Help wanted

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speedymp5

Member
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2003 Protege 5
I dont know what to think this time, earlier my p5 began to run hot it is 80 degrees and humid but it has run cool at near 100 a couple of weeks ago. the puzzling part is that initially on the highway it cooled as expected down to three quarters full temp. But then the temp rose and it would cool slightly at stop signs reheating during acceleraton. now for the really wierd part. when I got home I shut it off to avoid damage. quickly checked for leaks or over flow then restarted the car to check temp. it was below half in less than two minutes. i had my wife drive it around the block and it was back to full temp. I had her shut it off and restart it suspecting there was no way it cooled in two minutes and voila it was at half and stayed there. i drove it 5 miles to oriellys and back with no trouble i used a scan gauge there and it pulled no codes. i should note the anti freeze was dark green like the color of simple green and there were no leaks/over flow. while it was hot i noticed only one fan was engaged (drivers) and when it was restarted that fan did not come on until it got hot again. i have to drive this car tomorrow 20 miles each way on the highway in more heat than today any suggestions would be a major asset right now....thanks in advance...Brian
 
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I would swap the thermostat first (cheap/likely culprit) and then troubleshoot from there.
 
Could be the t-stat, but I would think that the fan would have been running if the engine was really at that temp. I am suspecting the temp sending unit at this point. If it was me, I would install an aftermarket temp guage to verify the stock one. But at this point, I'm sure that speedymp5 has already made his drive he posted about yesterday.
 
Update this morning I fired up the car and of course it was cool, outside temp around 70. I pull out of my complex every morning onto a highway with a seventy mph speed limit and no merging lane. I pulled out and the temp climed as fast as my speed until it reached the mid point and stopped. The gauge remained half way for nearly 15 miles until i had to slow for traffic. then it climbed and fell, not even corresponding to vehichle movement. Sometimes I'd be at a dead stop and watch it max out and then go down to normal. When I got to the gym I allowed it to reach the top and shut it off. (last night when i turned it back on it read normal with no cool down time what so ever.) Not this morning. On restart it went to half, rested a seconed and climed to the top I turned the heater on and it dropped to normal after a few seconds then i turned the heater off and it maxed out after a few seconds which is typical of a hot motor. I was in the gym for an hour when I came out the temp was still half way up. I checked to see (since it had cooled) if radiator was low and it was full. the antifreeze smells burnt to me but maybe im trying to make more of it than what it is. The drive to work from the gym was uneventful it was one tick above the middle once when I slowed down for the highway off ramp but returned after plling away from the stop. I still have a 20 mi drive home. More suggestions please. I probably will replace the t-stat but I agree 5padzam/mazdap5 that it may have to do with a temp switch. that should after all be how the fans know to engage but then again maybe its really not overheating but has a faulty sending unit, but I'm not holding my breath. Can anyone not having trouble verify the anti freeze color? I'm certain it should be a koolaid/bright green but this is dark hunter green. I've only had the car a few months and I fear its blown a gasket, as will I if it has!
 
It really sounds like the t-stat is faulty. If the temp gauge is going all the way up and it's not boiling over then it is most likely the t-stat.
 
I'll give it a shot this wknd lord know I hope your right! I'll update asap but please keep the ideas comming. I'd hate to have the system apart and then have to tear it apart again!
 
I have seen different variations of green from different brands of anti-freeze. Mine is kind of dark green. But if you are concerned you should just flush the entire cooling system and use new. It would be a good time since you are changing the t-stat anyway.
 
update, today it acted more predictably staying cool at highway speeds and heating up when slowing down or stopped. however I did try the heater trick today and it didnt work. Still searching for other members who can verify antifreeze color. I'm conerned that it may have a blown head gasket. Which I can fix easily enough but trying to avoid it at all costs. Thanks for your support.
 
If you NEED to drive it while it is doing this, turn the heater on FLOOR. And on HIGH. It will bring the engine heat down so you can drive short distances. It will get ferociously hot so roll down the window. As far as blown gasket. I had one. Pull your Spark plugs, shine a flash light down in there, see if there is any fluid. You should get a Random Misfire if it was the gasket though.......
 
speedymp5 said:
update, today it acted more predictably staying cool at highway speeds and heating up when slowing down or stopped. however I did try the heater trick today and it didnt work. Still searching for other members who can verify antifreeze color. I'm conerned that it may have a blown head gasket. Which I can fix easily enough but trying to avoid it at all costs. Thanks for your support.
Click to expand...

Is the coolant still clear? If your head gasket is blown, the coolant will not look clean at all. Take a look at your oil. If there is coolant in there you will know it because the oil will be the color and consistancy of a chocolate milkshake if you have been running it like that for any length of time.
 
Go fish, replace thermostat and did not correct the problem, oh and for those who dont already know these little bits of info. The thermostat is for a turbo motor and its on the lower hose, not the upper hose with the housing. good news is my antifreeze was a normal color but its still over heating. Now What??????? thanks for the heads up on the head gasket info yes you are right that was what I looked at first although initially it did look dark it was only the overflow tank that made it look darker that I expected.....but good info for those that don't know...so to update it may be a waterpump, or a temp sensor (which I pulled today because AutoZone claims they can test it) I'll find out later tonight, unless anyone has any suggestions. I can say it was corroded and rusted ( the probe which leads me to belive that this may be the problem) but you know I've never actually pulled out a temp probe that had been used before so I have nothing to compare it to.
 
Pull over when it first indicates much hotter than normal. Does the engine feel really hot (hotter than normal)? Coolant bubbling in the overflow? If not - it may be the sensor.

Carefully feel the upper and lower hoses - is there a distinct difference in temp? If not - remove and inspect the radiator, if checked good by a shop - change the water pump.

Nothing really hot - but the coolant bubbling in the overflow? And then it sucks back into the engine when cool? Bad head or gasket.
 
Both hoses roughly the same temp, no boiling of the coolant, plenty there. Last night Autozone tested the temp sensor and it tested good so it sounds like I'll be driving the Chevelle again this week. Keep it comming folks!(dunno)
chevelledone1touchup.jpg
 
Like I said in my first post, install an aftermarket temp guage. At this point, you still don't know if the thing is even over-heating or not. The aftermarket guage will verify exactly what your temps are.

And nice Malibu. Too bad it's not a 2-door though.
 
How did you know it was a Malibu package? Its been stripped of its original trim. Heres a before shot in case your interested
DSC00001.jpg
 
It's a Malibu because it's a 4-door. There were no sedan SS's back then. Nice job on the car though. What engine do you have in there?
 
dumb question but do you hear your radiator fans turning on?
i had behavior like this in an old escort when the fans stopped working.
was a champ as long as i went 40+ and anything under my temp climbed.
 
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