old cap...

[khunjeng]

lol

Just cos i read it before some info on radiator caps and why a good one is imporatnt...copied from a good website I found.

The radiator cap does several things.

1. It seals the system against the outside world (main seal function)
2. keeps the system pressurized when needed, so as to raise the boiling point of the coolant & allows excess pressure and coolant expansion to vent to the expansion reservoir (pressure seal function)
3. allows coolant to return to the radiator when the engine cools down (return seal function)

The radiator cap has three seals, any of which may fail independently of the others:

The main seal is the one that seals the cap against the top of the filler neck. Just a rubber gasket that operates just like one on the lid of a pickle jar. Simple and reliable.

A failed pressure seal will allow the coolant to boil at a lower temperature, and coolant will be able to travel freely to the expansion reservoir. This will cause localized hot-spots inside the engine, which can lead to premature head warpage, and may hasten head gasket failure. It will also cause the rad coolant level to be low, just like a failed head gasket.
A failed return seal will prevent the coolant from returning to the radiator as the rad cools off, causing a vacuum that can collapse the radiator's hoses. This will prevent the coolant from circulating if the hoses don't re-expand as the engine warms up.

A bad rad cap can cause similar symptoms to a failed head gasket, so it's a cheap first step to try before bringing it in. If you replace the rad cap and you still have bubbles in the coolant, then suspect the head gasket.
If the engine starts to overheat at idle, or in heavy traffic, and the gauge goes down when you rev it, the coolant is probably low.

A new rad cap is less than $20. Make a habit to change it every 5 years, just in case. It's pretty important.

[dstocks]

Thorough as always

[ygoslo]

Thanks for this. I have a similar but slightly different problem - on hot days my car gets a little warm (ie stock gauge going just past half way) when I'm on the open road. Often at 80km/h in 4th (3100 RPM approx). When it has done this, putting it in 5th brings the temp down.

Any suggestions for me? Car is a 95 GPX.

Oh and also, the car is not using oil or coolant.

[topao]

I have a question about coolant, i see your using green well mine came with red in it when i imported it should i switch to green? whats the difference anyway besides colour?

[khunjeng]

I have a question about coolant, i see your using green well mine came with red in it when i imported it should i switch to green? whats the difference anyway besides colour?

cant remember exctly but its bascally the same...you can get red stuff here to. Al I can remember is that its fine and use the same stuff to top up...different cemicals...

[Bennoz]

I have a question about coolant, i see your using green well mine came with red in it when i imported it should i switch to green? whats the difference anyway besides colour?

Shouldn't the car have been drained of all fluids before import?

[topao]

I have a question about coolant, i see your using green well mine came with red in it when i imported it should i switch to green? whats the difference anyway besides colour?

Shouldn't the car have been drained of all fluids before import?

Fuji used the red one when they complied it and it definately used to use red coolant as i had to clean the container out last time it ran dry as it was covered coolant that had turned to sludge over the years then gone hard

[payaya]

another reason for rising temps when stationary is blocked radiator, and thermos not doing their job.