If you have seen a few of us –SE guys have been having overheating issues. Now gather round cause I’m fixin to tell the story of the $150.00 thermostat. Mind you my problem couldn’t be thermostat related since I had replaced it in June of this year, when I got the car.

The POS Racer decided to blow coolant out of the overflow last Sunday while my daughter and I were taking our Sunday “get mom a paper” run.

Being as smart as I think I am, I ran out and bought a new radiator cap, put it on and smiled triumphantly for 14 of the 15 minutes the POS Racer ran. Then she blew coolant out of the overflow. Drat!

So I started thinking what could cause the problem ever put up a post on the forum about my problems. Got some great advice from Pitt and Rxcetera. Pitt was even nice enough to talk with me on the phone!

I decided it must be the Radiator since the one in it was in tough shape, called around and researched the radiator, found a good deal on one it town so I bought it! I spent Thursday night, Friday night and this morning getting it all swapped. Took my time and cleaned some stuff up and really enjoyed the project!

Well last night couldn’t get the old cap on the new radiator, finally called the place I got the radiator from and they gave ma a brand new cap at no charge, great folks!

Put it on and smiled triumphantly for 14 of the 15 minutes the POS Racer ran. Then she blew coolant out of the overflow. Drat!

I’m mad, come back to the computer and surf around, reread my old posts. Then see where Rxcetera mentioned boiling the thermostat on the stove, so I did. Guess what it wouldn’t open. Double Drat.

Ran to Freeman Mazda to get a new thermostat, they don’t have any can get me one Tuesday. That won’t work I have an SCCA Race tomorrow! Run to O’Reileys, and get a new thermostat, install it and smiled triumphantly for 15 of the 15 minutes the POS Racer ran. Yippie

I’m just in from a 45-minute cruise through the country; she never went past ¼ on the gauge. Double Yippie

What have we leaned, to run under the old saying K.I.S.S. “Keep it simple stupid”, I could have gotten her back up and running for $7.00 vs. $150.00. I was so confident it wasn’t the thermostat that it cost me $143.00. Hopefully someone may learn from my mistakes! Live and learn!

 

*snicker*

Dork

 

Alot of people have been brainwashed by mechanics to believe that you have to replace the expensive parts first to fix a relatively small (often unrelated) problem. Now you know... do the easy and cheap fix first. If that doesnt work, then move on to the expensive stuff. Glad to see the POS works good now .

 

i doubt its da thermostat causing my overheating its only a couple days old

 

Yeah, thermostats are NEVER defective!

 

??? You being sarcastic?

 

GSL-SE, have you done the old boil the thermostat on the stove test? It should open 8mm to 10mm. Then you can be 100% certain that that’s not your problem.

Mine had less than 750 miles on it when it went bad, it was still shinny when I removed it!

Don’t be (as serzy put it) a dork!

 

I think you did fine....The radiator was in bad shape anyway, right? You just saved yourself a "breakdown on the side of the road somewhere", which would have happened at the worst time possible, like on the way to your SCCA event.