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Post by Village Idiot on Dec 31, 2016 21:29:11 GMT -5
I'm no mechanic, but have done some car repair stuff over the years when forced to by poverty. Today the heater in Kim's car blew out warm air when it was driving, but cool air as it idled. It never overheated, though. Several situations cross my mind.
It might be the thermostat. There might be a big air bubble in the radiator. It might be a heater core issue, which I've replaced in a car once and swore to the Almighty that I'll never do again. Or, as I had hoped, it is low on coolant. So I checked that. Or tried.
The plastic reservoir was full, but I know enough to know that doesn't necessarily mean the radiator it. So I went to check the cap. The only problem is that I can't find the f&*%ing thing.
I'm sure it's under this big piece of plastic that is held into place by about 95 bolts, a big piece of plastic that probably wouldn't cooperate with me when I tried to put it back on, and if I did remove it the f&*%ing cap might not be under there anyway.
So, as the pirates, say, ARGH!
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Post by factorychef on Dec 31, 2016 22:36:11 GMT -5
Google
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Post by Village Idiot on Dec 31, 2016 22:37:22 GMT -5
Everything on Google is true.
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Post by Rob Hanesworth on Dec 31, 2016 23:00:58 GMT -5
Cool air is God's punishment for idling.
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Dub
Administrator
I'm gettin' so the past is the only thing I can remember.
Posts: 19,958 
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Post by Dub on Jan 1, 2017 0:33:16 GMT -5
YouTube probably has an answer. I don't know the make and model of Kim's car or I'd look it up for you. Go to YouTube and search for "adding coolant in a ___________."
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Post by godotwaits on Jan 1, 2017 2:04:04 GMT -5
Consternatin' ain't it ??
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Dub
Administrator
I'm gettin' so the past is the only thing I can remember.
Posts: 19,958
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Post by Dub on Jan 1, 2017 2:29:41 GMT -5
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Post by Village Idiot on Jan 1, 2017 13:12:01 GMT -5
YouTube probably has an answer. I don't know the make and model of Kim's car or I'd look it up for you. Go to YouTube and search for "adding coolant in a ___________." I looked that up for 2009 Plymouth Torrent, but really didn't find much. I checked this morning, and the overflow tank is two inches above where it's supposed to be after sitting all night. I have a feeling something not good is going on. |
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Dub
Administrator
I'm gettin' so the past is the only thing I can remember.
Posts: 19,958
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Post by Dub on Jan 1, 2017 13:37:22 GMT -5
YouTube probably has an answer. I don't know the make and model of Kim's car or I'd look it up for you. Go to YouTube and search for "adding coolant in a ___________." I looked that up for 2009 Plymouth Torrent, but really didn't find much. I checked this morning, and the overflow tank is two inches above where it's supposed to be after sitting all night. I have a feeling something not good is going on. You might try searching for “2009 Pontiac Torrent." Just sayin'. |
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Post by Village Idiot on Jan 1, 2017 13:55:24 GMT -5
That's true. Youtube is more likely to have repairs on cars that exist.
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Post by amanajoe on Jan 1, 2017 14:10:10 GMT -5
I looked that up for 2009 Plymouth Torrent, but really didn't find much. I checked this morning, and the overflow tank is two inches above where it's supposed to be after sitting all night. I have a feeling something not good is going on. You might try searching for “2009 Pontiac Torrent." Just sayin'. Is this the infamous 3.4L? If so, it is likely air in the coolant system that so many people have complained about. I know that on the older ones, the bleeder screws were not, in fact, the highest point in the system. So air would get trapped in the heater hoses and you'd get all sorts of weird heat issues. I'd google around for bleeding the 3.4L and see if that's the case with your vehicle too. |
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Post by drlj on Jan 1, 2017 14:17:32 GMT -5
It could be what Joe said, but I would check the flux capacitor first just to be on the safe side.
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Post by Dan McLaughlin on Jan 1, 2017 16:35:24 GMT -5
LOL!
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Post by Village Idiot on Jan 1, 2017 17:07:13 GMT -5
Is this the infamous 3.4L? If so, it is likely air in the coolant system that so many people have complained about. I know that on the older ones, the bleeder screws were not, in fact, the highest point in the system. So air would get trapped in the heater hoses and you'd get all sorts of weird heat issues. I'd google around for bleeding the 3.4L and see if that's the case with your vehicle too. Yes, it is. And googling around found all kinds of references to what you're describing. Now I could mess around with bleeding the thing, but the real problem is that the reason I couldn't find a radiator cap is that there isn't one. A sealed system, I guess. So if I did bleed it, I have no idea how I'd add more fluid directly to the radiator. So forget. Got it towed in today, someone who knows a whole lot more than me will work on it tomorrow. No radiator cap. Unbelievable. |
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Tamarack
Administrator
Ancient Citizen
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Post by Tamarack on Jan 2, 2017 0:15:32 GMT -5
YouTube usually has some accurate videos (and some not-so-accurate videos) to describe particular repairs for particular vehicles, but it doesn't make the repair any easier or the design less absurd.
Case in point -- to change the headlight bulb in a Nissan Altima one has to remove half the bolts that hold the front fender on. In my case it involved lying flat on my back on a snowy driveway.
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Post by Marshall on Jan 2, 2017 10:34:20 GMT -5
No radiator cap. Unbelievable. I think the theory is the cap on the expansion tank is where you add fluid. The rest of it is a closed system. Same as it used to be, except there was no expansion chamber. It would just blow the radiator cap when the pressure got too high. |
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Post by Village Idiot on Jan 2, 2017 11:39:41 GMT -5
Except now you know how much fluid is not n the expansion tak, but can't tell hoe much is in the radiator itself.
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Post by Marshall on Jan 2, 2017 11:49:39 GMT -5
It it's designed correctly, and there are no blockages in the piping, then if there's fluid in the expansion tank, the radiator is filled.
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Post by drlj on Jan 2, 2017 12:05:27 GMT -5
I really think it is a faulty thermostat. I would bet if that is replaced the problem will be over.
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Post by Village Idiot on Jan 2, 2017 12:26:55 GMT -5
It it's designed correctly, and there are no blockages in the piping, then if there's fluid in the expansion tank, the radiator is filled. There are three inches more in the expansion tank than there shou be, when the engine is cold. We replaced the thermostat in August, so I doubt it's that. |
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