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SW20 Overheating Issue

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HEF90
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2014/02/04 14:54:35 (permalink)
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SW20 Overheating Issue

Hey guys,
 
I took my 93 MR2 GT for a drive yesterday after installing some new suspension, I was test driving it so I was going pretty hard. When I got home I let it sit for a little while like I always do and after a little while the temperature shot up to max on the gauge and coolant spilled out of the overflow. I assumed this would be due to me topping up my coolant before taking it for a drive, I didn't bleed the system at that time (rookie error). After the car cooled down, I bled and topped up the coolant, I took it out for a test drive again that night and the temp was fine.
 
Today I bled the system again and more air came out, topped it up and took it for a spin, again I went pretty hard, when I got back and let it sit the temp shot up again! This time it came back down when the fans cut in but the needle stayed above half, I've read that a proper working cooling system in the SW20 should never go above half on the temp gauge. Is there still air in the system? or could it be something else (thermostat maybe?).
 
On a side note I saw some coolant dried up (has the consistency of wax) sitting on the bottom of the turbo and other parts underneath it, I can’t figure out where this could have come from.
 
For now my plan is to keep bleeding the system and testing it, but I do have to to attend to the coolant built up on the turbo, I tried uploading pics but I failed at it.
 
Has anyone had this happen or know what could be wrong here? Any help or advice would be appreciated, cheers. Sorry for the essay.
 
PS. A bit of background info, when I bought my car it overheated the day I picked it up because an old hose burst and the radiator was blocked. I took the rad out and got it serviced, changed all the hoses to silicone ones and cleaned out the hard lines, used Nulon red 50% premixed, that was around about 3 months ago and the temp has held fine since then, even on 30+ degree days in Sydney peak hour traffic.
#1


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    track_mr2
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    Re: SW20 Overheating Issue 2014/02/04 16:11:14 (permalink)
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    Possibly your head gasket.
    #2
    MR2QIK
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    Re: SW20 Overheating Issue 2014/02/04 17:24:02 (permalink)
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    Overheating issues are a ba$tard! If you're lucky it's something as simple a bad radiator cap or thermostat. If those two check out, then headgasket is the likely culprit. Did you check for any milky residue under the oil cap?
     
    If it had a few overheating issues in the past, then the head may be warped which would've caused the headgasket failure.

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    #3

    5SGTE
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    Re: SW20 Overheating Issue 2014/02/04 22:15:57 (permalink)
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    Another thing to suss is why and where this air is being introduced into the system.  Have u had a look at the heater hard lines that run above the tank?
    #4
    Gatesys SW20
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    Re: SW20 Overheating Issue 2014/02/04 23:05:50 (permalink)
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    could possibly be that HOSE FROM HELL,
    Sounds like a HG
    Make sure you are following the CORRECT bleed procedure however.
    IF you want to test thermostat, pull it out and drop it in boiling water.
    Although if you fill the fill neck up take the rad cap off, start car, let go to temp, if the water goes down thermostat has opened allowing mixture to flow.
    #5
    HEF90
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    Re: SW20 Overheating Issue 2014/02/05 13:09:56 (permalink)
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    I ran the car yesterday after bleeding it again and the temp stayed low (it was a cold day though), the highest it went up to was half on the gauge. I let it sit for a while and the fans were cutting in regularly so hopefully that rules out the thermostat as an issue, I'll keep testing and bleeding it if required.
     
    I checked the oil cap and there was no milky residue, so I really really hope its not the head gasket, I'm planning on getting the car serviced soon so all the gaskets and seals will be changed anyway.
     
    I think the heater hoses or the hose from hell might have something to do with the dried up coolant on the turbo so I'll look into those. In terms of air being introduced into the system, I assumed it happened when I topped it up because the way I see it anywhere that air can get in coolant should be coming and besides the coolant at the turbo which is dry, there's no leaks (that I know of).
     
    Cheers for the responses, on the plus side the new coilovers feel great lol.
    #6

    track_mr2
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    Re: SW20 Overheating Issue 2014/02/05 16:32:35 (permalink)
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    If you topped up the coolant via the reservior and there was already coolant in the reservior then you shouldn't have introduced any air into the system. Considering your car had the coolant flushed/changes 3months ago and you are runnign low on coolant isn't a good sign, especially if there are no external leeks. If your loosing coolant it has to be going somewhere, so either the head gasket into the cylinders or I'm not sure. When you get it serviced they will be able to pressure test and see if coolant comes out the exhaust. From what you have described it is very much what happens with a aHead Gasket issue.
    #7
    Highlander
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    Re: SW20 Overheating Issue 2014/02/05 17:13:50 (permalink)
    +1 (1)
    When a new radiator was installed in my car it ran fine in the garage after a fairly simple bleed, did ten circuit laps with the gauge on normal and then boiled the minute we pulled back into the pits. We let it cool down and then bled the system again and it ran fine for the rest of the day with the temp gauge on normal. Radiator was too hot to touch so coolant was definitely circulating.
     
    Wakefield on Monday and it ran fine for the hill climb and the short circuit. Just about to go out for the special stage and sitting idling in pit lane for a while saw a puddle of coolant under the car and up shot the temperature gauge.
     
    With Paul Brell's expert help, we spent over an hour bleeding the system and the car ran fine for the next three days.
     
    My guess is that the cooling system will work fine with air in it until the cooling system is stressed  or more likely that trapped air gets somewhere in the system to cause a block. In my case the water at the engine was hissing and the radiator was only lukewarm before the second bleeding session with Paul Brell.
     
    Maybe not the same in your case but this info may help.
    #8
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