ERayFree

The engine is getting hot, but the radiator isn't... If the car idles for about 5 minutes, the temperature will creap all the way up to the red but the water in the expansion tank and the radiator its self stays pretty cool. The water pump was just replaced about 5000 miles ago, so I really don't want to believe that it's the problem. The system pressurizes just fine. The thermostat was just replaced, and I even tested it in a hot water tank along side the old one and both open like they're supposed to... Any other ideas before I tear the whole damn front off of the car again?

Danno

Maybe a loose timing belt?

ERayFree

The timing belt? Hmmmmm... I checked the tension while I was in there and it seemed fine. Why exactly would that effect it?

adrial

He might have been thinking of the accesory belt...although I'm not really sure what drives the water pump...Or if its electric?

The radiator could be clogged..preventing coolant from flowing. Try to get your hand on the radiator...both sides preferably..

That seems like the only thing left that could be bad....IMO

Good luck!

Perry 951

Water pump is driven by the timimg belt.

Only thing I can think of is that you have the thermostat in backwards, and that the radiator my be clogged.

I have never seen one clogged up enough as to not pass any water.

Check the thermostat again.

rplencne

If you just had the system emptied to check/change the thermostat, you may not have bled the system completely.

After a recent rebuild, we had a similar problem when we first started the car up. We thought we had enough water in the system to get the fluids flowing, but instead, only the radiator and the expansion tank had water in them ... apparently not enough on the engine side. As a result, on the first startup, the temp gauge in the car moved towards the red zone, but the radiator and hoses were cold. I suspect that there wasn't enough hot water right at the thermostat to get it to open. A thurough "milking' of the hoses while working the bleeder helped moved enough water to the head/block (and air out) to make the system work.

Either way, with a cold radiator, you're obviously not moving the water properly. I'd suspect the thermostat isn't opening because it's bad/backwards/air locked. Something in that area ...

-Bob P.

bs

i agree with the last post--when i first got my car, she had the same problem... any time i idled for more than 3 or 4 minutes, my "overheat" light would come on. as soon as i stepped on the gas, even with the tranny in neutral, the coolant temp gauge would drop like a rock. I gave the cooling system a good bleed (the manual gives a good description of the procedure) and have not seen that needle go nearly as high since, even with 10 minutes of idling. Just make sure to bleed with the heater on and the engine running.