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How long can I drive with an over heated engine?

kobechu

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Replace the pressure cap (the one that makes the ouchie if you remove it whilst hot and under pressure).

Leaking coolant can come from either the coolant cap (on the engine) having worn out its seal (very common with age)

Thanks, I bought a new radiator cap and will install it later today. Is there any visible difference between a faulty one and a new one? I had a quick look with both side by side and couldn't see anything different between the two.
 

BowTie

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No visual difference.

Spring weakens over time with entropic decay.

New cap will maintain 15psi coolant pressure. This raises the boiling temp significantly.

As the spring weakens over time, you lose pressure and coolant to the overflow bottle which then overflows.

An overflowing overflow container is a sure sign of rad cap deteriation/failure.

They can only really be tested with a pressure test.
 

kobechu

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I installed the new radiator cap today, and drove the car from CBD to Katoomba and back with no problems - on a 35 degree day no less!

Thank you all very much for your help. Who would've thought that after years of over heating and two mechanics not being able to identify the problem, all it took was a $17 new radiator cap!
 

07GTS

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I installed the new radiator cap today, and drove the car from CBD to Katoomba and back with no problems - on a 35 degree day no less!

Thank you all very much for your help. Who would've thought that after years of over heating and two mechanics not being able to identify the problem, all it took was a $17 new radiator cap!
i guess there isnt a sensor on the cap to show a fault so they cant diagnose it :rolleyes: simple old school testing needed there
 

BowTie

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A coolant pressure gauge should be standard in cars.

At least a pressure sensor and alarm.
 

losh1971

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Thank you all very much for your help. Who would've thought that after years of over heating and two mechanics not being able to identify the problem, all it took was a $17 new radiator cap!
I have found four local workshops so far that have either made mistakes, not done what I've asked to be done, or they take two years to figure out a problem that could have been resolved the first time I went there. I have no idea why it is so hard to find good workshops these days, ones that do work on old cars rather than doing simple things like servicing and brakes on relatively new cars.
 

vc commodore

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Problem with modern mechanics are, they are taught how to use a machine, rather than use their heads.....End result is, simple problems like this is it's not registering in the computer, so they are stuffed being able to figure it out
 

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Thanks, I bought a new radiator cap and will install it later today. Is there any visible difference between a faulty one and a new one? I had a quick look with both side by side and couldn't see anything different between the two.

Replacing a leaky coolant cap with one that maintains correct pressure will often highlight a weakness in the coolant pump. That is to say, a leak observed at the coolant cap will now appear at the coolant pump housing indicating impending failure of the pump and need for replacement. I observed this on the VZ wagon in July 2019: leaky coolant cap replaced, then car driven, only to find then a pressure leak at the coolant pump and this was replaced too. So... a $30 cap replacement turned into a $367 cap + pump + labour job!
 
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