temperature gauge hitting maximum....what to do??

[joeyd]

Hi

two weeks ago i bought a second hand commodore wagon VN exec dual fuel. I got the RWC with it, but the mechanic told me i would need to get a new radiator eventually, which he suggested would cost about 300 dollars. He told me he did a temporary job of putting some 'sealant' on it (i dont know what), i dont really understand cars well so i just accepted what he said. i will call him monday.

but in the last few days the temperature gauge on my last two drives has almost been hitting the maximum, which I am worried about....could i blow the head gasket? do i need a new radiator? i have noticed the temperature being fine before this so it must be a recent problem.

the previous owner kept forgetting to top up the water and the car would break down on several occasions........i was just told the car needed topping up and keeping an eye on as there was a leak or something, i dont really understand.....is it the radiator or the coolant container that's leaking?

i havn't even bothered using the fans or air con as of yet as im worried it might make the problem worse, are these issues connected??

hope someone can help...

thanks

[levymetal]

you haven't explicitly explained that you've checked this so i'm going to ask - does the radiator actually have any water/coolant in it? take off the radiator cap and examine (if the motor is cold you can just take the cap off. if the motor is warm then make sure you take the cap off with the engine running).

to answer the question in your other thread you can get a radiator off ebay for $100 and fit it yourself (very easy job)

[Rubber_Burnin_Gal]

when ya take the cap off, check for a foamy substance that resembles the look of the froth of a cafe latte........ also check for this in the oil cap..if it is, id be taking it back to the mechanic and asking WTF?!!!........ either gasket or head is gone. as for the temp being high, check the thermostat..... easiest way to see if its stuffed is take the housing off, get a gatorade bottle, cut the base of it off, have the engine running, put gatorade bottle over the thermostat(same way you use a bottle/funnel to top up water ect) fill the bottle with water, if the water gets sucked out of the bottle the thermostats workin, if it doesn't, its not opening therefore is broken, easy to replace also check the fins of the radiator, if they are bent/pushed in ect the water cant flow through them, causing over heating. do you find the temp comes down the quicker you drive? for example, when ur in traffic going like 50kph its hot, but when ya get on the highway/go faster it comes down??

god i wrote a bloody essay LOL

[accentstencil]

Don't keep driving when it gets that hot or you could do a lot of damage.

[joeyd]

hi levymetal, i didnt mention in that thread that I cant open my bonnet to check water levels because the bonnet catch under the wheel isnt catching at all...

rubberburninggal, thanks for your advice, as soon as i can get under the bonnet i will be sure to check all of those things.....im praying there's not foam as i know if the gaskets gone im ****ed, id be surprised as the mechanic said it would be ok for ages longer...

so when i must also check this thermostat issue, i dont really understand how it works but i should be able to work it out once ive got the bonnet up and i can see what you mean...

i got the feeling the more i drived the worse the temperature was getting, but maybe im wrong, i hope its a simple problem!

[Rubber_Burnin_Gal]

where abouts r u? if in/around bris i might be able to come check it for you..thats if you dont mind being shown what to do by a girl LOL

[joeyd]

I got the bonnet up, basicallyi took the rad cap off and water spilled over and after i drove a little the water was bubbling up out of it and over.......what does this mean...

i went for a 10 min spin and it didnt seem to be overheating now at all which is weird, although it is a very cool day here in melbourne, im wondering whether the thermostat could be dodgy? and therby doesnt trigger the cooling system so thats why it was overheating, does this make any sense? the fan does turn on at halfway up the temp gauge...

would i still need a new radiator? i cant make sense of it, but im glad there was no foaming and i think its not too serious...

any further tests you think i could do to pinpoint the problem???

[Rubber_Burnin_Gal]

thermostats are around $15, change that. cheapest option first! dunno why you'd drive for 10 mins with the radiator cap off tho LOL