2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992) 1986-1992 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections.
Sponsored by:

Engine overheats, coolant leak

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 10-06-08, 10:42 AM
  #1  
The Doctor

Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
 
g14novak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
Posts: 1,185
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Engine overheats, coolant leak

So I was driving my car about 2 days ago when I noticed the temp gauge start to go up. I didn't worry about it since I was literally down the road from my house. Out of curiosity, I sat in my driveway with the car running to see if it would go up further. It just kept and rising and rising until it got up to the bar before the H mark. I shut it off. I popped the hood and could hear a high pitched whine and saw what looked like a cracked hose or loose hose from the rear driver side of the engine. Their was a slow coolant leak from some hose that went up into the center of the firewall. What would this hose be?

I just want to know if it would be ok to remove that hose from my car and block off the spot that it hooks up to.

Just a side note, it leaks coolant at a steady rate. I have to fill my radiator with about 2 to 3 quarts of water every day.

The hose highlighted in yellow is what is leaking. It's leaking from the connection to the motor, not the firewall.

Old 10-06-08, 11:36 AM
  #2  
Smoke moar

 
cmanns's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: The yay, California
Posts: 2,530
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
It's the heater hose.

I remember my aunt telling me about their air cooled VW (forget what model) they'd have to turn on the heater to prevent it from over heating, when my 7 got near the H, flicked on the heater & windows down to prevent me from melting (100f day), temps went down haha.
Old 10-06-08, 11:41 AM
  #3  
The Doctor

Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
 
g14novak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
Posts: 1,185
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well unfortunately, I cant do that. My blower motor is bad so no air inside the car. Not even heat...

Can I just block off that hose?
Old 10-06-08, 11:47 AM
  #4  
Smoke moar

 
cmanns's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: The yay, California
Posts: 2,530
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Well I just took alook for ya the heater core has to have flow through it so theres 2 tubes for it. I suppose you can just close the loop, or just do it right and get a new heater hose & eventually a blower motor and enjoy nice air inside the car :]

I couldn't find the 2nd heater hose, I think its the one right next to it or its on the other side of the firewall, not sure I'm sure in the FSM it'd tell ya.

I'm not going to tell you to block it off, I don't know exactly how much pressure is in the coolent system I think its like 1bar or so depending, if whatever you use to block it off breaks off, by by coolent.

I have no clue what would be used to block it off with but I also believe the heater core getting that little bit of coolent also aids in keeping temps down even with no heater on, as the heater core will asorb the heat. If you don't want to just get a new heater hose, I'd wait for someone else to chime in on what to do
Old 10-06-08, 11:52 AM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
jmkogut's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Washington
Posts: 409
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Yeah, don't block off your heater core.. Buy a new hose, and install it. It's SUPER cheap.

Besides, a heater core + a working blower = GREAT for lowering temps.

I'd say your engine is possibly damaged, you never want to let it get above halfway, you have a moderate chance of needing new coolant seals because of that.
Old 10-06-08, 12:05 PM
  #6  
The Doctor

Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
 
g14novak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
Posts: 1,185
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by jmkogut
Yeah, don't block off your heater core.. Buy a new hose, and install it. It's SUPER cheap.

Besides, a heater core + a working blower = GREAT for lowering temps.

I'd say your engine is possibly damaged, you never want to let it get above halfway, you have a moderate chance of needing new coolant seals because of that.
Well I'm not blowing white smoke and this motor only needs to last me until I can do a rebuild/buy a new one.

The guy that I bought this car from did such a hackjob on everything, I'm surprised it even moves...



Also, a side note, I have a S5. Standard operating temp is 1/2 way on the gauge.

Last edited by g14novak; 10-06-08 at 12:12 PM.
Old 10-06-08, 12:10 PM
  #7  
Senior Member
 
jmkogut's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Washington
Posts: 409
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
An overheated rotary will run fine for quite a while. I'm positive mine has been severely overheated, but I only blow a little smoke on startup, and it feels like it has full power. I expect it to last me the winter, at least. Then hopefully I can grab a low mileage 13B-RE <3

I used to have grounding issues too Those were promptly corrected.
Old 10-06-08, 12:13 PM
  #8  
Smoke moar

 
cmanns's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: The yay, California
Posts: 2,530
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Overheated makes the housings warp... I don't believe it strictly affects the coolent seals, what about the oil seals?

My car was ran over the H, that was 8 years ago, shes at 80k miles and still running strong with no smoking.
Old 10-06-08, 12:18 PM
  #9  
The Doctor

Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
 
g14novak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
Posts: 1,185
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by cmanns
Overheated makes the housings warp... I don't believe it strictly affects the coolent seals, what about the oil seals?

My car was ran over the H, that was 8 years ago, shes at 80k miles and still running strong with no smoking.
oil seals? Forgive me if im talking about the wrong item, but I have the OMP removed. I run premix.
Old 10-06-08, 12:25 PM
  #10  
Smoke moar

 
cmanns's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: The yay, California
Posts: 2,530
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
So wait on your car you have no oil in it? I thought oil was still needed but okay, and I wasn't talking about your car I was talking about overheating ing eneral not only hurting the coolent seals.

I thought the OMP dumps oil into the rotor chambers to lubercate, thus the rotary engine eats up some oil over time, I thought the rest of the oil lubes other things lol.
Old 10-06-08, 12:29 PM
  #11  
The Doctor

Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
 
g14novak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
Posts: 1,185
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by cmanns
So wait on your car you have no oil in it? I thought oil was still needed but okay, and I wasn't talking about your car I was talking about overheating ing eneral not only hurting the coolent seals.

I thought the OMP dumps oil into the rotor chambers to lubercate, thus the rotary engine eats up some oil over time, I thought the rest of the oil lubes other things lol.
All I know is that my OMP was bad. I installed the block off plate according to their instruction manual, left the oil in my engine, and started premixing. For all I know, I could be doing it wrong.
Old 10-06-08, 12:38 PM
  #12  
Senior Member
 
jmkogut's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Washington
Posts: 409
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I was informed on multiple occasions that severely overheating your rotary resulted in damaged coolant seals. When I turn the engine over, water comes out of the fill neck, and I have a leak on my water pump seal that I have to fix before I can start DD'ing this car again.

Last edited by jmkogut; 10-06-08 at 12:41 PM.
Old 10-06-08, 04:02 PM
  #13  
Lovin my 7

 
cpubugs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Lakeland, FL
Posts: 756
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by g14novak
All I know is that my OMP was bad. I installed the block off plate according to their instruction manual, left the oil in my engine, and started premixing. For all I know, I could be doing it wrong.
You are not doing it wrong. Key word here is you are running premix now. and to the other guy no his engine still has oil. It just no longer pumps engine oil in with the gas. Now he runs 2cycle oil in his gas so it takes care of the lubing that use to be accomplished by the OMP.
Old 10-06-08, 04:14 PM
  #14  
The Doctor

Thread Starter
iTrader: (1)
 
g14novak's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
Posts: 1,185
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by cpubugs
You are not doing it wrong. Key word here is you are running premix now. and to the other guy no his engine still has oil. It just no longer pumps engine oil in with the gas. Now he runs 2cycle oil in his gas so it takes care of the lubing that use to be accomplished by the OMP.
Ok, thanks for the heads up.

Now, where can I get this heater hose? Will any autozone or ADAP have them? Or will I have to order them?
Old 10-06-08, 04:31 PM
  #15  
Smoke moar

 
cmanns's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: The yay, California
Posts: 2,530
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
http://www.autozone.com/N,16300589//...eResultSet.htm

They appear to have some, if that url doesnt work for you go to cooling and heating, hoses upper I believe.

cpubugs Doesnt the oil still pump around the engine? As I said the OMP just injects the oil... you still need the oil seals and such I'd think. This isnt his issue anyways...
Old 05-22-12, 07:31 PM
  #16  
marx.7

 
marx.7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: LA, socal
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
did new radiator hose fix your over heating...mine starting overheating. =/
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
trickster
2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992)
25
07-01-23 04:40 PM
alphawolff
1st Generation Specific (1979-1985)
17
11-17-15 05:57 PM
86glxNA
New Member RX-7 Technical
7
08-22-15 08:54 PM
LMBTG
New Member RX-7 Technical
7
08-15-15 01:43 PM



Quick Reply: Engine overheats, coolant leak



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:01 PM.