Ryde _Or_Die

Man my car is running hot again. Changed the water pump, thermostat, radiator cap, flushed the radiator, checked the fan clutch & its good. Not very much else to do. If there is let me know. Then once it starts running hot the battery goes dead. Now I have a dead battery, car runs hot & I got a flat tire. Someone please help ASAP. Thanks.

SaabGuy

Get an Air/Fuel guage and make sure you are not running lean. Try using redline waterwetter and less antifreeze, more water.

Check the heat range of your plugs, listen for detonation

hypntyz7

IF it has gotten to H before it is proibably bad water seals, internal, meaning rebuild. Does it always get hot after you drive it for more than 30-=45 minutes straight?

Try this test: allow the car to cool, and remove your filler cap. FIll with water, as high as you can get it. Leave the cap off and the hood up. Sit in your car and watch the filler hole. Crank the car over. IF coolant shoots out, you have bad water seals. IF it pretty much stays put, and doesnt gush out lie a guyser, you might be ok internaly. Expect a few drops of coolant to come out regardless due to teh engine's vibration, but it shouldnt have force behind it pushing it out. IF it did, you'd have bad seals, which allow compression pressure from the combustion chamber to push water back out the coolant system. This means that while youre riving coolant is being ejected by the motor, and when it gets low on coolant it doesnt cool right.

IF the test goes ok, then I'd check around for small external leaks. The driver side heater hose is really bad for small leaks, plus the hose that goes to the back of the throttle body from the back of the block.

Have you checked the thermostat in a pan of boiling water to see that it opens smoothly and fully? Youd be surprised at the number of thermostats Ive had(even new) that didnt work right, and could have eaten a motor. I perfer stock mazda units, new from the dealer, over autozone ones. IF worse comes to worse, and you cant get it under control, take the thermostat out and it will run cooler until you can figure out what to do.

As for your battery, that makes no sense to me. Unless...what are the chances that your alternator belt is loose, and thus not fully driving the water pump and fan also? Do you still have the air pump? IF not, that may be your problem. Tighten both belts.

Ryde _Or_Die

Well I am going to go get it home now. I have changed the thermostat, but might just take it out now. So you know, the car has run hot before for days, then fixed itself on its own somehow. It seems to change how it runs alot so I think it is something small or else it wouldn't be able to run good ever. Also there was no fluid in the overflow & the top radiator hose was swelling quite a bit. Seems like no water is gettin passed the thermostat but it prolly has to because the radiator is real hot & so is the coolant. I am going to check the water seals when I get home. Thanks alot, any other ideas or questions let me know, need to get the car back on the road ASAP.

Ryde _Or_Die

^^

Scott 89t2

I already told you in the other post, when you get the car back fill the overflow, take off your rad cap, turn your heater on full, and start the car and let it run for 20 mins or so, keep filling the rad as it goes down. cause it will. I think you have air pockets.

what themostat did you use? "mazda" or some parts store?

when you put the "coolant" in, you used 1/2 water and 1/2 antifreeze right?...

I don't think the water seals will make it run hot, it'll just smoke coolant out the exhuast causing your coolant level to go down. the bad seals are however caused by overheating.

hypntyz7

Scott,

Water seals will most certainly make it run hot, with chronic overheating. IN itself, a bad seal is not something to make it over heat; however, as the car runs and loses coolant through the seal into combustion(or combustion pushing water out the overflow), in the meantime youre coolant is getting lower and lower, and hotter and hotter. What does that tell you? The car will overheat. Also with air pockets, as you have said, you will get poor coolant flow and failure to build pressure in the system, and possibly localized boiling. Anyway, over time the leak in the seal will only get worse and the car will become more likely to overheat. Lets just hope this isnt his problem.

IF he runs the car when it is cold, fills the overflow, opens the bleeder valve on teh radiator(if an 86-8 car) and continutes to fill it until it stabilizes and replaces the bleeder screw and cap, then it should be fine. If water starts gushing out violently and unpredictably while filling the system cold, you know youre in trouble.

7Rebel

check the exhaust...maybe try running it with out the cat and cat back bolted up and see if it still overheats

Ryde _Or_Die

When I get it home I will see about the water seals. I really need to figure out the battery problem though. What can cause the battery to drain like that while driving it? I am going to change my belts when I get it here. Thanks alot.

Oh ya about the exhaust, you think it could be a clogged cat making it over heat or what?

hypntyz7

It might make it run warm, as in 1/2 when it normally stays on 1/3 or something, but the exhaust wouldnt cause your problems I dont think. But, if you feel freaky, then go ahead, but I think youll be wasting your time there.

The problem with your battery seems to be alternator related. Belt tension or something. Get a voltmeter and check voltage with car off, then with car idling. Should be 12-12.5vdc off, and 13.3-14vdc idling.

Wankel7

Not sure what the measurements are. But have you checked the deflection of the belts. More speciflcly the water pump belt. If the belt is to tight or loose that water pump is not going to spin at the speed it is supposed to be spinning. Can somebody else describe the belt deflection thing. I have never done it and my explaniation would suck.

James

hypntyz7

Belt tension...

Peoples opinions vary, but from my exp[erience I like a dayco top cog belt, tensioned to 1/4" deflection on the longest side. Such as the alternator/water pump belt: the longest side is the driver side, because it goes the farthest without crossing a pulley.

Always when you install new belts tension them, drive it for an hour or so, then re-tension it...they do stretch about 1/4".

Ryde _Or_Die

Well haven't gotten my car home yet, tire places were closed except the mall **** that rips you off. I am getting it home tomorrow morning then I am going to check out the stuff you guys said to.

Ryde _Or_Die

Its back but hafta take my other car to the shop to get it fixed..still working on it, ****...