chris_04_rx8

Hey guys I have searched minimally on the subject due to my situation. I had to replace a rad and deflood my engine plus replace plugs the other day last night drove the car around with slight heating up burped the system refilled water and drove around with no issues. today I got up neesig to take a long trip decided to drive the 8 had a little heating but no overheat. Basically no traffic or stopping and now I get back into the car start it ran in to the gas station got smokes and some coffee came back out to an overheat. Guy let me top it off I wait an hour get back to it and drive 15 mins to basically a grid lock and now she does it again. I checked everything no leaks just overflow onto the fans which I believe ruined them because now they don't turn on at all even when turning the car off.

I need any solution or troubleshooting to the fans that you have. I swapped my relays around use my heater relay for them and that had no luck check 40 amp fuse seems fine. The passenger side fan acts like it wants to go but it on starts to spin. The drivers side does nothing. I tried to spin them and they have no real resistance so they don't seem seized up. Passenger side fan connector is melted the inside female adapter is out of shape and the fan has corrosion on it (white).

Please talk pity on me and feed me the info. I'm all about the search button but I'm in dire need right now.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Can you be more specific about how you are determining these statements? Are you only using the stock temp gauge? Do you have a precise temp measurement? Are you only using coolant spilling?


Sounds like a fan failure, possibly the coolant corroding the connectors and internals until the motors failed. Not much you can do but replace them.

chris_04_rx8

Well when the car gets hot and steam pours out along with water is say its overheated and when dummy gauge goes up high without this is say its heating. I got one fan temporarily straight wires but it still overheating.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

That is really difficult to understand.

The reason that I asked is because you can be overheating without the stock gauge moving yet. If it moves from the normal upward position at all, then it is definitely overheating and you are already in critical temperatures for possible engine damage

You can also be pushing coolant out of the overflow WITHOUT overheating.

So your choice of words makes it really confusing on what exactly you are trying to tell us.

chris_04_rx8

Both have happened today no gauge movement and steam/water out of reservoir. And gauge pegged to the max and extreme vapor pouring out.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

If this part has occurred, there is ZERO chance that you have escaped engine damage. You can fry coolant seals as low as 220F, and your temperature gauge doesn't start moving until at least 230 or 240F. Housings start to warp around 240-250F. The Max of the gauge is somewhere around 300F.

Once you have a warped housing and/or a failed coolant seal, there won't be anything you can do to keep coolant in the system. It's going to overheat, pour out the overflow, pour into the engine, etc...



Cooling system failures kill our engines in a hurry.

chris_04_rx8

i understand the seal problem and the coolant going through the engine, and all that.
The thing is it doesnt do that. I CAN SIT FOR 45 MINUTES AND NOT LOSE ANY WATER.

the only thing i cant get through is the knocking noise and the overheating issue when i begin to drive.

I dont care to swap in a new engine while i have it apart.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Start replacing stuff: Thermostat, radiator, coolant lines, coolant bottle, fans, etc...

You can replace the first 4 of those for around $500 from Mazmart.



This isn't going to be a quick and/or easy fix

chris_04_rx8

Got lines replaced. Radiator one fan plugged through a switch and turning on when I start up. I'm also running straight water. I had just thought about it an wonder since water boils at what 210* is that why I'm steaming and gauge is rising. And would anti freeze solve this since its what 260-280 when mixed???

chris_04_rx8

Getting back to working on the 8. Currently pulling everything and checking all potential weak points in the cooling system.

Problems/ concerns:
1) top hose from bottle to thermostat housing has epoxy on inside to make a seal.
2) inside hose is black sediment from hardened epoxy substance.
3) housing nipples are badly corroded and rusty
4) water pump seems fine no sludge or sediment inside all propellers are mint beside slight surface rusting
5) would running straight water cause more heat at operating temps than a 50/50 mix?

6) the last thing is to pull housing and thermostat and check for failure there before selling the car for parts.
7) stay tuned for part out thread!

chris_04_rx8

OK OK OK____

FIRST OFF, I have good new and bad news which would you like first??

(IF YOU WANT THE BAD YOU ARE AN EVIL PERSON AND TOO BAD!!!)

Anyways, I got the 8 running and driving last night, (thats the good news by the way) ended up being a stuck thermostat and nothing more so the new fuel pump, new water pump, new radiator, new spark plugs, etc are just a bonus and one less thing to worry about for the next 40-60k miles. On the crappy side of that i dished out way to much money to fix a $23 problem... But i am still very happy with everything so i will not harp on it too much.

Bad news is the fact that it took me so long to get done and that i have a problem now that i partially solved, 1) because i removed the battery she didnt want to idle for a long time, well i ran through the forums solved that (holding it and racing the engine with no load) now that i solved that i have a start issue,
2) when i first start the engine up i have to touch the throttle slightly and rev to 1k for a moment, (2-5 seconds tops) sometimes i have to deflood it to get it to start, the issue is it doesnt matter how long i drive or anything, it wonts to flood after i shut her off and go to restart her (with any amount of time between) she misfires and smokes for 15-30 seconds and purrs like a new car afterwards,

I do not have an o2 sensor so i suspect this is the issue, but my main question lies in this last issue,

MY FAN SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK ON ITS OWN, I HAVE IT RIGGED THROUGH A RELAY AND FUSE INTO A SWITCH IN THE CABIN< THIS ALLOWS THE ONE WORKING FAN TO TURN ON WHEN HE CAR GETS TO RIGHT AT OPERATING TEMPS< I AM WONDERING DOES THE FACT THAT I DO NOT LET THE FANS STAY ON VERY LONG AFTER SHUTTING HER OFF CAUSE ANY PROBLEMS SHORT OF LONG TERM???

THANK YOU ALL FOR THE HELP AND KNOWLEDGE BESTOWED ONTO MY IGNORANT THREAD!

chris_04_rx8

Alert I hate this car!

New problem heat starts blowing cold and then dummy gauge rises.
Second issue even after 4 hour trip the car will flood upon restarting. Smokes like I'm rolling coal and misfires.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, there is no way you avoided engine damage.

chris_04_rx8

So along with the white milky residue of water in my crankcase. You would determine as I will hate to admit. The water seals have been compromised and running the car further only sets me up for becoming abandoned somewhere someday?

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Pretty much. Coolant seal failures mean you are soaking your engine internals in corrosive coolant when it's not running, and trying to burn water and other chemicals when it is running.

chris_04_rx8

Correct seemslike the smoke stops tho after start up that's the oneyhing that baffled me.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Yes, the coolant that has been pooling in the housing with the engine off is swept into the exhaust and cooked off.

chris_04_rx8

Ah well that makes perfect sense I guess the premix and smell of fuel mask the smoke scent and color

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

While I don't believe I am wrong, I recommend doing your due-diligence and confirming the diagnosis. You should be able to get it through
- a cooling system pressure test (any auto repair shop)
- testing the coolant for combustion gasses (any auto repair shop should have the packets of chemical to test)
- pulling an oil sample to test for coolant (Blackstone Labs, look for their website)
- after the car has been sitting overnight, crank the engine over WITHOUT starting it (pull the fuel pump fuse or hold the gas pedal to the floor while cranking), then pull the spark plugs and check to see if they have coolant present on them

A positive on any of these will confirm the coolant seal failure, a negative on all of them would prove me wrong.

chris_04_rx8

Yes sir.