Now I'm getting the feeling that the coolant wont splash over and burn you if you try and start it with the cap off. The FAQ's keep saying it, but knowing what happens in a piston engine I still need some reinforcement. The guy i'm looking at this car from shouldknow that its fine.. right?

 

Don't open a hot radiator cap, no matter what kind of engine its attached to.

If your car's cold, go ahead and fire it up with the cap off.

 

HUH.........

Dont pull the cap when its hot.....at all, or you will star in the new nightmare on elm street.

If you want to see if you have a blown coolant seal.... wait til car is cold.....pull cap.... it should bubble if there is compression loss.

I think that is what you might be going for???

john ny

 

hmm.. then theres not a way i can find out if the seals are bad without the plug test.

 

yeah i re-read the faqs. nevermind. thanks anyway, hahaha. and yes, thats what im going for.

 

IIRC the symptoms should be the same as blown headgasket.

 

if you start a cold engine with the cap off, as it warms up the coolant will splash a little as the thermostat opens. But without the radiator cap the system won't build any pressure. When you let the engine warm up with the cap on the whole time, pressure builds up to about 13psi. If you then remove the cap, you will be scalded as that pressure is released.

 

actually, dont open the cap when its pressurized. Usually when its hot, its pressurized unless you have a leak somewhere.

You can open it when its hot.....just check to see if its pressurized first, if you dont check (which I dont know why you wont), then I hope you like hot sweet scalding showers lol.
Squeeze the upper hose and if you feel resistance or its very firm, dont open it. If you feel little resistance or firmness, get a rag and open the cap slowly until pressure is released.

 

mine was doing the same and all i did was replace my thermostat for 8 dollars at autozone and all the bubbling stopped

 

And if you're unlucky you'll have to do it again soon... or if you let it overheat for more than a minute you'll be fixing your whole engine next time. Get a thermostat from the dealer to be safe. Auto parts store thermostats are this car's greatest enemy.