Why was my coolant system pressurized?
05-23-02, 07:41 AM
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Why was my coolant system pressurized?
Here's the story:
My car has never overheated, or has had any cooling problems of any kind. Well I removed all three intake manifolds and removed all of the solenoids and vacuum lines. I plugged up all of the openings and put it back together. I tried to start the car and it wouldn't start. I did the unflood procedure and it still didn't start. So I took the manifolds back off to check for something I might have done wrong; but found nothing. So I decided to check the injectors to see if they were leaking by jumping the fuel pump wires on the strut tower. Then just out of curiousity, I decided to remove the radiator cap. Well when I loosened up the cap it let out a nice whoosh and a little spray of coolant. I am puzzled as to why the coolant system could have been pressurized. I know that a bad water seal can creat pressure in the system but I have never had a coolant problem and can't see where I could have damaged the seals doing work on the intake. Does anyone have any input on what may be wrong or how I may have damaged the water seals? Is there any other way to create pressure in the coolant system without the car actually running and getting hot?
My car has never overheated, or has had any cooling problems of any kind. Well I removed all three intake manifolds and removed all of the solenoids and vacuum lines. I plugged up all of the openings and put it back together. I tried to start the car and it wouldn't start. I did the unflood procedure and it still didn't start. So I took the manifolds back off to check for something I might have done wrong; but found nothing. So I decided to check the injectors to see if they were leaking by jumping the fuel pump wires on the strut tower. Then just out of curiousity, I decided to remove the radiator cap. Well when I loosened up the cap it let out a nice whoosh and a little spray of coolant. I am puzzled as to why the coolant system could have been pressurized. I know that a bad water seal can creat pressure in the system but I have never had a coolant problem and can't see where I could have damaged the seals doing work on the intake. Does anyone have any input on what may be wrong or how I may have damaged the water seals? Is there any other way to create pressure in the coolant system without the car actually running and getting hot?
05-23-02, 02:09 PM
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The car has been sitting for alomst two weeks. It has not been started in almost two weeks. Now if you let a car sit for two weeks and then go outside and take off the radiator cap, there should not be pressure in the system, correct? I don't mean the coolant dripped out a little. It actually sprayed a little. Not much; just a little. But it deffintely had a buildup of pressure.
05-23-02, 03:29 PM
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It sounds to me like your radiator cap has a excellent seal (PERHAPS TOO GOOD) and is working well.
If you have no overheating problems, or coolant loss , Don't Worry.
If you have no overheating problems, or coolant loss , Don't Worry.
05-23-02, 03:46 PM
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The cap is a mazda one i got from mazdatrix. It is only about two months old. Is it posible for a coolant system to hold pressure for that long? If so that is amazing considering how many places there is for the air to get out.
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05-23-02, 03:48 PM
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I agree with Vert in Vegas. You may want to try a new cap in case the pressure release spring on your current one is acting strange. It should release at the pressure indicated on the cap. A shop with a pressure tester could check it for you.
05-23-02, 03:55 PM
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Has it been getting hot where you live samps? If so, when you have something in a container that is sealed and you heat it up the presure inside goes up as well. even alittle hotter than usual can do this. Its just a thought. But yeah it sounds like you have a hard sealing radiator cap.
05-23-02, 08:21 PM
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Last year my FC sat from January to July. I would try to run the engine once every 2-3 weeks (car was fucked up from an accident, engine was waiting to be transplanted.) I also checked the coolant every once in a while. And each time I took the cap off, there was a *bloop* of coolant that splurted out. At first, it kinda freaked me out, but my mechanic told me it was nothing special, and I have never had any heat/cooling related probs with the engine, b4 or since.
If the coolant blasted out when you took the cap off, be concerned. If it just kinda farted, don't worry about it.
If the coolant blasted out when you took the cap off, be concerned. If it just kinda farted, don't worry about it.
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