How Cooling Systems Work

By Steve Litt
The cooling system has one and only one purpose -- to remove excess heat from your engine. As your engine burns
gasoline, a little less than a third of the released energy goes into mechanical energy to run your car. The rest is
converted to heat. Some of that heat is blown straight out the tailpipe, while the rest heats the engine itself. Without
a cooling system, the engine would be destroyed by heat within 3 to 30 minutes of startup.
The cooling system works by moving coolant (water plus antifreeze) through the engine, and moving that heated
coolant through the radiator, where its heat is transferred to the surrounding air. The cooling system must have
enough cooling capacity to cool a car ascending a long, steep mountain road, where the driver might have the gas
pedal 2/3 of the way to the floor.
But it must be regulated in such a way that at a steady 40 MPH on a flat road in subzero weather, the engines
temperature is allowed to quickly rise to the manufacturers recommended temperature (usually about 200 Farenheit,
give or take 20 degrees). That recommended temperature should also be maintained when the car goes up a 10 mile
7% grade in 100 degree weather. Such regulation is accomplished by the cars thermostat -- a heat sensitive valve
that allows coolant to flow through the radiator at high temperatures, but cuts off that flow at low temperatures.
The water pump sucks cooled coolant from the radiator and pushes it into the engine. The coolant flows through the
engine, absorbing the engines heat. If the thermostat is open, that coolant then flows into the radiator for cooling. As
it flows through the radiator, it heats the tubes and fins on the radiator, and that heat is transferred to the air flowing
through the radiator. At low speeds that air flow is maintained by the fan, and at high speeds its maintained by the
relative velocity of the vehicle in relation to the outside air.
Meanwhile, a parallel path brings hot coolant from the engine through the heater in the passenger compartment, and
back into the water pump. That path is controlled by the heater valve, which in turn is controled by the lever or
electronic climate control on the dashboard. The parallel path is not restricted by the thermostat, so passengers get
heat even when the thermostat is closed. However, some cars have a mechanism which shuts off coolant through the
heater during an overheat, I guess on the theory that you want to maximize flow through the radiator by shutting off
the heater. While such a theory might be credible when the cause of overheating is low coolant, it prevents the alert
driver from turning on the heater full blast and thereby letting the heater act as a second radiator. Perhaps such a
shutoff is a safety feature so theres no way overly pressurized coolant can rupture the heater and spray on the
passengers. So if youve had symptom where "the car overheats and then the heater blows cold air", the heater
probably has been shut off due to overheat.
The entire system is sealed with one exception. The radiator cap contains a spring which maintains a constant
pressure by venting coolant (to the reservoir tank) when pressure rises above its specified value -- typically around
15 PSI. Its normal for some coolant to vent in this way, which is why the reservoir is more full when the car is hot
than when its cold. The radiator cap also allows the vacuum created when the system cools to "suck back" coolant
from the reservoir. But in the case of an extreme overheat, vented coolant overflows the reservoir, thereby creating a
low-coolant situation and making the overheat even worse.
Looking at the diagram, you see that oil, gasoline, combustion gasses and coolant all flow inside the engine. These
materials are kept separate by the head gasket(s). A breached or broken head gasket, or a bent head, allows any or
several of these materials to mix. Coolant into the cylinders produces huge clouds of white exhaust (steam) out the
tailpipe. Coolant into the oil produces a yellow/white foam or gunk on the oil cap, as well as degrading the oil,
possibly past the point of lubricating usefulness. Combustion gasses leaking from the cylinder to the coolant might
produce no obvious symptom, but its an extremely dangerous condition, because it can cause an overheat by any
one or more of four different mechanisms:
1. By forcing excessive coolant out the reservoir, thereby creating a low-coolant situation
2. By forming a gas bubble around the thermostats sensor, thereby preventing the thermostat from opening
3. By heating the coolant to such a degree that the radiator cannot dispense all the heat
4. By breaking down the coolants corrosion protection, thereby damaging the water pump or radiator,
ultimately causing overheating
Its possible for a broken head gasket to allow combustion gasses into the coolant, without allowing coolant into the
cylinders or coolant into the oil or oil into the coolant. In such a situation, the broken head gasket could silently
cause overheats. The definitive test for this type of head gasket problem is to test for combustion gasses at both the
radiator fill pipe and at the reservoir.
Excess Cooling Capacity
Automotive cooling systems must have HUGE levels of excess cooling capacity. Next time you drive 60 mph on a
flat deserted road, notice how far you push on the gas pedal. Probably a millimeter to a centimeter. Now see how
much you need to push the gas pedal to ascend a 6% grade at 45mph. Probably an inch or two. Go up to 65 and on
some cars youll be near flooring it. 1/3 of all that gasoline is consumed heating the engine.
Your cooling system must be able to get rid of all that heat. Difficult enough, it becomes even more of a challenge if
the air temperature is warm (less heat transfer from radiator to air), and brutal if your car is heavily loaded or towing
something. If the heat generated by combustion significantly exceeds the cooling capacity, youll severely overheat
quickly (typically after a mile or two of climbing).
A well functioning cooling system has the capacity to maintain the engine at under 100 degrees temperature during
continuous 50mph level drives on cool days. But of course the temperature needs to be 160-230 Fahrenheit,
depending on the car (consult your owners manual). That means in most driving situations the cooling capacity must
be partially defeated. This is accomplished by the thermostat, which acts as a deliberate bottleneck, regulating the
amount of cooling to keep the temperature at a proper level. A somewhat typical thermostat would be closed until
180 Fahrenheit, after which it would open further as the temperature increases, until at 195 its completely open.
This means that in the 15 degrees between 180 and 195, the cooling capacity would go from 0 to the full capacity of
the system (enough to scoot up a long 6% grade at 65 mph carrying 5 people in a well designed and maintained
machine). Below is a graph showing how temperature increases with increased engine heat production (i.e., more
gas):
The portion in blue represents a level of heat production so small that it can be disbursed by the direct contact of the
engine with ambient air. In practice this might be achieved in the case of a 40mph wind blowing into the open hood
of a car idling in the deep of a northern Minnesota winters night, but otherwise this condition is never seen in real
life. An idling engine, and certainly driving, at anything resembling normal conditions requires radiator cooling.
NOTE: Dont make the mistake of thinking the preceding diagram represents temperature versus time.
While that graph would look similar at the leftmost part of the graph, thats not whats being represented.
You can think of the preceding diagram as a graph of various driving conditions, each maintained for 10
minutes or more.
The violet portion represents heat production levels within the regulated cooling capacity of the cooling system. The
slight temperature gain across this range is due to the fact that the thermostat opens slowly and steadily over a range
of about 15 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the normal operating range of the vehicle. Once the engine is warmed up, all
driving should be done in this range.
The red portion represents a heat production level beyond the cooling capacity of the cooling system. The
temperature goes sky high. On a well maintained vehicle, you would expect the red portion only when the car is
used beyond its design capabilities, like using a compact car to pull a trailer up a long 6% grade.
The bottom line is that on a well maintained vehicle, the bottleneck, by a huge margin, is the thermostat. Contrast
that with a vehicle with a compromised cooling system not capable of cooling a hard worked engine, or in extreme
cases even a lightly worked engine:
Here theres no regulation. The entire graph is basically a straight line. Moderate hard usage sends the car into the
red. The operating temperature of a vehicle in this state of repair would vary widely with ambient temperature and
length of time driving. Typically no "normal operating temperature" can be identified for a vehicle in this condition.
Such a vehicle will almost certainly experience a catastrophic overheat the first time the driver takes a lengthy drive,
or drives in hot weather, or drives up a moderate hill.
The controlling bottleneck of this vehicle is not the thermostat -- its something else in the cooling system. The
automotive technicians task is to find that bottleneck.
Steve Litt is the author of "Troubleshooting Techniques of the Successful Technologist". Steve can be
reached at slitt@troubleshooters.com.
Cost of an Overheat
By Steve Litt
This article is written primarily for the car owner. Professional Auto Techs know this information all too well, and
most do it yourself mechanics know it also. Anyone not knowing this information leaves himself vulnerable to
making some very bad decisions that will cost a great deal of time and money.
Sometimes you get lucky and an overheat can be corrected by fixing its root cause. But all to often, overheating --
even a single 3 minute incident -- can cause consequential damage that costs thousands to fix. An overheat is a very
bad thing.
The most common consequential damage is a broken head gasket. This happens when the head and block expand
differently than the head gasket, or even worse, when an aluminum head and a cast iron block expand at radically
different rates, breaking the head gasket. Bimetal engines, whether they be aluminum heads on a cast iron block, or
cast iron heads on an aluminum block, are likely to break head gaskets with the slightest overheat. Unfortunately,
replacing head gaskets is a big job requiring hours for even an experienced mechanic with all the right tools. For a
do it yourselfer, it could be prohibitively time consuming or even impossible. As a result, the cost of replacing a
head gasket ranges from $500.00 to $2500.00, depending on the make and model, and whether the heads must be
machined.
Broken head gaskets result from a moderate overheat, or even a mild overheat on a bimetalic engine. A more serious
overheat can bend or break the heads. Now you have a large parts cost to add to the huge labor charge for replacing
the head gasket(s). New heads cost hundreds, and machining heads is also costly.
Some folks consider continuing to drive the car with a broken head gasket. Thats a very bad idea if you want to
keep the car more than a year. Combustion gas in the coolant can easily cause even more severe overheats, plus it
can quickly cancel the anti-corrosion properties of your antifreeze, leaving you open to corrosion, leaks, and
blockages, all of which result in further overheating. If coolant gets into the oil, the oils lubricating ability is
compromised, leading to engine seizes, bearing freezes, and all sorts of other problems. If coolant gets into the
cylinders it can cause a broken starter, solenoid, or flywheel. Broken head gaskets often make the car run poorly,
and often make it a gross polluter, which can be costly indeed in states that enforce smog regulations.
Your engine was designed to operate at a certain temperature. When it operates colder than that, emissions go up,
efficiency goes down, and engine wear increases. This is why cars dont drive as well cold as they do when theyre
"warmed up". On the opposite end, cars operating hotter than designed, even at temperatures lower than what it
would take to break a head gasket on a cast iron block/head combination, risk pre-ignition/detonation caused by too-
high engine temperature. Such pre-ignition/detonation can damage various components in your engine. If youve
ever driven a seriously overheated car you know it sounds much different, and it doesnt sound good.
But what if youre one of these wild and crazy guys who doesnt shut down the car even when the temperature gauge
is pinned, there are huge clouds of steam coming out the hood, and the car has started running funny. You, my
friend, will most likely need a new engine. Extremely overheated engines seize, freeze, warp, and who knows what
else. Engines arent too expensive, but the labor is prohibitive, and all too often the new engine lasts 10,000 miles
and then blows up.
Added to those costs is the cost of having an unreliable vehicle. Cars that overheat once tend to overheat often;
unless an unusually competent and comprehensive repair job is done. Overheats results in a tow charges, missed
work, and even hazards to personal safety. Its doubtful anyones personnel record lists "broken head gasket" as a
cause for job termination, but it just might list "excessive absence" and "unreliability".
I hope Ive gotten your attention. A single overheat can cost you thousands. You need to know that, because during
the rest of this magazine Ill be recommending preventive maintenance that costs nearly $100.00 per year, and
diagnostic procedures which cost almost $100.00 not counting the actual fix. When evaluating the cost of my
suggestions you must realize the cost of the alternatives -- $1500.00 to fix a head gasket, $300.00 for a new radiator
installed, and if you go to an incompetant Automotive Technician who practices diagnosis by serial replacement,
youll spend even more.
When viewed alongside the alternatives, $100.00/year to keep your cooling system healthy starts sounding
downright cheap.
Steve Litt is the author of Rapid Learning: Secret Weapon of the Successful Technologist. He can be reached
at slitt@troubleshooters.com.
Anatomy of an Overheat
By Steve Litt
In the simplest possible terms, any overheat must be caused by one of these five causes:
1. Grossly malfunctioning engine
2. Using the vehicle beyond its capabilities
3. Inadequate cooling system
4. Low coolant level
5. Inability to adequately transfer heat
Grossly malfunctioning engine
This almost never happens. In order to produce enough heat to overload a well functioning cooling system, the car
would need to be in such bad shape that going 55 MPH would require pressing half way down on the gas. A car this
mistuned would have many more symptoms. Sometimes a grossly mistuned or damaged engine combines with a
compromised cooling system to cause an overheat, but its extremely rare that the primary cause of an overheat is a
malfunctioning engine.
NOTE:
Considerable documentation on the web and in other places
states that an overly lean fuel mixture can cause overheating, so
you might want to check your mixture. That being said, I can tell
you that my 1973 Ford Country Squire ran incredibly lean
(former owners smog workaround) and yet did not overheat.
Using the vehicle beyond its capabilities
This is pretty obvious. If you tow a heavy trailer cross country using a little truck with a small six cylinder engine,
youre using the vehicle beyond its capabilities and should not be surprised if it overheats. If you expect to do
hauling and towing, at the least you need a radiator designed to dissapate the heat generated by an engine hauling a
load up a mountain road.
Inadequate cooling system
Many cars are manufactured with cooling systems barely capable of cooling them in extreme conditions. If such a
vehicle goes up a 10 mile stretch of 6% grade when its 100 farenheit outside, its likely to overheat. If a car with
little excess cooling capacity is driven in stop and go traffic on hot days with the air conditioning on full blast, its
likely to overheat. If a relatively new car overheats in challenging conditions but not straight 40 MPH drives on 60
degree days, it just might have been manufactured with insufficient excess cooling capacity.
In addition, many used cars have insufficient cooling capacity because somebody cut corners when replacing a
radiator. I once bought a Dodge Coronet with a radiator salvaged from a Dodge Dart. On hot days the slightest hill
would overheat it. I had a radiator shop make and install a huge custom 4 row and it no longer overheated. Some
used cars lack cooling capacity because the fan shroud has been removed. Such cars tend to overheat more at idle
and low speed.
If youve proven to a reasonable degree that the cars cooling system, as manufactured, is insufficient to cool the car
during extremely challenging driving, see if you can install a higher capacity radiator. Install the highest capacity
radiator you can purchase or have manufactured.
NOTE:
When replacing a radiator, its best to use a similar type of
radiator, but bigger. For instance, if the original radiator was
aluminum, its best to make the new radiator aluminum. Try to
replace plastic radiators with bigger plastic radiators. If you
need to use a different type replacement, be aware that you
might need to change the type of antifreeze you use.
Low coolant level
Low coolant level is a more common overheating cause than grossly malfunctioning engines, usage beyond
capabilities, and inadequate cooling systems combined. If coolant gets seriously low, cooling capacity is
compromised and the engine overheats, either in challenging circumstances or sometimes in all circumstances.
When researching low coolant its important to discover where the coolant is going. Its either leaving through the
radiator cap or reservoir, or its not. In either case, there are various mechanisms:
Coolant leaving SOMEWHERE BESIDES through reservoir or radiator cap
External leak
Internal leak
Coolant leaving through reservoir or radiator cap
A breached head gasket allowing combustion gas into the coolant, thus pushing the coolant out the
reservoir.
A bad radiator cap allowing coolant out the reservoir (or occasionally right out the cap).
An existing overheat venting excessive coolant into the reservoir, overflowing the reservoir. Note
the coolant could be in vapor form.
External Leak Not Involving the Reservoir or Radiator Cap
A pressure test can prove leakage other than out the reservoir or radiator cap. By replacing the radiator cap with the
pressure tester, large pressures can be put into a completely closed cooling system. If the system holds pressure,
theres no leak. If it doesnt hold pressure, theres a leak, at which time your job is to find it. If the leak is to the
outside of the engine (and most are), you should see coolant dripping. Then you need to follow its trail. If you cant
see well enought to follow its trail, you can put ultraviolet sensitive dye into the coolant, hang an ultraviolet lamp (a
black light) in the engine compartment, and see the river of luminescent coolant. Typical sites of external leaks are:
Hoses
Radiator
Water pump (especially at the drain hole)
Freeze plugs
Heater core (coolant smell inside passenger compartment, possibly puddles on floor of passenger seat)
Drain plug on engine
Drain petcock on radiator
Note that in the case of the heater core, a pressure test might not reveal that leak because the heater valve may be
shut. Let the engine run til its hot (but nowhere near overheat), and with all the car doors shut and the windows
closed, turn the heater on full blast and carefully sniff around the passenger seat and the floor of the passenger seat
(wear eye protection and be careful not to get sprayed with hot coolant). If you smell coolant, suspect a leaking
heater core. If you see a puddle of coolant on the floor, suspect a leaking heater core. Also, be sure to visually
inspect the heater hoses under the hood while the car is hot (but not overheated) and the heater is on full blast. If you
see a leak in a heater hose, thats at least one source of your leak.
Internal Leak Not Involving the Reservoir or Radiator Cap
If the cooling system fails the pressure test but no leak is observed and no coolant falls to the ground, its possibly an
internal leak through a breached head gasket or a breach in the separation between the radiator and the transmission
fluid cooler. Such a leak would typically be one of these three:
Coolant through the head gasket into the cylinders
Coolant through the head gasket into the oil
Coolant through the radiator into the transmission fluid
Voluminous white smoke out the exhaust, especially when starting, indicates coolant into the cylinders. Yellow or
white foam or gunk on the oil cap indicates coolant into the oil, as does beads of water in the oil or a water film.
Thankfully, water into the transmission fluid is rare. If the transmission fluid on the transmission dipstick looks
good, coolant into the transmission fluid is probably not the problem.
Breached head gasket: combustion gas in the coolant pushing coolant out the
reservoir
This is best detected with a combustion gas detection test, using either a smog sniffer or a block tester. There are
different kinds of block testers, one of which is from NAPA and costs in the neighborhood of $45.00.
Bad radiator cap allowing coolant out the reservoir or cap
Observe the cap for cracks (in rubber or in metal) or swelling. Put your thumb on the base and fingers on the top of
the cap and squeeze. If its easy to squeeze, the radiator cap is bad and will probably lose coolant.
Existing overheat venting excess coolant through the reservoir
If the cooling system passes its pressure test, theres no evidence of a heater core or heater hose leak, the radiator cap
is good, the block test indicates there is no combustion gas in the coolant, and theres no evidence of coolant in the
oil, cylinders or transmission fluid, its best to assume that the coolant loss was due to an overheat caused by
something other than coolant loss. In that case, investigate the possibility of grossly malfunctioning engine, using
the vehicle beyond its capabilities, and inadequate cooling system. All three are unusual. If its none of those, treat
this as an inability to adequately transfer heat.
Catastrophic Coolant Loss
If the upper or lower radiator hose breaks, or if the radiator ruptures, the car will be drained of coolant within
seconds, and the temperature will rise precipitously. If such a car is not shut down within a minute of such a
catastrophic coolant loss, a blown engine is the likely result. If you ever see smoke or steam coming out the hood
while driving, pull over safely and shut it down instantly. Dont wait for the the next exit -- its likely your engine
will be ruined by then. Towing is expensive, but its much cheaper than replacing an engine.
Inability to transfer heat
If a pressure test shows the root cause not to be a leak, and if the cause is not a grossly malfunctioning engine, usage
beyond design, or weakly designed cooling system, then the problem is caused by an inability to adequately transfer
heat. Now is the time to look for the cause of overheating within the closed system of your cooling system.
Here are some of the mechanisms of inadequate heat transfer:
Circulation stopped by collapsed lower hose
Circulation slowed and heat transfer retarded by excessive deposits in radiator
Thermostat always closed, or opens at higher than specified temperature
Coolant not able to absorb and carry heat
Inadequate air flow through radiator
Blockage in upper radiator hose (highly unlikely)
Insufficient water pump pressure
Blockages in water pathways within the engine block
Circulation stopped by collapsed lower hose
As you can see from the preceding diagram, the water pump sucks water out of the radiator through the lower
radiator hose, and shoots it into the engine block. That suction would cause the lower radiator hose to collapse if it
werent for the fact that a sturdy spring inside the lower hose prevents such collapse. A collapsed lower hose would
prevent circulation through the radiator and quickly cause an overheat.
So with the car running and warmed up (but not overheated), visually inspect the hose and make sure its not
collapsed. With the car not running and the engine cool, feel the hose and make sure its incompressible with your
fingers. Also make sure its not cracked or brittle.
SAFETY WARNING: When feeling hoses or in any way reaching into the engine compartment, wear eye
protection and take reasonable precautions to prevent getting burned. Never allow your fingers, hands, hair,
clothing, or other body part to come near the fan or belts. Remember that electric fans can suddenly turn on even if
the car is not running and the key is not in the ignition.
Although a collapsed bottom hose would cause an overheat, its possible that a massive radiator blockage caused the
collapsed hose. If you see a collapsed hose and it appears to have been the correct hose (i.e. it has a spring but the
spring failed), look very carefully for blockages in the radiator. Whatever the cause of the collapse, replace any
bottom radiator hose that has ever collapsed, and be sure to fix whatever caused the collapse.
Circulation slowed and heat transfer retarded by excessive deposits in
radiator
Radiator deposits and corrosion lead to blockage and overheat. In fact, many coolant losses and head gasket failures
start out as simple radiator blockages. Detecting radiator deposits starts with the customers symptom description. If
the cars stable temperature has been slowly rising for weeks or months, radiator deposits are one possible cause. If
the car ran at a specific temperature, then all of a sudden jumped to a higher temperature, radiator deposits arent a
likely cause. As in all deductions based on symptom descriptions, you must evaluate the customers ability to relate
the facts as they happened.
Most radiator deposits serious enough to push the temperature anywhere near redline are visually observable if you
drain a few inches of coolant from the radiator. Other diagnostic tests include using an infrared temperature sensor
to detect "hot spots" in a radiator. Such hot spots indicate places that are cooling efficiently (the hot coolant is
flowing through them), as opposed to the "cool spots" that have no coolant.
Steve Litts Radiator Opinions
In my personal opinion, a radiator with enough corrosion or deposits to make it a likely cause (not THE likely cause,
just A likely cause) of overheating, should be replaced with a higher capacity radiator. The preceding sentence
assumes that the customer wants to keep the car. Before the customer can decide whether he wants to keep the car,
the customer needs to know whether theres a head gasket problem, so a block test, visual inspection of the cars
exhaust, visual inspection of the transmissions dipstick, visual inspection of the oilcap, and a pressure test should all
be performed to determine the likelyhood of a broken head gasket.
You noticed I said replace the radiator, not "rod it out". Im of the opinion that oftentimes "rodding out" does not
cure the problem, and in many other instances it cures the problem for only a few months. "Rodding out" is labor
intensive and not cheap. The extra money spent on a brand new radiator is money well spent in my opinion.
And in my opinion, theres no such thing as too much radiator. Get the biggest one you can. A huge radiator can, in
some cases, compensate for suboptimal conditions:
Long, steep grades
100+ degree weather
Accidentally running with too little coolant
Towing
Small head gasket breach (at least for a short while)
Severely mistuned or misrepaired engine
Missing fan shroud
When I say "a huge radiator", area counts more than thickness. Id much rather have a 24x16 two row than a 12x16
four row, but certainly all other things being equal, a four row is better than a two row. When getting huge radiators
keep in mind that when the radiator extends beyond the area that can be ventilated by the grill, the benefits of big
area are decreased.
If youre a car owner, upon hearing that your current radiator is seriously corroded, deposited or plugged, Id advise
getting the biggest possible radiator. If you need to spend extra money to have a huge radiator manufactured, thats a
good idea, assuming you have confidence in the outfit doing the manufacturing.
NOTE:
When replacing a radiator, its best to use a similar type of
radiator, but bigger. For instance, if the original radiator was
aluminum, its best to make the new radiator aluminum. Try to
replace plastic radiators with bigger plastic radiators. If you
need to use a different type replacement, be aware that you
might need to change the type of antifreeze you use.
If youre an Automotive Technician, try to get your customer to see the value in a huge, brand new radiator.
Thermostat always closed, or opens at higher than specified temperatures
If the thermostat remains closed at all times, no coolant will enter the radiator, and the engine will overheat. If the
thermostat opens only at an excessively high temperature, the engine will remain at that temperature, and if that
temperature is hot enough to cause coolant loss, additional overheating will result.
You can deduce when a thermostat opens by a number of means, including feeling for pressure changes on the upper
hose, or viewing water flow through the radiator. SUCH VIEWING SHOULD BE DONE IN A SAFE WAY --
warm but not hot, eye protection, do not lean over the radiator.
Once you can determine the opening and closing of the thermostat, measuring the engine temperature with a
thermometer can tell you the opening temperature. Ive never measured the temperature this way. Many techniques
exist, but I cant vouch for any particular techniques.
Thermostats typically malfunction by one of two mechanisms:
Thermostat cannot sense water temperature because of a gas bubble
Defective thermostat
Perhaps the easiest way to rule out all thermostat problems is to run without a thermostat for an hour or so. If
overheating ceases, your thermostat is involved in one way or another. If overheating continues (but perhaps taking
longer to happen), the thermostat is ruled out as a cause. If the thermostat appears to be at fault, you might try
putting it in a pot of hot water and see if it opens at the correct temperature. If it does, the thermostat is probably not
defective, meaning that you might have a gas bubble problem.
NOTE: Running without a thermostat is a diagnostic test, not a solution. To reduce the risk of engine damage,
"thermostatless" operation should occur for the minimum time necessary to reproduce an overheat, or confirm that
the overheat does not occur in the absence of a thermostat.
Many people have successfully cured gas bubble problems by drilling a 1/8" hole in the thermostat. This hole lets
the gas rise past the thermostat, allowing the thermostats wax temperature sensor to once again contact coolant.
However, its possible that such a hole could cause some problems, so you might want to weigh that possibility.
Here are the instructions one Troubleshooters.Com visitor, A.S.E. certified master truck and auto mechanic Dennis
Buler, gave me for drilling the 1/8" hole:
Top view of thermostat. The violet dot at the 12 oclock position of the rim is where
Dennis recommends drilling the 1/8" hole.
Side view of thermostat
Bottom view of thermostat
Dennisexact words were "i drill the hole in the flat disk part like half way between where the gasket would seal and
the center opening mechanism".
One more thing. Remember that a gas bubble can be caused by combustion gasses passed through a head gasket
breach. In such a case its likely youll need to replace your head gasket.
Coolant not able to absorb and carry heat
When I was younger and less wise, I drained the cooling system of my 1973 Ford Country Squire and replaced it
with 100% ethylene glycol (antifreeze). The car overheated badly. 100% ethylene glycol is a poor absorber of heat.
100% propylene glycol is a somewhat better absorber of heat, and in some cases is useful as a coolant. But it doesnt
absorb as much heat as 50/50.
At temperatures below the boiling point of water, water is more effective at absorbing and carrying heat than any
mixture of water and either ethylene glycol or propylene glycol. If you have a 160 degree thermostat and your
cooling system is functioning well, you could theoretically add cooling capacity by replacing your water/antifreeze
mixture with pure water.
But the added cooling capacity would be short lived indeed. Adding antifreeze gives the following benefits that
water alone cannot:
Higher boiling temperature at a given pressure
Lower freezing temperature
Corrosion resistance
You need coolant capable of absorbing and carrying heat. Pure ethylene glycol is not such a coolant. Pure propylene
glycol is barely adequate. Pure water will absorb and carry heat very well, but if your engine is designed to run hot,
your water will boil away, causing an overheat. Additionally, pure water will lead to a cracked block in cold
climates, and excessive cooling system corrosion in any climate.
Always know what youre using for coolant. If you know theres no propylene glycol in the coolant mixture, you can
use a simple specific gravity indicator to deduce your mixture. The ideal mixture is 50/50, but in extremely cold
climates you can get by with 70% antifreeze and 30% water. Any more antifreeze will lead to overheating.
If theres a likelihood that some or all of your coolant is propylene glycol, specific gravity measurements will not
accurately indicate your mixture. Use a refractometer instead.
If the coolant is so old that the driver does not know what all is in it, perhaps its time to flush the cooling system and
replace it with whatever the cars manufacturer recommends. Coolant is discussed in more detail later in this
magazine.
Inadequate air flow through radiator
No matter how well heat is transferred to the radiator, unless the radiator is cooled by air flow, the cooling system
will not function. At moderate and high driving speeds, air is forced through the radiator as the car pushes through
the air. At idle and low driving speeds, a fan is required to ventilate the radiator with cool air. Therefore, when a
symptom description mentions overheating at low speed, idle, or stop and go traffic, the fan system should be
investigated first.
The Fan System
There are mechanical fan systems and electrical fan systems. Transverse engines have electrical fan systems because
of the difficulty of having a belt turn a right angle to operate a front-facing fan. Electrical fan systems are comprised
of a fan attached to the radiator (on the engine side), and electronics to turn the fan on and off as needed. If the
electronics malfunction such that the fan never comes on, overheats at slow and idle will be the result. If thats
suspected, there are ways to jumper the fan so its always on. Be sure to check electrical diagrams so as not to
inadvertently damage the fan control electronics. If the jumpered fan runs and the overheat goes away, the problem
is in the electronics or in whatever senses the temperature. If the fan doesnt run even after jumpering it directly
across the battery, the fan is defective. Either way, jumpering the fan is a temporary diagnostic test, not a solution.
Immediately fix the root cause -- dont continue to use a car with a jumpered fan.
Most cars with forward facing engines use a mechanical fan system, consisting of the fan, fan clutch, fan belt, and
radiator shroud. On such a system the fan belt turns the fan clutch, which turns the fan, which pulls air through the
radiator, constrained by the radiator shroud.
If the fanbelt slips, it cant deliver necessary torque to drive the fan at sufficient speed, and idle/low speed
overheating can result. The fan clutch is designed to deliver more torque at higher temperatures. If it doesnt function
right, it doesnt transmit enough torque to drive the fan at sufficient speed, and idle/low speed overheating can result.
The fan shroud is like a tunnel between the fan and the radiator, ensuring that all air pulled by the fan comes through
the radiator, instead of simply being sucked from the surrounding area or around from the back of the fan. Without a
fan shroud, idle and low speed overheating is likely to occur.
You might wonder why a fan shroud is necessary on a mechanical fan when its not necessary on an electrical fan.
An electrical fan is mounted to the radiator itself. Its very close to the radiator, and moves with the radiator.
Contrast this with the mechanical fan, which must be mounted several inches away from the radiator. Because the
mechanical fan moves with the engine, and not with the radiator, installing the mechanical fan close enough to
eliminate the need for the fan shroud would cause the fan to gouge the radiator when extreme engine torque causes
the engine to move. This is especially true when a motor mount is broken.
Other impediments to cool air through the radiator
Other impediments to cool air through the radiator can cause overheating at all driving speeds. One such
impediment is the air conditioning cooling coils, which typically sit right in front of the radiator. Obviously, the air
conditioning coils restrict the flow of air to the radiator, but more important, if the air conditioner is on, the air
conditioning coils get very hot, heating the air intended to cool the radiator. Its like driving on a 120 degree day.
Add to that the fact that air conditioner consumes power that must be provided by burning more gasoline, and it
becomes obvious why you should turn off your air conditioner during mountain travel.
Bugs, dirt and debris can clog the air flow passages of your radiator, or of the air conditioner cooling coils before the
radiator. Either way, airflow is restricted, and overheating can result. There are methods of cleaning the radiator and
cooling coils, but be very careful not to damage the delicate tubes and vains. Also, these areas are often difficult to
access. Sometimes compressed air is the best way to clean them. Once cleaned, you might want to install a "bug
catching net" in your grill, especially in climates where there are numerous flying bugs.
Radiators are typically constructed with tiny tubes soldered to fins, or else oval tubes. Either way, the idea is to
allow air to flow through the radiator. If these things become bent, air flow is impeded. Bent tubes and fins can be
straightened, but trying to do so can also further damage the radiator or cause a leak. Radiators should be handled
delicately.
Another impediment to air flow is a damaged radiator. Vains and tubes are bent and twisted by crashes and
mishandling of the radiator by inept technicians. Another cause of radiator damage is fan damage, in which a
mechanical fan hits the radiator. The primary cause of fan damage is a bad motor mount, so always maintain your
motor mounts.
In general, you might deduce impediments to cool air by observation, or lacking that by seeing how well
compressed air goes from the outside of the grill to the area between the radiator and the engine. On my 1988 Buick
Park Avenue with air conditioning, when I put the blowing end of a 5HP industrial vacuum on the grill, I could feel
the breeze on my hand inside the engine compartment, but just barely. If you have an easy way of removing your
grill, perhaps the best and quickest test is to investigate is visually. Even if the air conditioning cooling coils block
your view of the radiator, its a good bet that if the air conditioning coils are clean, so is the radiator.
A complete radiator investication involves removal of the radiator, which is labor intensive and should only be done
when theres good reason to strongly suspect dirt on the radiator or bending of the radiators components.
Blockage in upper radiator hose (highly unlikely)
This is so unlikely that it should be tested only in cases of unexplained overheating. The test might be to let the car
cool, then disconnect the upper radiator hose from the radiator, at which time youd lose coolant. If there appears to
be a blockage, replace the hose. Once again, this is highly unlikely.
Another extreme unlikelihood is that the water pump is pushing flow backward, so that theres suction on the upper
hose. This could conceivably happen if a water pump made for a serpentine belt is used with a belt off the
crankshaft, or vice versa. Reversed pump direction would likely cause other strange symptoms.
Insufficient water pump pressure
If the water pump cant circulate the coolant, the car will overheat. Not only that, but the pressure and flow must be
sufficient to support high velocities through the radiator. Its important that the coolant experience turbulance in the
radiator tubes, so that all the hot water contacts the tubes. Turbulance can occur only when coolant velocities are
above a certain level.
That being said, the water pumps job is to circulate coolant through a well functioning system, not to brute force
coolant through a radiator whose tubes are clogged with deposits. Theres no easy and accurate way to assess the
level of water pump functioning. Here are some things that can go wrong with a water pump.
Bad belt or wrong tension
Bad bearings
Undersized or oversized pulley
Bad impellers
Belt tension can quickly be checked by hand. Bad bearings can often be deduced by manipulating the water pump
shaft to determine whether there is play. Further confirmation can be had by loosening the belt driving the water
pump, and seeing if the pump turns reasonably free. Be careful not to stretch the belt -- loosen a component, do not
strongarm the belt off the pulley.
An undersized or oversized pulley can be deduced by obtaining the manufacturers documentation, or by comparing
the pulley to what the manufacturer put in similar cars. Be sure the similar car is similar enough. For instance, if
your water pump is driven by a serpentine belt, make sure you compare it to a similar model and year with a
serpentine belt. An oversized pulley causes the pump to turn too slowly, thus reducing coolant flow, possibly to the
point of overheat. Note that theoretically the overheat should be speed independent because high speeds require
faster coolant flow. But thats just theory.
One might think that an undersized pulley would cause the pump to spin faster, thereby increasing coolant flow.
While this may be true for a moderately undersized pulley, if the pulley is significantly undersized its just as likely
to present so much torque, and so little traction area, that the belt will slip, causing a vast decrease in coolant flow --
probably at high speeds where coolant flow is most crucial.
Blockages in water pathways within the engine block
This is very hard to determine without partially disassembling the engine. For this reason the best way to "rule out"
blockages is to find a different cause. Luckily such blockages are usually localized and may not harm the engine
excessively. Moderately quick diagnostic techniques that are at least a little useful include using an infrared
thermometer to try to find "hotspots" on the engine, and removing spark plugs to see if any show symptoms of
excessive heat.
Because internal blockages in the engine block or heads are so hard to diagnose, its best if they never happen.
Practicing corrosion protection and impurity protection is probably your best defense.
Root Cause Drilldown
So far this article has explained most common mechanisms by which an overheat can occur. But these mechanisms
also have root causes, and an understanding of these ultimate root causes is essential for constructing an economical
preventive maintenance plan and for constructing economical diagnostic procedures.
This section discusses four lower level causes, as well as their ultimate causes and effects. Those three lower level
causes are:
Corrosion
Breached head gasket
Radiator damage
Normal wear and tear
Corrosion
Corrosion can cause the following overheating mechanisms:
Radiator leaks
Radiator deposits and blockages
Heater core leaks
Heater blockages
Hose deterioration (through electrolysis, in conjunction with heat, age and vibration)
Head gasket breaches
Water pump failures
Thermostat failures
Engine "hot spots"
As you can see, preventing corrosion goes a long way toward preventing overheats.
Corrosion happens when the coolant loses its anticorrosive properties. With standard antifreeze in a 50/50 mixture
this happens in about 2 years or 24,000 to 30,000 miles. Same with 50/50 propylene glycol or 100% propylene
glycol. There are several "extended life" antifreezes. Some, such as the GM "Dex-Cool" complient antifreezes
(Texaco/Havoline Dex-Cool and Prestone Extended Life 5/150), are designed to go 5 years or 150,000 miles
between changes. Many new GM cars come from the factory with this type of coolant. However, "long life"
coolants often revert to 2 years when mixed with other types of coolants, or when used in a system with trapped air
or rust/corrosion. Mixing antifreezes is generally a bad idea, and certain combinations can actually promote
corrosion.
Furthermore, encroachment of combustion gasses into the coolant via a head gasket breach can neutralize any
coolants corrosion inhibition long before the specified life.
Most antifreeze is extremely cheap. My local Discount Auto Center sells Prestone brand Ethylene Glycol standard
antifreeze for $6.99 a gallon, and Havoline Dex-Cool for the same price. You can get 3 gallons of high quality
ethylene glycol antifreeze for $21.00. Propylene glycol is less likely to poison animals and is a little more costly, as
are the various more exotic antifreezes. In my opinion, its time flush and change your antifreeze when:
You see any rust in your antifreeze, and its been over 4 months since your last coolant replacement
Corrosion or deposits are detected in your radiator, and its been over 6 months since your last coolant
replacement
Different types of antifreezes have been mixed
The cooling system needs service or diagnosis and the exact type and mixture of the coolant is unknown
Your cooling system needs service requiring a major draining of coolant
Somebody has used a "leak seal" type of product in the cooling system (these are usually temporary
stopgap measures, and often clog passages and components leading to further problems).
I personally believe that unless you know for certain that your cooling system is in perfect shape and always has
been, you should flush and change your coolant yearly. Its such a low price for preventing corrosion. I personally
believe that if youre using a 5 year/150,000 mile coolant, its best to change it every 3 years or 90,000 miles once
the car is out of warranty. If you have reason to believe theres air, gasses, impurities, deposits or rust in the coolant,
2 year or 1 year intervals might be even better.
While were on the subject of economics of corrosion protection, distilled water is just too cheap not to use,
assuming youre a car owner doing your own work. Distilled water costs about $0.70 per gallon, so for about $2.00
per year you can give the anticorrosives in your antifreeze a fighting chance by not introducing calcium, lime or who
knows what into your cooling system. This is especially important if your antifreeze uses phosphates as a corrosion
inhibiter, because phosphates react with calcium to produce radiator-clogging scale. Naturally, if you find yourself
low on coolant and need to get home, use tapwater. Never use softened water, as it contains salts that can quickly
corrode your cooling system.
If you can conquer the corrosion monster, youre most of the way to making sure your car never has a single incident
of overheating.
Breached Head Gasket
A breached head gasket can cause the following:
Overheating
Loss of coolant, with or without overheating
Corrosion of the cooling system
Destruction of the oils lubricating properties
Breakage of the starter, solinoid or flywheel
The most common cause of breached head gaskets are overheats. Even a single overheating incident can break a
head gasket, especially in a car with a bimetalic engine. The best way to protect against an overheat is to take proper
care of your cooling system, and to look at your temperature gauge often. If your car has an idiot light instead of a
temperature gauge, installing an aftermarket temperature gauge is an excellent investment.
Radiator Damage
Radiator damage retards proper air flow through the radiator, thereby causing or contributing to overheating. Also,
radiator damage can cause leaks, either immediately following the damage, or months or years later. Here are some
ways to lessen the chance of radiator damage:
When doing your own work, handle the radiator like the fragile piece it is
Use only competant automotive technicians
Dont crash your car, and if you do, replace a damaged radiator before it can cause overheating
Check motor mounts frequently, and replace them when they break
A broken motor mount can allow the fan to rip through the radiator. Typical causes of premature failure of motor
mounts are aggressive driving and bad shocks.
Normal Wear and Tear
Things wear out. Many of those things can cause overheats if they break. As weve seen, even one overheat can
severely damage a car. Many of the components that can cause overheat when they wear out are cheap. They should
be replaced in a preventive maintenance program:
Belts
Hoses
Hose clamps
Thermostat
Radiator cap
Coolant
By replacing these cheap and easy components on a regular schedule of preventive maintenance, you limit the
likelihood of damaging expensive parts such as the radiator, water pump, head gasket, heads, or engine.
Summary
This article discussed the common mechanisms by which an overheat occurs, and discussed root causes of many of
those mechanisms. As this article strongly implies, the best way to avoid overheats is by a program of preventive
maintenance.
Steve Litt is the author of Rapid Learning: Secret Weapon of the Successful Technologist. He can be reached
at slitt@troubleshooters.com.
Preventive Maintenance of Cooling Systems
By Steve Litt
As you can imagine from the preceding article, cooling system preventive maintenance can make the difference
between a reliable car with few problems, or a lemon with huge yearly shop costs. If you figure the yearly cooling
system preventive maintenance costs $100.00, and you drive 10,000 miles per year, youre spending a penny a mile
to keep your. If the two year maintenance costs another $100.00, that adds a half a cent a mile. And if the three year
maintenance costs $150.00, that adds another half penny. So for two cents a mile you can keep your car overheat
free for a good long time.
The sad thing is that most people wont spend the money. Two cents per mile doesnt sound like much, but when you
spend it all at once, and when youre spending it on a car that seems perfectly healthy, many folks feel it doesnt
make much sense. If youre an automotive tech, your job is to explain why it does make sense. Explain that the
customers car may only seem healthy. Cooling system problems are a disease with a long incubation period. It can
take 4 years for radiator corrosion and deposits to reach the point where they compromise everyday driving.
But once the symptoms appear, theyre often relentless. That clogged radiator, if not replaced in time, can lead to a
head-gasket busting catastrophic overheat. And if the head gasket isnt diagnosed correctly, replacing the radiator
doesnt completely eliminate the symptom. The customer begins to believe his car is possessed by the overheating
demon.
The radiator isnt the only component being compromised. Old coolant corrodes the water pump, leading to failure.
And you know how replacement water pumps are -- theyre seldom as good as the original, so after the first
replacement, water pumps become a regular maintenance item at a couple hundred a pop.
An undiscovered bad hose can break, and unless the cars driver has the sense to safely pull over and shut it down
immediately, the head gasket will be breached.
Check your motor mounts often. A broken motor mount can allow a mechanical fan to slice into the radiator. This
can render the vehicle undriveable, or it can simply reduce the excess cooling capacity to the point where the vehicle
will overheat in challenging driving conditions.
Preventive maintenance cant necessarily prevent all these problems, but it can usually postpone most of them until
well past the cars first decade, and such preventive maintenance makes it likely that any cooling system problems
will be caught before heads or head gaskets are damaged.
This article contains an example of a cooling system preventive maintenance program. Id imagine it costs about two
cents a mile, and will probably enable the cooling system to be problem free for its first decade, and limit problems
to minor repairs thereafter.
If I ran an automotive shop, Id package the yearly, two year and three year maintenance items for a fixed price, and
sell them to customers as peace of mind. It takes a little education, but its worth it in dollars and cents and in
customer goodwill. Note that much of this maintenance overlaps other maintenance, such as oil and lube and
transmission, so it could be combined with those. Finally, by keeping track of the customers maintenance, the shop
can provide a valuable service to customers with better things to remember than exactly when they last replaced
their thermostat or belts. Also, by providing that service, the shop can maximize the likelihood that the customer will
use the shop for all work, and not grind for the lowest price.
Troubleshooters.Com Suggested Yearly Preventive
Maintenance (or every 15,000 miles, whichevers first)
This looks like a lot, but most of it is easy inspection. Because of the nature of the 2 and 3 year maintenance items,
these inspection items are unlikely to uncover problems after the first yearly inspection. The only parts involved in
the yearly maintenance are the radiator cap and the coolant.
Bounce test the shocks (to insure protection motor mounts)
Inspect belts for wear and tension
Check function of serpentine tensioner arm
Inspect hoses for excessive mushiness, excessive hardness, brittleness or cracking. By feeling from the
outside, inspect hoses for internal gaps that might indicate electrolytic breakdown. Also inspect hoses for
evidence of leaks.
Inspect inside of radiator for corrosion and to verify reasonable coolant flow.
To the extent possible without extensive labor, inspect exterior of radiator and air conditioner cooling coils
for dirt and damage. Clean as necessary.
Inspect water pump for leaks and excessive shaft play or binding
Revv test the motor mounts (to insure protection of radiator in a mechanical fan system)
Verify that the engine maintains a temperature within manufacturers specification
Verify that the thermostat is opening and closing at approximately the right temperature
Verify that the temperature gauge is reasonably accurate
Verify that the electrical fan turns on at the right temperature, or
Verify that the mechanical fan spins and its fan clutch is in good working order
Verify proper heater function
Verify the absense of white or yellow foam or gunk on the oilcap
Verify the absense of steam in the exhaust, especially on startup
Verify clean and pure transmission fluid
Verify clean and pure coolant with no rust or other impurities
Perform a pressure test
Replace Radiator Cap
Thoroughly backflush and replace the coolant (or else drain radiator and replace with new coolant twice
yearly)
Troubleshooters.Com Suggested Every Two Years
Preventive Maintenance (or every 30,000 miles, whichevers
first)
Id imagine thermostat replacement plus testing for combustion gas could be done for less than $100.00. As long as
high quality thermostats are used, Im of the opinion that this would make thermostat failures almost obsolete, and it
would hopefully detect bad head gaskets long before they contributed to the destruction of other components. Given
the yearly maintenance, its doubtful that combustion gas would be found.
Test for combustion gas in the coolant
Replace the thermostat
Troubleshooters.Com Suggested Every Three Years
Preventive Maintenance (or every 45,000 miles, whichevers
first)
Unless a driver is very well informed, a broken water pump belt or a broken radiator hose will lead to a catastrophic
overheat. Even if the customer seems intelligent enough to safely pull over and shut down upon first detection of a
cooling problem, all sorts of teenagers might be driving the car. Unless the car is shut down within a minute or so of
the dropped belt or ruptured hose, severe engine damage will result. The money saved by trying to extend belt and
hose life past three years isnt worth the problems that result if the life estimate proves too optimistic.
Replace any belts that have not been replaced in the past 2 years
Replace top and bottom radiator hoses that have not been replaced in the past 2 years
Steve Litt is the author of "Troubleshooting Techniques of the Successful Technologist". Steve can be
reached at slitt@troubleshooters.com.
Optimizing Overheating Diagnosis
By Steve Litt
As the webmaster of Troubleshooters.Com, Ive gotten dozens of letters that go something like this:
My car overheated , so I took it to the shop. They replaced the thermostat. I drove it for a few days and it overheated
again. They then charged me another $200 to replace the water pump, but as soon as I got the car home it
overheated so badly that it wouldnt even start. This time they rodded out the radiator for $150, and it got better, but
still overheated. So they charged me another $200 to replace the radiator with a new one (and told me they were
giving me a break on the price). That improved the situation even more, but it still overheats on long trips, and it
runs rough and theres a lot of white smoke coming out the exhaust. When I took it back to the shop they said it was
a broken head gasket, and it would cost $1200 to fix. What do I do?
Its entirely likely that the original root cause was the radiator, and nothing but the radiator. But during the time
consumed by diagnosis by serial replacement, successive overheats broke the head gasket, thereby adding yet a new
overheating cause. Or take the case of an even less competant shop:
My car overheated, so I took it to the shop. They replaced the thermostat, but it still overheated. They then charged
me another $200 to replace the water pump, but nothing changed. So they replaced the radiator, but everything was
still as bad. Yesterday I took it to another shop, who told me the white foam on the oil cap and steam coming out
the exhaust indicates a broken head gasket, which was caused by all the overheating. And they told me I have a
collapsed lower radiator hose, which probably caused the original overheating, and that the cost to install a
replacement hose would have been $50. Could this be true?
Diagnosis by serial replacement is NOT an option if you want to have a profitable shop over the long term.
Although some components are hard to test (water pumps, for instance), enough easy tests are available that you can
usually pinpoint the root cause if you do all the simple tests. Another reason to do a full scale diagnostic workup is
that by the time you see a typical overheat, multiple causes may be at work.
The following outline lists and categorizes relatively cheap and simple tests that will maximize the probability of
accurately identifying the root cause, thus preventing costly and credibility busting diagnosis by serial replacement:
Symptom description
When did the overheating start?
Was the onset of overheating gradual or sudden?
What situations tend to make the overheating worse?
Does it happen more at idle, low speeds or stop and go traffic? (suspect fan system)
How long does it take to overheat?
Has the overheating ever caused the car to stall? (suspect head gasket as a consequential damage)
Does the engine temperature tend to go up and down as you drive? (suspect head gasket as a
cause)
Does it overheat once, and then return to normal for the rest of the drive? (suspect head gasket as a
cause)
Have you seen puddles of liquid where youve parked? (suspect leak)
How long do you go between cooling system flushes (if never, suspect corrosion)
Do you see steam? Where does it seem to come from?
Describe anything youve seen, heard or smelled.
Do you have any other observations you think might have anything to do with this overheating?
Symptom reproduction
Compare engine temperature with manufacturers spec when running car according to customers
description of the symptoms reproduction sequence
Verify that the temperature gauge is reasonably accurate
Verify other specifics of the symptom description
Evaluate Head Gasket Function
Verify the absense of white or yellow foam or gunk on the oilcap
Verify the absense of steam in the exhaust, especially on startup
Verify clean and pure transmission fluid
Verify clean and pure coolant with no oil, rust or other impurities
Test for combustion gas in coolant at radiator fill pipe and at reservoir
Did coolant loss cause overheat, or did overheat cause coolant loss?
Perform a pressure test, locate any leaks
Observe and test radiator cap
Evaluate fan system
Ask customer whether it tends to overheat more at idle, slow speeds, or stop and go traffic
Verify that the electrical fan turns on at the right temperature, or
Verify that the mechanical fan spins and its fan clutch is in good working order
Check fan belt driving mechanical fan
Research fanbelt related causes
Inspect belts for wear and proper tension
Check function of serpentine tensioner arm
Radiator, water pump and thermostat
Inspect water pump for leaks and excessive shaft play or binding
To the extent possible without extensive labor, inspect exterior of radiator and air conditioner
cooling coils for dirt and damage. Clean as necessary.
Inspect inside of radiator for corrosion and to verify reasonable coolant flow.
Verify that the thermostat is opening and closing at approximately the right temperature
Both by pressure increase in top hose, and by viewing coolant flow through radiator
Heater
Verify proper heater function
Look for coolant on the floor in passenger compartment, smell for coolant smell in passenger
compartment
Prevent and predict future problems
Inspect hoses for excessive mushiness, excessive hardness, brittleness or cracking. Inspect hoses
for internal gaps that might indicate electrolytic breakdown. Also inspect hoses for evidence of
leaks.
Steve Litt is the author of Rapid Learning: Secret Weapon of the Successful Technologist. He can be reached
at slitt@troubleshooters.com.
Coolants 101
By Steve Litt
One could write a PHD thesis on coolants. This article simply strives to give a laymans overview of the subject.
Automotive coolant is a mixture of two liquids:
Water (ideally distilled)
Antifreeze
The antifreeze consists of two types of components:
Freeze inhibitors
Corrosion inhibitors
Current antifreeze products inhibit freezing with either ethylene glycol or propylene glycol. The former is a better
freeze inhibitor, boils at a higher temperature, and in a 50/50 to 70/30 mixture with water is a better absorber of heat.
The advantage of propylene glycol is it doesnt smell or taste as sweet, so animals and small children arent as
tempted to drink it. This is important, because both ethylene glycol or propylene glycol are lethally poisonous in
small quantities. The other advantage of propylene glycol is that in a pure form it absorbs enough heat to be useful
as a coolant, whereas pure ethylene glycol is not useful as a coolant in its pure form.
Propylene glycol/water mixtures have the disadvantage of not being measurable with a traditional specific gravity
measurement tool. Instead these mixtures must be measured by the much more expensive refractometers. And, as
previously mentioned, at all but the most concentrated mixtures, ethylene glycol solutions are more efficient
coolants.
"Ordinary" antifreezes use ethylene glycol as their freeze inhibitor. "Environmental" antifreezes use propylene
glycol. Most of the new "long life" antifreezes use ethylene glycol. They derive their long life from their corrosion
inhibitors, not from a special freeze inhibitor.
Corrosion Inhibitors
As freeze inhibitors react with air and other chemicals over time, they become acidic. This causes corrosion to the
metal parts of the cooling system, and in fact can turn the whole system into a battery whose anodes (typically the
aluminum parts) are consumed. Within a very short number of years, the radiator, water pump, and even the hoses
are corroded and clogged. Once that happens, the overheating begins, leading to a broken head gasket or worse if the
compromised parts are not replaced. Corrosion protection is THE biggest factor in keeping a cooling system healthy.
Which is why antifreeze comes with corrosion inhibitors.
Ordinary "2 year" antifreezes use borates, phosphates and/or silicates as corrosion inhibitors. Most North American
standard antifreezes contain phosphates, which are great at corrosion protection, but can react with calcium in tap
water to produce radiator-clogging sentiment and scale. The harder the water, the more of a problem this becomes. If
you change your own coolant, you can avoid this by using only distilled water. At less than a dollar a gallon, its a
bargain.
Never use softened water in a cooling system. Softened water contains salt (NaCl), which becomes conductive in
water and turns your entire cooling system into a battery, destroying first your aluminum parts, and then going to
work on even the cast iron.
The new "extended life" antifreezes are the same as conventional antifreezes except for their corrosion inhibitors.
Most "extended life" antifreezes use organic acids instead of inorganic salts (borates, phosphates and silicates) for
corrosion protection. When used correctly, these organic acids are said to protect against corrosion for up to 5 years
and 150,000 miles. There have been a few reports of problems with corrosion on lead-soldered copper/brass
radiators protected with organic acids, and also a few reports of sludging with organic acids. These are discussed in
more detail in some of automotive author Larry Carleys writings (URL in this magazines URLs section). The two
organic acid technology antifreezes approved by GM are Texaco/Havoline Dex-Cool and Prestone Long Life 5/100.
From the car companys point of view, organic acid corrosion inhibitors are great way to protect against warranty
problems caused by customer neglect. Most warranties are over by 5 years or 150,000 miles. Once your car is out of
warranty and you are responsible for its upkeep, even if your car came with extended life antifreeze theres no reason
you cant change the antifreeze more often. That way, if conditions are less than perfect, youre improving your
cooling systems chances. Texaco/Havoline Dex-Cool was selling for $6.99 a gallon at my local Discount Auto Parts
store -- the same price as conventional Prestone antifreeze.
Coolant Replacement Recommendations
In my opinion, unless you have a very good reason to do otherwise, you should use the manufacturer recommended
antifreeze for your car. The manufacturer has chemists and engineers on staff to figure out the exact best formula to
use with the components in your car model. Its absurd to think that either you or an automotive technician could
second guess them in ordinary circumstances.
So what would constitute a very good reason? One would be a radiator replacement with a substantially different
radiator type. For instance, if the original was plastic and you put in an aluminum radiator, youd need to totally
reevaluate your choice of coolant, as this is something the car companys engineers did not design. Likewise, if the
original was lead soldered copper and youre replacing with plastic. The list goes on.
Another good reason would be a known design defect involving a specific antifreeze. Certainly if the manufacturer
later changed their antifreeze recommendation for a specific model, you should follow the new recommendation.
And in certain circumstances where experts believe that the manufacturer was wrong, and your car is now out of
warranty, you may decide to take the risk of going against the manufacturers recommendations.
Never mix antifreezes. At best this would eliminate the long life of long life antifreezes, at worst it could cause a
new corrosion problem worse than either of the antifreezes by itself. When you switch antifreeze types, you must
totally drain the old antifreeze.
Steve Litt is the author of Rapid Learning: Secret Weapon of the Successful Technologist. He can be reached
at slitt@troubleshooters.com.
Do It Yourself Coolant Changes
By Steve Litt
If youre old enough to remember coolant changes before the age of environmental law, all I can tell you is
"everythings changed". Letting the engine run for 30 minutes, with the radiator petcock open and a garden hose
pumping water into the radiator fill pipe is now seriously illegal. In most locales, all drained coolant must now be
collected and taken to a licensed disposal facility. If the drained coolant is diluted with a garden hose, you might
have 100 gallons to bring in :-).
The environmental laws change everything. What was an easy 20 minute procedure is now a day-long affair,
complete with risks of injury, car damage, and legal difficulties. For that reason Ive split this article in two sections:
Traditional do it yourself backflush/replacement changes
Easier coolant maintenance methods
I recommend the easier coolant maintenance methods. The reason the traditional methods are discussed first is so
you understand all the hassle that goes along with the traditional methods. After reading the time, expense, difficulty
and legal risks of traditional changes, I think youll be ready to accept some of the disadvantages of the easier
coolant maintenance procedures. And once again, nobody said the traditional change methods are difficult in and of
themselves -- theyre just incredibly difficult to do legally.
Traditional do it yourself backflush/replacement changes
Probably the toughest part of changing your coolant is disposing the old coolant in a safe and legal manner. Ethylene
glycol is a potent poison that smells and tastes sweet, so if left in a pan or on the ground animals and small children
will drink it and die. Propylene glycol isnt as sweet so it isnt as tempting, but its still a poison.
Before starting your coolant change, make sure you read this whole article and note the extreme hassles, damage
risks, legal risks, and personal injury risks in draining a cooling system in an environmentally responsible way.
Check with your city or county as to the lawful coolant disposal procedures. Sometimes those procedures are costly
enough that youre better off having a shop do your coolant change.
1. Pre-Drain procedures
2. Drain the reservoir
3. Drain the cooling system
4. Install the flush kit
5. Flush
6. 2nd Drain
7. Add Coolant
8. Close system
9. Test
Pre-Drain procedures
There exist various cooling system cleaners and flushers. The idea is that you add this liquid for 10 minutes and idle
with the heater on full blast, or with some cleaners run the car for 6 hours and then drain and flush. I cannot
comment on possible harmful side effects of these cleaners and flushers. I wouldnt use them on a car that has had
annual coolant changes. They might be indicated on a car whose coolant is rusty, or a car whose radiator is partially
clogged. If you use these cleaners or flushers, try to research any possible side effects.
Drain the reservoir
There are various ways to do this, including removing and inverting the reservoir (pour it into a container for
disposal), or finding a way to drain it via the hose to the radiator fill neck. Another way would be to drain some
coolant, run the car until its well warmed up (but never overheated), and shutting down the car. The coolant in the
reservoir should be sucked back into the radiator. You can also syphon the reservoir contents into a disposal
container, but NEVER syphon by mouth, because antifreeze is a potent poison that can be fatal.
After draining the reservoir, clean it by running a garden hose into it to remove dirt.
Drain the cooling system
Always make sure old coolant is poured into a pan -- never let it run into the ground or down the driveway and into
the storm sewers. Antifreeze is a sweet tasting poison, and it kills animals and even small children. Never let the pan
you drained it into remain unobserved, or a neighborhood dog or cat might die. Pour the contents of the pan into
closed containers, and if your county provides a liquid waste drop off center, bring the containers there. Always
conform to your city or countys laws concerning antifreeze disposal.
It seems like everyone has their own technique for draining the cooling system. Here are a few:
Successive half-dilution
Single half-dilution
Running quick empty
Running quick empty with thermostat removed
Simultaneous draining of radiator and engine
Successive half-dilution
The most common seems to be the successive half-dilution technique. This technique involves waiting for the
radiator to cool, removing the radiator cap, draining the radiator through the radiator petcock, filling the radiator
with pure water, running the engine til hot with the heater on full blast. Every time this procedure is done the amount
of antifreeze in the system is cut roughly in half, because at any one time about half the coolant resides in the
radiator and the other half in the engine and heater. Four such half dilutions will have diluted the antifreeze by a
factor of 16, at which time its less dangerous. But theres still a significant amount of antifreeze, so you might be
violating the law by flushing and letting the dilute spill. Not only that, but this method drains 2 to 3 gallons per
dilution, meaning youll need to take 8 to 12 gallons to the licensed disposal facility. Thats lots of containers, and
lots of stuff to carry.
Be sure to let the engine cool completely each time, or youll be burned severely when you open the radiator cap and
the radiator petcock.
Successive Half Dilution
PRO CON
Safe for the engine
Only the radiator petcock is
touched
Takes a long time (cooling every dilution)
Excessive materials to dispose of
Spills significant amounts of antifreeze during later flush
Risk of injury if done wrong
Single half-dilution
Some recommend simply draining the radiator once, refilling it with water, and then starting the flush procedure.
Thus only the radiators contents are brought to the licensed disposal facility. The antifreeze remaining in the engine
is diluted during flush and spilled onto the driveway and down the street gutters to the storm drain. Although the
flushing process greatly dilutes this antifreeze, it can still pose a grave danger for animals, its not environmentally
sound, and its probably illegal in most locations.
Single Half Dilution
PRO CON
Safe for the engine
Only the radiator petcock is
touched
Very quick
Very little material to dispose of
Illegal in most places
Spills dangerous amounts of antifreeze during later flush
Spilled antifreeze runs down the street and into the storm drain
Any animal can drink it all along the way
Risk of injury if done wrong
Running quick empty
I used to do this. Its risky. Basically, with the engine cold, open the radiator petcock into a large collection pan, start
the engine, and turn on the heater full blast. The radiator drains while the system is still cool, and when the
thermostat opens, the engine and heater are likewise drained into the radiator. If the radiator petcock can drain the
coolant before the engine overheats, youre fine. Otherwise, you can cause an overheat and consequential damage.
As a practical matter, youd want to watch the thermostat and shut down the engine when the temperature begins to
head for the red. Better still, have one person watch the petcock and one watch the temperature gauge, and shut
down when the draining stops, or when the engine begins to head for the red -- whichever comes first. If the
drainage was not complete, youll need to use the dilution techniques discussed previously.
To increase your chances of a total drain, you might want to disconnect the lower radiator hose. This allows coolant
to drain very quickly, hopefully long before engine temperature becomes a problem. When removing the lower hose,
try not to pry it off with a screwdriver, as that could damage the fitting on the radiator. If it wont twist off or pull
off, perhaps you shouldnt remove this hose, unless you want to carefully cut it off with a knife, and then purchase a
new lower hose.
Running quick empty
PRO CON
Very quick
All coolant drained and gathered without dilution
Legal and environmentally sound
Risk of overheat and engine damage
Risk of injury if done wrong
Running quick empty with thermostat removed
This is exactly like the normal running quick empty, except the lack of a thermostat means engine and heater coolant
will circulate to the radiator while the engine is still cold, thereby reducing the risk of engine damage.
One problem is that some coolant will spill when the thermostat is removed. Unless that spilled coolant is caught in
a pan, its an environmental problem, a risk to pets and small children, and may be illegal.
One possibility is to start with a normal running quick empty, let the engine get cold, then remove the thermostat
and do the second quick empty. The second quick empty occurs immediately instead of waiting for the engine to
warm up. This lessens the risk of consequential damage to the water pump when it operates without liquid, and
lessens the likelihood of overheat. To reduce it more, you might consider simply draining the radiator, closing the
petcock, and running until hot (at which time much of the engines coolant will have moved to the radiator. Because
the thermostat is amongst the highest points of the cooling system, theres a good chance that it can be removed
without significant spillage.
Running quick empty with thermostat removed
PRO CON
Very quick
All coolant drained and gathered without dilution
Legal and environmentally sound
Great reduction in likelihood of overheat
Removing thermostat is time consuming
Slight risk of overheat and engine damage
Increased possibility of coolant spill
Risk of injury if done wrong
Simultaneous draining of radiator and engine
Most engines have one or more coolant drain plug to drain the engine itself. Theoretically, by opening all air bleeds,
all engine drain plugs (remember to drain each into a pan), and the radiator cap and petcock (once again, drain into a
pan), you can drain most of the systems coolant while the engine is cold and not running. This eliminates the risk of
overheat and reduces the risk of personal injury. And assuming that you catch and turn in all the drained coolant, its
one of the most environmentally responsible methods.
But drain plug locations are specific to specific car makes and models, and theyre usually very difficult to get to. If
you strip, shear or break an engine drain plug, youre in a heap of trouble, son. And you should really replace the
washers on those drain plugs -- and those parts might not be so easy to get. Before attempting this, be sure to obtain
the manufacturers documentation on coolant draining
Simultaneous draining of radiator and engine
PRO CON
All coolant drained and gathered without dilution
Legal and environmentally sound if care is taken
to avoid spillage when removing thermostat
When done right, remores all risk of overheat
Reduces risk of burns
Loosening and replacing engine drain plugs is
difficult and time consuming
Drain plug washers should be replaced
Danger of damaging a drain plug, cross
threading it, or not being able to get it back in.
Greater risk of injury due to working under the
vehicle
Very difficult and time consuming
Install the flush kit
You can buy a flush kit to "wash out" your cooling system. As far as I know, the law says you must have already
drained all your coolant, so that the only thing youre spilling is water. Check with your local authorities.
One way to flush the cooling system is to run it with the heater running full blast, the radiator petcock open and
spilling on the ground (theres no more antifreeze left, remember), and a garden hose pouring in the radiator. Such a
method would take a long time to do a good flush. A much more efficient flush method is to buy a flush kit. My
local Discount Auto Parts store sells a Zerex flush kit for about $4.00.
The flush kit comes with the following parts:
Back flow prevention coupler
Flushing T
Cap for flushing T
Two hose clamps
Deflector
According to the instructions, you start by installing the flushing T. Start with a cold engine. Cut the heater inlet
hose in a convienient place at least a couple inches from hot engine parts. Its the hose between the firewall and the
engine block, not the one between the firewall and the water pump. Remember, the system has been mostly drained,
so very little coolant will spill. Slip a hose clamp over the hose on each side of the cut, then slip the hoses over each
end of the flushing T. The kit comes with three different sized flushing Ts to accommodate any sized heater hose.
Make sure the vertical part of the T is pointed upward. Then tighten the hose clamps so that the flushing T is
permanently and securely installed. Finally, screw the appropriate end of the back flow prevention coupler onto the
T. The instructions will tell you which end is appropriate.
Flush
One flushing method is running a garden hose into the radiator fill pipe of a running car with the radiator petcock
open. This method isnt particularly efficient.
The other way is to use a flush kit. The preceding section discussed its installation. To flush using a flush kit, do the
following on a car with a cold engine:
1. Screw a garden hose onto the back flow prevention coupler whose other end is connected to the flushing T
2. Make sure the radiator petcock is closed
3. Remove the radiator cap
4. Insert the deflector into the radiator fill pipe **
5. Turn the heater control onto the high position
6. Turn on the water to the garden hose
7. Start the car
** The deflector is made of a tough plastic. It snaps into the fill pipe with a tight pressure fit.
I believe that with an old corroded metal radiator, or a radiator with a plastic fill pipe, its
conceivable that such a press fit could damage the fill pipe. The only function of the
deflector is to move the spillage away from the car. You might decide its better to let the
water spill right out of the fill pipe.
Also, the deflector is too short to move the spilled water away from the car. If you use the deflector, you might want
to tape a short length of hose to it in order to move the spillage entirely away from the engine compartment and car.
Do not let the hose get anywhere near the fan, fanbelts, or other moving parts, or the result could be severe damage
or injury.
WARNING!
If you connect the back flow connector in the wrong direction, or
if the back flow connector malfunctions, or if you forget to
remove the radiator cap, it is possible for the cars coolant to
"back up" into the hose and into the water supply. This is an
extreme sanitary breach, and if there are significant toxins in the
cooling system (flushing solutions and antifreeze are both very
toxic), people could be poisoned. Be VERY careful!
Run the car until the fluid coming out the radiator has been clear for five minutes. At that point your cooling system
can be considered flushed and clean.
2nd Drain
Shut down the engine and wait for it to cool. It shouldnt be very hot because youve been moving cold water
through and out of it. If youre using a flush kit, remove the back flow prevention coupler from the flushing T. Turn
the heater on full hot. Remove the radiator cap and open the radiator petcock. let drain. Because you have all clean
water in the system, theres no need to drain the engine.
Add Coolant
Close the petcock. If youre using the flush kit, leave the flush T open. Turn the heater to the full heat position. Open
any bleeder valves that are reasonably easy to open.
Look up in your owners manual the amount of antifreeze (not coolant, but the amount of antifreeze necessary to fill
the cooling system with 50/50 coolant (or whatever mixture you need to give freeze protection for your coldest
days). If your owners manual lists only the cooling systems fluid capacity, divide that amount by 2 for the amount
of antifreeze to make a 50/50 mixture. If, in order to protect against freezing in extremely cold weather, you need a
60/40 mixture (60% antifreeze), multiply the cooling system fluid capacity by 0.6.
Put that amount of pure antifreeze in your radiator. Then top off with distilled water. Make sure you add enough to
bleed all air from the system. You should see some coolant come out the bleeder valves and/or flush T.
The reason you dont simply add 50/50 is that the engine contains 100% water, so you could never reach 50/50 by
adding 50/50. Similar logic applies for any mixture percentage.
Close system
Close the bleeder valves. Put the cap on the flushing T. Install the radiator cap
Test
The big reason for testing is that air can get trapped in the system. Trapped air can cause overheats in two ways:
1. By creating a low coolant situation
2. By creating a bubble around the thermostats heat sensor, so that the thermostat "thinks" the engine is cool
and does not open
Most of the trapped air comes out within minutes after running the car. Some comes out for a few days after. As the
air comes out, it must be replaced by the desired mixture of coolant.
Run the car for several minutes, revving the motor every once in a while. Shut down instantly if the temperature
starts heading for redline. Otherwise, let it run for 15 minutes and then shut down. Open the hood, and fill the
reservoir to the "full, hot" mark with the proper mixture of coolant. Let the engine cool. Then open the radiator cap,
and if the coolant isnt up to the top, top it off with the proper coolant mixture. Repeat until the cool engine doesnt
require a top off.
Then, for the next few mornings, remove the radiator cap and verify that the coolant is up to the top, and if it isnt,
top it off with the proper coolant mixture. Likewise, if the reservoir coolant level is below the "full, cold" level, top
off the reservoir with the proper mixture.
Easier Coolant Maintenance Methods
Do the traditional methods seem to involve too much time, hassle, injury risk, and legal risk? How did you like the
risk of accidentally backing up your coolant into the water supply if you accidentally build up pressure in the system
and the back flow prevention coupler fails or is connected wrong? Might that involve some fines and lawsuits?
There are two easy methods for coolant maintenance. Ones not as thorough as the traditional methods, and one is
expensive and might not be as thorough. But they both lower the risks of damage, injury, environmental harm and
legal liability to acceptable levels. When viewing the deficiencies of these methods, keep in mind that the traditional
alternatives might be even less attractive. The two easy methods are:
Frequent radiator drains
Letting a professional do it
Frequent radiator drains
One interesting solution to the flushing problem is to replace quality with quantity when it comes to coolant
replacement. Instead of replacing every drop of coolent every year or two, replace half the coolant every 6 months.
This can be done by draining and refilling the radiator, without the hassle of draining the engine. When done this
way, you can consider the 6 months between the radiator drain/replacements as a long "flush" period. This solution
is quick and cheap.
Start with the engine cold, and open radiator cap and then the radiator petcock and drain the radiator into a pan for
disposal at the disposal facility. Also, find a way to drain the reservoir into that same disposal pan. Add a gallon of
water to the radiator with a garden hose, and catch what comes out the petcock in the pan That should remove most
of the remaining ounces of coolant.
Unless youre extremely environmentally responsible, you can then rinse the radiator and reservoir with a garden
hose. After all, probably there are only a few drops of coolant left in the radiator, and youre diluting that coolant
100 to 1, so risk to animals and the environment is minimal. Once again, allow the radiator to drain completely, and
then close the petcock. Now fill the radiator with the proper antifreeze/water combination for your climate,
squeezing the hoses to try to free air bubbles.
If all went well you didnt introduce air pockets into your cooling system. But sometimes air pockets happen. Too
much air can cause overheats, either through a low coolant condition, or by an air bubble surrounding the
thermostats temperature sensor.
Fill the reservoir to the "full, cool" line with the proper mixture for your climate. Place a closed bottle of that
mixture in your trunk for use while testing. Now start the engine and drive it around the block a few times, keeping a
VERY careful eye on the temperature gauge. If it starts to move toward the redline, shut it down immediately.
Otherwise, after about 10 minutes pull back into your driveway. Either way, with the engine hot, top off the
reservoir to the "fill hot" line with the proper mixture. When the car is cold again, note the reservoir level. If its
below the "full, cool" level, repeat the instructions in this paragraph.
Every day for a week, when you get up in the morning, before starting the car open the cold radiator and top off with
the proper coolant mixture if necessary, and top off the reservoir to the "full, cool" line. This is replacement of air
that got burped out during yesterdays driving. During the first week watch the temperature gauge very carefully. If
you have no gauge (only an idiot lite), try not to go on long drives for the first week, and check the reservoir level
every time you come out to the car.
For even better accuracy, before refilling with coolant, measure the coolant mixture with a hydrometer (assuming
youve always used ethylene glycol), and when calculating the replacement mixture, make sure to compensate for
any excess in the existing mixture.
This method takes maybe 15 minutes (not counting around the block testing or the trip to the licensed disposal
facility), its performed almost entirely on a cold engine, its cheap (typically a gallon or 1.5 gallons of antifreeze),
its environmentally sound because its trivially easy to catch all the coolant.
Each time you perform this procedure you replace roughly half the coolant, and as a simplification you can assume
youre removing 1/2 of the coolants disolved impurities. If you do this procedure twice a year (thats about $20.00
and a half hour of your time plus time spent testing and at the disposal facility), youve replaced 75% of your coolant
every year, and every 2 years youve replaced 93.75% of your coolant. This isnt as good doing a 100% replacement
and backflush every 2 years, but if you continually refill the radiator every 6 months its probably good enough to
keep your cooling system healthy for a very long time. And remember, without knowing exactly what an auto shop
does, its very possible that this procedure is actually more thorough than what the shop does.
A huge advantage of frequent radiator drains is that you control the water being used. By using only distilled water,
you cut way down on the likelihood of calcium-caused deposits. Even if your system started with tap water, within 4
changes youve replaced 93.75% of the old tap water with distilled water.
Frequent radiator drains
PRO CON
Legal and environmentally sound if youre
reasonably careful not to spill.
Extremely fast and easy
When done right, removes all risk of overheat
Reduces risk of burns
You know exactly what went into the system
You can use distilled water
Not as thorough as a flush
May not reduce heavy deposits in a
previously undermaintained car
Must be done every 6 months
Letting a professional do it
Perhaps the easiest solution is to let a professional clean, flush and replace the coolant. You need to ascertain that
the professional will really remove all (well, 99%) of the old coolant, flush the system with water, drain the flushed
water, and then replace with brand new coolant. Some professionals merely drain the and rinse the radiator, and then
refill with the correct solution. You could easily do that yourself -- its not what youre paying them to do.
Be sure the professional uses the correct antifreeze for the car. Some shops dont take the time to look up
recommendations. And ask whether the shop is using recycled antifreeze. Recycled antifreeze is made from old
antifreeze and contaminants -- many from cars much dirtier than yours. The quality of recycled antifreeze is
dependent on the ability of the recycling machine to filter out whatever bizarre contaminants were present in the raw
material, and upon the corrosion inhibitor which the shop adds. With new antifreeze priced at $6.99 a gallon (add a
couple bucks for the shops markup), recycled antifreeze might not be worth it.
Letting a professional do it
PRO CON
Effortless and not time
consuming
You are not responsible for
coolant disposal or any
environmental or liability
problems.
Costs money
Requires being without your car for hours or days
You need to research how the professional does the job. For
instance, some professionals simply drain the radiator and pour in
coolant. You could have done that yourself in less time than it
takes to drive to the shop.
Mental Model of the Cooling System
By Steve Litt
A car converts about a third of its fuels energy to mechanical energy to move the car. About a third goes out the
tailpipe unused. Most of the remaining third is released as heat. That heat must be conducted away from the cars
engine, or the engine will reach temperatures fatal to the engine. At the simplest conceptual level, heres what
happens:
The water pump pushes cool coolant from the radiator into the engine, where heat from the engine is transferred into
the coolant, thereby cooling the engine. Assuming the thermostat is open or partially open, the hot coolant leaves the
engine through the thermostat and is transported to the radiator, where its heat is transferred to the air blowing
through the radiator, thereby cooling the coolant. The cooled water is then ready to once again go to the water pump.
Note that the areas in the engine through which the coolant flows are called the "water jacket". Note that some of
these areas include intentional holes in the head gasket. Those holes do not constitute a head gasket breach, because
theres coolant on both sides. Its only when a part of the head gasket separating coolant from combustion gasses
from oil that the head gasket is considered breached.
Note that a parallel coolant flow path goes through the passenger compartment heater. This is why its advised to
turn on your heater full blast in the case of an overheat (but remember never to jeopardize personal safety doing this,
and remember this is a last ditch workaround and the car should not continue to be driven under these
circumstances).
The airflow through the radiator depends on the fan at low driving speeds, but at high speeds most cars force air
through from the grille. Note also that the air conditioning coil assembly is in front of the radiator, so if the air
conditioning is on, the air flowing through the radiator will have been warmed by the air conditioner, thereby
reducing cooling efficiency. Thats why huge inclines like the Grapevine usually post signs to turn off your air
conditioner before beginning ascent.
In summary, the engine passes its heat to the coolant, which flows to the radiator and then passes its heat to the
radiator, which passes its heat to the air being blown through it. Any interference with this heat flow dangerously
reduces cooling capacity. If cooling capacity falls below the amount of heat generated by the engine, overheating
results. The answers to the following questions help determine the cooling capacity of the cooling system:
Is the water jacket full of coolant?
Are deposits in the water jacket reducing heat flow away from the engine? (hard to determine)
Is coolant flowing swiftly and continuously while the thermostat is open?
Is the radiator free of deposits that reduce coolant flow and heat transfer?
Is the radiator filled to the top with coolant so that its entire surface transfers heat to the air?
Is the radiator designed to transfer the amount of heat being generated, in the weather encountered?
Does sufficient cool air flow through the radiator at driving speed ( >30mph)?
Does the fan supply sufficient cool air flow through the radiator at low speeds and stops?
Is the coolant free of combustion gasses and other gasses and contaminants?
Later in this Troubleshooting Professional issue these simple heat transfer questions will be transformed into
troubleshooting tactics.
Excess Cooling Capacity
Automotive cooling systems must have HUGE levels of excess cooling capacity. Next time you drive 60 mph on a
flat deserted road, notice how far you push on the gas pedal. Probably a millimeter to a centimeter. Now see how
much you need to push the gas pedal to ascend a 6% grade at 45mph. Probably an inch or 2. Go up to 65 and on
some cars youll be near flooring it. 1/3 of all that gasoline is converted into heat.
Your cooling system must be able to get rid of all that heat. Difficult enough, it becomes even more of a challenge if
the air temperature is warm (less heat transfer from radiator to air), and brutal if your car is heavily loaded or towing
something. If the heat generated by combustion significantly exceeds the cooling capacity, youll severely overheat
quickly (typically after a mile or two of climbing).
A well functioning cooling system has the capacity to maintain the engine at under 100 degrees temperature during
continuous 50mph level drives on cool days. But of course the temperature needs to be 160-230 Fahrenheit,
depending on the car (consult your owners manual). That means in most driving situations the cooling capacity must
be partially defeated. This is accomplished by the thermostat, which acts as a deliberate bottleneck, regulating the
amount of cooling to keep the temperature at a proper level. A somewhat typical thermostat would be closed until
180 Fahrenheit, after which it would open further as the temperature increases, until at 195 its completely open.
This means that in the 15 degrees between 180 and 195, the cooling capacity would go from 0 to the full capacity of
the system (enough to scoot up the Grapevine at 65 mph carrying 5 people in a well designed, maintained machine).
Below is a graph showing how temperature increases with increased engine heat production (i.e., more gas):
The portion in blue represents a level of heat production so small that it can be disbursed by the direct contact of the
engine with ambient air. In practice this might be achieved in the case of a 40mph wind blowing into the open hood
of a car idling in the deep of a northern Minnesota winters night, but otherwise this condition is never seen in real
life. An idling engine, and certainly driving, at anything resembling normal conditions requires radiator cooling.
NOTE: Dont make the mistake of thinking the preceding diagram represents temperature versus time.
While that graph would look similar at the leftmost part of the graph, thats not whats being represented.
You can think of the preceding diagram as a graph of various driving conditions, each maintained for 10
minutes or more.
The violet portion represents heat production levels within the regulated cooling capacity of the cooling system. The
slight temperature gain across this range is due to the fact that the thermostat opens slowly and steadily over a range
of about 15 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the normal operating range of the vehicle. All driving should be done in this
range.
The red portion represents a heat production level beyond the cooling capacity of the cooling system. The
temperature goes sky high. On a well maintained vehicle, you would expect the red portion only when the car is
used beyond its design capabilities, like using a compact car to pull a trailer up the Grapevine.
The bottom line is that on a well maintained vehicle, the bottleneck, by a huge margin, is the thermostat. Contrast
that with a vehicle with a compromised cooling system not capable of cooling a hard worked engine, or in extreme
cases even a lightly worked engine:
Here theres no regulation. The entire graph is basically a straight line. Moderate hard usage sends the car into the
red. The operating temperature of a vehicle in this state of repair would vary widely with ambient temperature and
length of time driving. Typically no "typical operating temperature" can be identified for a vehicle in this state. Such
a vehicle will almost certainly experience a catastrophic overheat the first time the driver takes a lengthy drive, or
drives in hot weather, or drives up a moderate hill.
The controlling bottleneck of this vehicle is not the thermostat -- its something else in the cooling system. The
automotive technicians task is to find that bottleneck.
Steve Litt is the author of the Universal Troubleshooting Process course. He can be reached at
slitt@troubleshooters.com.
Examining the Two Cooling Chicken-and-
Eggs
By Steve Litt
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Did the chicken cause the egg, or did the egg cause the chicken? Here are
two more chicken and egg questions:
Did the overheat cause the busted head gasket, or did the busted head gasket cause the overheat?
Did the overheat cause coolant loss, or did the coolant loss cause the overheat?
Meaningful overheat solutions are elusive until these two questions are answered. Except when the cause of the
overheat is completely obvious, these two questions must be answered. Even in the most obvious cases, remember
than even if the root cause wasnt a broken head gasket, the overheat could have caused consequential failure of the
head gasket.
Did the overheat cause the busted head gasket, or did the
busted head gasket cause the overheat?
Overheated engines often break their head gaskets (and sometimes even bend or break the heads themselves). This is
especially likely on a bimetal engine, where the heads are aluminum and the block is iron, or vice versa. Two metals
expanding at different rates are an excellent way to stress both the metals and the gasket between them.
But did you know that a broken head gasket can CAUSE an overheat? Many mechanics dont know this, but an
otherwise symptomless broken head gasket (no yellow gunk on the oil cap, no steam out the exhaust) can allow
combustion gasses from the cylinders to leak into the water jacket. Such leakage has several possible effects, all of
which make overheating more likely:
These incredibly hot gasses are retained in the system instead of being blown out the exhaust, thereby
increasing heat production.
The gas bubbles reduce heat conduction from block to coolant, and from coolant to radiator. Bubbles can
create destructive "hot spots" even in an engine whose overall temperature is within limits.
A gas bubble can settle at the thermostat, insulating it from the engines heat and preventing the thermostat
from opening.
Depending on the volume of gas poured into the coolant, and the geometry and configuration of the cooling
system, the gas can create huge pressures which continuously push excessive coolant out to the reservoir,
thereby overflowing the reservoir and creating a low coolant condition.
Sometimes the pressure created by the combustion gasses do not force coolant out, but instead build up until the
combustion gasses are "burped" out the radiator cap and into the reservoir. Such a situation can create "cyclic
overheating", in which the temperature raises and lowers at regular intervals (20 minutes has been often reported to
Troubleshooters.Com). Another possible mechanism for cyclic overheating is where the elevated temperature
"seals" the hole in the head gasket, which then opens again when the temperature returns to normal.
Occasionally "incidental overheating" is reported to Troubleshooters.Com. This means that after the engine warms
up, it overheats, and then continued driving brings it back to normal temperature for the remainder of the drive. I
would suspect this is a combustion gas caused overheat which happens only while warming up. Another explanation
for "incidental overheating" is the gas bubble that settles on the thermostat, insulating it from the engines heat and
preventing it from opening. When something finally happens to dislodge the bubble (a bump, a burp, whatever), the
thermostat opens and all gas is blown out into the radiator, eliminating the cause of the problem (until the next time
the car stands cool long enough to develop a gas bubble).
NOTE: Theoretically there can be many sources of gas in the coolant. The bubble surrounding thermostat
hypothesis can be tested by temporarily removing the thermostat. If the symptom disappears, its either a bad
thermostat or a bubble surrounding the thermostat. Then install a known good replacement thermostat. If
the problem reappears, the problem was a bubble surrounding the thermostat.
Incidental overheats that happen early in every drive, and then return to normal temperature, should be
investigated for an air bubble surrounding the thermostat.
Never run a car without a thermostat for an extended period of time. Modern cars must be run within tight
parameters to prevent abnormal wear and tear.
The common thread in all these head-gasket caused symptom is that theyre caused by gasses in the coolant (usually
itself caused by head gasket failure). Replacing the radiator or water pump wont fix the head gasket. At best,
installing a higher capacity radiator may reduce the severity of such an overheat. The mechanic and customer need
to know if a head gasket breach is allowing combustion gasses into the coolant. Fortunately there are two quick and
easy tests:
Block tester test
Smog sniffer test
A block tester is a device that can be bought from a NAPA store. It has dye which changes color in the presence of
exhaust gasses. From what I understand, you can get about 6 tests from one block tester, and the block tester costs
around $45.00. The quote I got from my local NAPA dealer was $45.99. He didnt have it in stock, but said he could
have it the next day. The relevant NAPA catalog is called "The PSA 2000 catalog" or the "Balkamp Catalog". The
catalog calls the Block Tester a "combustion leak tester kit", so thats probably what you should ask for. From what I
understand, it comes with a ball, tubes, test fluid, aspirator bulb and engine adapter (cone shaped device you place in
your radiator filler cap). If theres exhaust in your coolant the test fluid changes color.
From what I understand, a smog sniffer is an even better method. The smog sniffer is placed above the radiator filler
cap, and the HydroCarbon (HC) level is measured. Use extreme care to prevent any contact between the coolant and
sniffer probe, as contact with the coolant will ruin the probe. I understand that the car should be warmed up (but not
overheated) before performing this test.
Flat Earth Mechanics
Unfortunately, many mechanics believe that all head gasket flaws exhibit themselves as coolant in the oil (yellow
gunk on the oil cap) or coolant in the cylinders (voluminous white steam out the exhaust). Such mechanics are
almost certain to misdiagnose a head gasket caused overheat or coolant loss. I believe this accounts for many of the
Troubleshooters.Com reader reports of "they replaced my water pump, radiator, thermostat and hoses, and it still
happens". Such diagnosis by replacement is very expensive, and still leaves the owner to pay for the head gasket
when someone finally properly diagnoses the problem.
I believe that in all but the most totally obvious overheats, the coolant must be checked for combustion gasses. If
your mechanic doesnt believe its necessary to check for combustion gasses, either because he thinks a head gasket
problem cant cause an overheat or because he believes broken head gaskets always exhibit yellow gunk on the oil
cap and/or white steam out the exhaust, I recommend you find a different mechanic. Even if the test costs you
$60.00, its likely to prevent expenditures for "diagnosis by substitution". Also, it facilitates a much more accurate
cost estimate. Nobody wants to be told they must spend $1000.00 to replace a head gasket after they just bought a
radiator.
Did the overheat cause coolant loss, or did the coolant loss
cause the overheat?
An overheated engine will always spew water out the reservoir, creating a low-coolant situation. Likewise, a low
coolant situation will likely cause an overheat (which of course will result in further coolant loss). Was low coolant
the root cause, or was it just a symptom? Obviously, the problem will remain until the root cause is fixed.
The answer is found using a pressure test, together with head gasket tests. There are four places your coolant can go:
1. Out an external leak from a hose, water pump, radiator, etc.
2. Out the reservoir as a result of excess pressure from an overheat or combustion gas leakage
3. Into the cylinders through a broken head gasket
4. Into the oil through a broken gasket
#4 can be ruled in or out by observing the oil and oil cap. #3 can be pretty well deduced by observing the exhaust,
especially on startup. #2 can be deduced with a block tester or smog sniffer. And #1 can be deduced by a pressure
test.
In a pressure test, the mechanic removes the radiator cap (after the engine has cooled, obviously), and replaces it
with a cap attached to a pump with a pressure gauge. He pumps it up to a pressure above your systems rated
pressure, and observes whether it can hold that pressure for 2 minutes or more. If not, theres a leak. The next step is
visual observation to find the location of the leak. If it cant be seen, the next step might be to place an ultra-violet
reactive dye in the coolant, pump up the pressure, and look for leaks under an ultraviolet light.
While its possible for a pressure test to push coolant through a break in the head gasket into cylinders or oil, often
such leakage requires a greater pressure than that developed by the pressure test. This is why a successful pressure
test does not rule out a broken head gasket.
Obviously, any leaks must be fixed. Once its confirmed that there are no leaks, other causes can be confidently
investigated.
Steve Litt is the main author of Samba Unleashed. He can be reached at slitt@troubleshooters.com.
The Thermostat Bubble Connection
By Steve Litt
A.S.E. certified master truck and auto mechanic Dennis Buler emailed me, mentioning hes solved many overheats
by drilling a 1/8" hole in the thermostat. Dennis explained that if any gas, be it air, combustion gas, or steam, gathers
around the thermostat, that often the thermostat cant detect the coolant heat, and therefore doesnt open. If only the
thermostat would open, the gas would be "blown" into the radiator. And of only the gas were "blown" into the
radiator, the thermostat would open. Catch 22.
Dennis explains that his 1/8" hole provides an escape route for the gas without passing so much coolant that the
engine runs too cool. In other words, the thermostat will simply open less in order to maintain temperature.
Reading Denniss email, my mind drifted back to all the emailed symptoms where the car overheated in the first few
minutes, then magically dropped back to normal temperature throughout the rest of the trip. Could it be that when
cold, air surrounded the thermostat. The thermostat therefore didnt open at the proper temperature. However, when
the engine temperature reached overheat levels, maybe the thermostat opened, blowing out the air. The opened
thermostat would allow the cooling system to do its job, returning to normal temperature. The partially open
thermostat would prevent a gas buildup. Until the car was shut off long enough that the thermostat would completely
close :-)
Denniss findings might suggest that running for an hour with no thermostat might be an excellent test. If
overheating occurs with a known good thermostat but doesnt occur without a thermostat, its a strong suggestion for
Denniss air bubble scenario.
I dont know enough yet to make drilling the hole a suggestion. I dont know its side effects and risks. But it sure
sounds reasonable. Add that to the fact that Dennis says hes seen several foreign thermostats come from the factory
with a 1/8" hole, and the fact that another Troubleshooters.Com visitor mentions in an email that VW Rabbit owners
often drill such a hole to eliminate engine airlock.
If you want to try it (and once again, I dont know enough to recommend it), you can see the location of Denniss
proposed hole in the diagram below. Heres how Dennis describes the location verbally:
"i drill the hole in the flat disk part like half way between where the gasket would seal and the center opening
mechanism"
Top view of thermostat. The violet dot at the 12
oclock position of the rim is where Dennis
recommends drilling the 1/8" hole.
Side view of thermostat
Bottom view of thermostat
By the way, Dennis also heartily agreed with my hypothesis that head gasket flaws, even those that dont manifest
symptoms of steam out the tailpipe or yellow gunk on the oil cap, can cause overheating for the reasons Ive stated in
this issues "Examining the Two Cooling Chicken-and-Eggs" article.
Steve Litt can be reached at slitt@troubleshooters.com.
Dennis Buler is an A.S.E. certified master truck and auto mechanic and a volunteer at allexperts.com. His
URL is listed in the URLs section.
A Possible Overheat Troubleshooting
Strategy
By Steve Litt
The overheat troubleshooting strategy Id like to recommend involves the Universal Troubleshooting Process, which
is listed below to refresh your memory:
1. Get the Attitude
2. Make a Damage Control Plan
3. Formulate a Symptom Description
4. Reproduce the Symptom
5. Do the General Maintenance
6. Narrow it Down
7. Replace or Repair the Defective Part(s)
8. Test
9. Take Pride
10. Prevent Future Occurrence
The remainder of this article describes my suggestion on how to put the Universal Troubleshooting Process to work
in diagnosing an overheat.
Get the Attitude
Overheats and the threat of broken head gaskets or broken/warped heads can tax anyones state of mind. Remember
that no matter how bad it is, youll probably get out of it for $2000.00 or less. Maybe a lot less, like less than
$100.00 if its a bad hose. And after this youll never let the car overheat again. Accept what comes your way, and
vow simply to diagnose the problem in a systematic and accurate way.
Make a Damage Control Plan
Safety, safety, safety. Cars can burn you -- especially overheated cars. Understand that you never remove the
radiator cap while the engine is hot. Open only after its cooled to the point where you can comfortably leave your
hand on the radiator for 5 seconds. Even then, be sure to cover the cap with a towel before removing the cap, to
prevent spraying. Always wear safety glasses when working on a car, make sure long hair is pinned up tight to
prevent it getting caught in the machinery. For the same reason, remove jewelry and even rings.
Make sure to stay well away from an open carburetor, or even the air intake, when running the car. Backfires can
cause third degree burns. Take care not to short the battery or cause any sort of spark, as batteries can explode,
throwing acid at anyone near. Never work under a jacked up car unless its been blocked up very securely, and even
then keep in mind that the car could be hit by a careless driver or dislodged by an earthquake or extremely strong
wind. Wear strong shoes to prevent injury if you should drop a heavy part on your foot.
Resolve to not let the temperature go into the red during testing and repair. Make sure to shut down the engine long
before it gets to the red, remembering the engine will heat up more after shutting down.
For further thoughts on safety, see the Troubleshooters.Com Overheating Guide. The time to think of safety is
BEFORE beginning your repair.
Formulate a Symptom Description
Does it overheat? Under what conditions? Is it more likely to happen in stop and go traffic, or at a steady 65mph? Is
there evidence of coolant loss before the overheat? Do you see dripping coolant anywhere? Billowing steam out the
exhaust? Yellow gunk on the oil cap? Continuous bubbles in the radiator? Does the fan ever spin? When?
When did you first notice the symptom? What else happened at that time? Were later occurrences different than the
first (an initial low-coolant caused overheat could crack the gasket, after which the cracked gasket could cause
overheats even at full coolant). Has the symptom been changing with time? What repairs and maintenance have
been done on the vehicle?
Reproduce the Symptom
NEVER DELIBERATELY CAUSE AN OVERHEAT!!! Instead, demonstrate that there is no reasonable "stopping
point" on the temperature. Well maintained vehicles always stay well to the left of the red on steady, flat drives. A
temperature gauge that goes 2/3 toward the red is very good evidence of a problem. Be sure to shut it down when it
reaches that 2/3 point to avoid it actually going into the red.
Subsymptoms such as steam out the exhaust, yellow gunk on the oil cap, dripping coolant, should also be verified at
this time.
Do the General Maintenance
General maintenance consists of things that should be done regardless of problem, and easy and obvious steps. Make
the following observations while the vehicle is not hot or running. Note that these steps combined should take a few
minutes, but they can save costly and embarrassing mis-diagnosis:
Coolant full?
Coolant mixture OK? Hydrometer reading ok, color ok, no oil in coolant?
Radiator deposits? Drain enough coolant to see some of the tube ends.
Radiator cap OK (no cracks and swelling)
Radiator has clean air flow path? Bugs? Leaves? Clogged air conditioning coils in front of it?
Radiator dented or otherwise obviously damaged?
Hoses OK? Feel them.
Coolant in oil? Yellow gunk on oil filler cap?
Water pump turns easily? Without excessive shaft play? Any signs of leakage?
Belts OK, with reasonable tension?
Evidence of freeze plug leaks?
Head gasket bolts appear loose?
Now some observations with the engine running:
Fan(s) run when hot?
Thermostat work? (detect increased pressure by squeezing hose, or observe coolant flow in a radiator
drained of a few inches of coolant)
Heater work? Heater hoses hot?
Radiator flow? View flow after draining a few inches of coolant. More rigorous tests require removal of the
radiator.
Bubbles? Look for bubbles or foam in the coolant in the radiator. If so, there might be a head gasket
problem. The block tester or smog sniffer will tell.
Steam from exhaust? If so, suspect head gasket problem.
Next, do the two chicken and egg tests:
Pressure test OK?
Block tester or smog sniffer reveal combustion gasses in coolant?
Im well aware that the combustion gas test has a significant cost attached to it, but I have still included it in General
Maintenance. The cost of misdiagnosing a broken head gasket is so severe that I believe it warrants the combustion
gas test in all but the most obvious cases. Even in cases where a definitive cause is found, such as a broken fan belt,
remember that the overheat could have consequently broken the head gasket. Obviously, if steam out the exhaust or
coolant in the oil reveals a broken head gasket, you know you have a broken head gasket without doing the
combustion gas test.
The few minutes and dollars spent on these tests greatly increase the chance of an accurate diagnosis and estimate.
Once again, remember that overheats are likely to cause consequential damage, some of which in and of themselves
can cause overheats. Its therefore common for an overheat to be found to have multiple causes.
Then theres a modification. I cannot recommend this, as I dont have enough information on it. But the possibilities
sound intriguing. One Troubleshooters.Com visitor, a diesel technician with an ASE certification, says that he often
drills a 1/8" hole in the thermostat. The hole is too small to affect the temperature regulation, but its big enough to
bleed out any gas accumulated at the thermostat. Such gas, whether it comes from combustion gasses or other
sources (sucking back on a dry reservoir, for instance), could shield the temperature sensing part of the thermostat
from the coolant temperature, thus making the thermostat "think" that the engine is cool, so the thermostat remains
closed. Overheat city! The little hole bleeds off air before the engine overheats. The same T.C visitor told me in the
last couple years hes seen several thermostats, especially for foreign cars, with the hole already there. Hmmmm!
Narrow it Down
If the General Maintenance was done properly, theres probably little you need to do in narrowing it down. Resolve
any uncertainties with tests designed to narrow the scope of the problem, always keeping in mind that overheats
often have multiple causes, especially in the case of head gasket problems.
Does it overheat more in stop and go traffic, or cruising at 65mph? The former implicates the fan or shroud, the
latter tends to rule out the fan and shroud.
Advice to the Mechanic
Inform the customer of all defective or semi-defective equipment youve found. Explain that its his choice, but
fixing a head gasket and leaving the partially clogged radiator could result in another busted head gasket a week
later. Explain that replacing the radiator without replacing the head gasket could result in another overheat, and
maybe this one will bend the heads. Explain that driving with a broken head gasket risks a broken starter and
flywheel if coolant gets in the cylinders.
Advice to the Customer
Dont try to get off cheap in cooling system repairs. Overheats cause major consequential damage, such as broken
head gaskets and even broken heads. Broken head gaskets in turn can cause broken starters and flywheels. Replacing
a flywheel on a transverse engine is *very* expensive.
First ascertain the condition of the head gasket. If youre driving a cheap car, you may wish to junk it or sell it cheap
upon hearing of a head gasket problem, especially if accompanied by a bad radiator. However, remember that all
cars need repairs, and the car you replace it with might also need expensive repairs. So if its a good, reliable car in
reasonable condition, its often best to bite the bullet and do the repair, even to the tune of $2000.00.
Once youve committed to making the repair, replace *all* bad and semi-bad components. If the water pump leaks
or has excessive play in the bearings, replace it even if it might not have been the primary root cause. If the radiator
is partially clogged, replace it. You dont want that radiator clog to rear its ugly head on a 3000 foot climb.
I consider a finding of clogged radiator to be an opportunity to get a heavy duty radiator. I spare no expense on
radiators. A high capacity radiator can compensate for a host of other problems. When my Dodge Coronet radiator
needed replacement, I had Harry at Valley Radiator build me a 17x25 4 row monster. It cost me $400.00, but let me
tell you, when I drove it across the country in one of the worst heat waves ever, I was darned glad I spent the money.
If you dont have a radiator shop you trust enough to custom build you a thyroidal radiator, or if you have a recent
car that cant take a custom radiator, ask for the stock radiator that comes with the cars "towing package". Such a
radiator is designed to dissipate the heat generated while towing a trailer up a 3000 foot climb. The extra $100 or so
will be greatly appreciated as the years go on.
Sometimes you have the option of repairing the radiator. If you already have a heavy duty radiator, and theres a real
opportunity to restore it to like-new condition, maybe youll choose to repair the radiator. But you would still have
deposits and diminished capacity after repairing the radiator, Id personally choose to buy a new radiator instead of
attempting the repair. A top functioning radiator is your best defense against long steep climbs or long drives in
hundred degree weather.
Replace or Repair the Defective Part(s)
Once mechanic and customer have reached a decision on the strategy of the repair, the parts are replaced and the old
parts are given to the customer if requested. As a customer, I personally always request the old parts.
Test
Owner Testing
The mechanic himself should have driven the car long enough to see it stabilize at a running temperature. If it
doesnt stabilize, the repair is not complete.
Mechanic Testing
First, drive under normal conditions to verify that the temperature stabilizes at a reasonable figure. If it does, this
takes guts, but I recommend a trip over a peak like the Grapevine (but no air conditioning please, cars arent
designed to take that kind of abuse). If the temperature doesnt stabilize, shut it down long before the temperature
gauge redlines. When it cools, fill the coolant, turn around and limp home. Consult the mechanic.
Take Pride
The car no longer overheats. You can drive it over the Grapevine (or whatever passes for the Grapevine in your
area). Take a moment to reflect on the fact that there was no voodoo or magic, just a root cause (possibly with
consequential damage) that the mechanic and customer found and vanquished. Rejoice in the fact that youll now
pay regular attention to your temperature gauge, discover your cars baseline behavior, and take quick corrective
steps when your car deviates from that baseline behavior. No more destructive overheats for you.
Prevent Future Occurrence
First and foremost, resolve to glance at the temperature gauge two or more times per hour. Get to know the baseline
behavior of your cooling system. Upon detecting a deviation, get it taken care of. A new water pump is what, $200
installed? A new heavy duty radiator is maybe $350 installed. New hoses are about $100. Same with the belts. All of
these are a drop in the bucket compared to the head gasket replacement youll need if your car overheats. Your
temperature gauge is a very sensitive test for cooling system malfunction.
Some cars dont have a temperature gauge, instead relying on an idiot light which flashes when the temperature
becomes critical. In my opinion, that light might as well have the words, "ha ha, you just broke your head gasket"
written on it. At that point you cant even safely drive it to the mechanic. My 82 Buick was just such a car. After
replacing its head gasket and starter ($1150 back in 1987), I spent another $125 to have a temperature gauge
installed. That gauge was probably what saved me from a second blown head gasket a couple years later.
Resolve to check your coolant level at least once a week. Get to know its level both cold and hot. Top off as
necessary. Personally, Id recommend mixing antifreeze with distilled water. That cuts down on deposits, and unless
your car is using enough coolant to indicate a problem, one 69 cent bottle of distilled water will last you a couple
years. If you need to top off your coolant frequently, it may be time to check your cooling system, especially
checking for combustion gasses in the coolant. This is especially true if you experience unexplained coolant losses
on long trips.
Resolve to treat long steep climbs and long drives with respect. Always confirm proper coolant level before
beginning the trip. If you have *any* question at all about your cooling system, stop and top off the reservoir, and
then wait 25 minutes for cool down and "suck back", before beginning a long steep climb. View your temperature
gauge at least every minute during a steep climb. If the temperature gets uncomfortably close to the red, pull over,
run it for a minute at 1200 rpm in neutral or park, then shut it down til it cools down. Once its stopped boiling and
sputtering, top off the reservoir with coolant so that the cooling radiator will have coolant to "suck back". Continue
adding as cooling continues to best facilitate a full cooling system.
Dont be macho about running your air conditioning while climbing. If the temperature varies significantly from
baseline, turn off the air conditioner and open the windows.
Cars break. Its a fact of life. Your cooling system is the perfect example of "a stitch in time saves nine".