Mongo

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I noticed this morning my car runs at the top white mark at idle and when in traffic. There is also no heat in the cabin when the heater is turned to hot.

When driving over 2500 rpm, heater works and temperature gauge drops to around a normal range. My water pump (Lasso with plastic impeller) has less than 3000 miles on it but next year is the 5 year mark for a timing belt and water pump.

I took the IR gun to my radiator hoses. Top hose showed 183F and bottom was 162-167 in the garage. I can confirm my radiator fans are working.

What is going on?

Mongo

Side Note - At a stop, I can shift into neutral and gas it up to 3000, causing the temp to drop from the second white mark down to the first too.

hacker-pschorr

Did you change anything in the last 2-3 months or did this just suddenly start happening?

Mongo

Nope. Nothing changed.

SeanR

Sounds to me like there is air trapped in the system or your WP impeller not doing its job properly. Go drive the car a bunch and just keep an eye on it.

Mongo

It did this before the rains in grid lock traffic. I had to pull over 3 months ago but it never overheated. I was not using the heater that day though. It ran ht on the way home, but when I smacked the pod, the needle on the temp gauge went to normal. I thought it was just a bad gauge.

Mongo

Are you also saying the impeller may be slipping? On a like new Lasso pump???

SeanR

Not saying that at all but anything is a possibility.

Go drive your car.

SeanR

I"ll expand for ya.

If the impeller is slipping you are getting a loss of flow which could cause the water to not being forced up to the heater core. This will get worse over time. Check other things first. Is the metal pipe (return) clear? Or is it rusted so bad that the water can not return smoothly and is causing a back up in the core? Debris at the back of the head, easy to check at the connection for the heater control valve. Pop the two bolts holding that coupler in place and look in there.

I've had a few older cars that had the heater issue you are describing and it was just air locked in there and eventually cleared its self.

Mongo

I will have to drive it more per your FB messages. I will consider trying the new Geba this year. I was a year away from doing this again. Looks like it needs to get done sooner if it is the impeller.

But let me drive it more do I can see if it clears up.

SeanR

You don't drive it anyway, dig in and check it out. I'm going to start calling you Brenden.

Mongo

All heater hose pipes look clean with no rust.

dr bob

Andy--

Change the thermostat.

Do a little electrical maintenance, particularly the grounds in the cabin for instruments. Your "smacked the pod" comment is perhaps a hint that the connectors to the pod need to be cleaned, or at least "wiped" with a few slip-off slip on actions. The electrical doesn't cover the heater not working until higher water flow though. That still points to thermostat or air in the system, then --maybe-- impeller slip. The dog in the impeller slip theory is that they tend to slip more at higher engine RPM's. Load goes up exponentially with engine speed assuming the same system friction, so low-speed slip and high-speed grab is a very unlikely scenario.

Coolant level still OK?

FredR

For purposes of clarity- presumably you checked to ensure there was a level in the header tank?

Struggling to think of a scenario caused by a single fault that would explain your symptoms of heater issues and overheating.

Rgds

Fred

Mongo

Coolant level has not changed at all. Car also runs like a branded gorilla. Tons of power even without the Porken chips in yet.