Hopefully: Final Solution

[surfninjas]

after getting rough idles/starts and intermittent overheating on the temp gauge

-new plugs, wires, coils
-new egr (ordered canadian, although apparently my NorCal weather has no need for it...meh)
-plugged a hose (code 301, i think...running lean code, plug fixed it)
-new cap, ect sensor, and thermostat
-no mixing in oil or coolant
-no white smoke or smells
-had 2 stalls (automatic version) a few weeks apart
-running perfect, then intermittent overheating
-both fans were working

pressure tested today (i know, should have earlier), and the gauge dropped about 5 psi in under 1-2 minutes.

hopefully just a hose or two that need to be replaced...will be so happy if all the problems are finally gone.

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

........and maybe water pump, since you've covered the other stuff? Welcome aboard and good luck with it.

 

[tweety2300]

Assuming a radiator compression test? If so it shouldn't drop off any at all

 

[surfninjas]

Assuming a radiator compression test? If so it shouldn't drop off any at all

yup; $160 to rent from pep boys, but i get my money back when i return it (within 10 days)

 

[tweety2300]

Ya it shouldn't go down any at all which means you have a leak somewhere hose, water pump, radiator, or headgasket

 

[surfninjas]

Ya it shouldn't go down any at all which means you have a leak somewhere hose, water pump, radiator, or headgasket

water pump and timing belt were replaced at 92k (according to previous owner, old couple), car has 127k now.

runs fine other than intermittent overheating.

found a tiny little leak on the top of the radiator near the upper hose. literally about the size of a toothpick.

psi drops from 16 down to 14 after about 8-10 minutes.

gonna do some more searching tomorrow. hopefully this will be the last of my car purchase from hell.

 

[tweety2300]

A leak that small you can jb weld. Somebody did it to my 323

 

[surfninjas]

well...replaced the radiator and hoses. filled with coolant and burped/bled for 30 minutes; scanner reset, and no more check engine light.

car drove fine for about 30-40 minutes of freeway driving. about 2 minutes after i exit onto a long stretch of road, the temp gauge begins to creep. park the car and it creeps some more (about 3/4) then slowly falls to normal.

drive away and the temp gauge rises intermittently again.

this is pissing me off (also need to replace a spark plug).

is there a cheap way for me to somehow do and electrical system test...or how much does that usually cost?

 

[tweety2300]

Did you get a fail safe tstat? It's acting exactly like mine did. Even though it's new it can still fail quickly or be a defect, that's why I always get a fail safe when possible

 

[surfninjas]

Did you get a fail safe tstat? It's acting exactly like mine did. Even though it's new it can still fail quickly or be a defect, that's why I always get a fail safe when possible

not a failsafe; but this is the 3rd thermostat ive put in.

i had the same problem (intermittent) when i had the thermostat removed too.

 

[surfninjas]

well, getting an electrical diagnostic tomorrow...i just want to drive the damn car without problems.

 

[tweety2300]

When it over heats do your fans turn on?

 

[surfninjas]

When it over heats do your fans turn on?

yes. every so often (and briefly) the air conditioner will become warmer, then return to the original coldness.

car was driven with AC blasting during the drive.

 

[surfninjas]

fans also come on after starting up the car.

anything i could check on the fuse box?

i havent done a combustion test on the engine (no mixing, smoke, or smells, car runs perfectly fine), would it be worth it?

 

[tweety2300]

When it gets to the set temperature the fan should come on and stay on and not turn off till it gets down to set temperature. Me an my brother have been fighting this issue with my moms vibe. It could be a partially blown fuse or bad relay or in her case the circuit in the fuse box went out all together. Next step with it is just run a toggle switch to it or run a wire into the stereo and keep it on all the time. It should not cut on and off while over heating

 

[surfninjas]

shop says its a head gasket issue; used a hydrocarbon test.

this sucks.

 

[surfninjas]

thought i would finish this thread.

after sitting for a month or two, i noticed the oil finally started to mix.

had a shop do the head gasket, timing belt, water pump. parts and labor= $1500. awesome deal, went to them based on a recommendation.

anyway, car has been driving perfect for a week (yeah, took me some time to get the money). however, today i noticed the battery light came on, then after several minutes would fade and reappear. during this time (on and fade cycle) the acceleration was very sluggish...like 0-20 in 8-10 seconds sluggish.

got home, parked it for a few hours. took around the block and seemed fine. i will be buying a volt/multimeter tomorrow to check the battery and alternator. the car did sit for about 3 months without being turned on, and the battery was dead when i had it towed to the shop. im hoping its nothing expensive...fwiw, shop said to change the oil after 1000 miles to drain any left over gunk.

 

[surfninjas]

if anyone is in sacramento, the shop i used was carmichael auto repair. they seemed completely honest and scam free. they didnt try to upsell anything. every other shop had estimates at least $500 more for a best case scenario.

 

[jesse_ohio]

Hope this fixes everything for you. Sucks to go through all that.

Hopefully the latest battery light/acceleration issue is unrelated. I don't see how it would be related but who knows... sounds like you've got the worst luck this year

 

[Installshield 2]

^^actually, its very likely the electrical problem would cause sluggish engine response...if the light comes on, its the system voltage dropped (more specifically, when there is a difference between alternator charge output and battery output iirc)...and if that voltage tanks, ignition spark will go with it...if it gets low enough, its simply a stall...but if its only marginally lower, you can get very poor power and response, and a lot of hesitation...

In my case alternators are a lot like older CRT TVs...they'll almost never give you problems...until you move them...

but it also could be the battery...the light comes on when there is a difference between alternator output and battery output...the car technically runs off of the battery, but the alternator needs to continue charging the battery as its used while driving...if a battery truly is dead (and i mean really dead, not just won't quite turn over...), it can permanently damage the internal structure...plating can weld itself together, an over abundance of hydrogen gas can form, etc...these problems mostly depend on the type and brand of battery you used...but it could possibly be a battery that won't accept a charge properly anymore...

you can have both of these things tested for free at places like Autozone, by the way...