Hey guys "some dealer somewhere" traded in a car. Seems like a nice lil car but the last owner said it sometimes overheated.- Im told itdoesn't seem to on the short drives. it might be selling on some auction site somewhere. to do the very best to be honest the dealer posted this after several phone calls regarding this car we carried out these tests. 1)A TK test.This showed NEGATIVE for hydrocarbons in radiator. 2)the radiator and rad cap seems to be fairly new 3)It looks like the thermostat has been removed possibly simply replaced (silicone residue around the join) 4)there apears to be no oil in the radiator/ oil cap has no creamy residue. 5)some bubbles on startup but settles down.indication of water circulation through radiator from startup. Can anyone think of anything else a non mechanic could do to to describe/work out the overheating issue! -if indeed there is one at all
thejazzpianoma,
Aug 15, 9:08am
Have you actually taken this car for a long drive or used it a few days yourself!
Plenty of non headgasket causes for overheating like cooling system restrictions, broken fins on the water pump, air locks etc.
Personally, I would run it a bit myself and try and get to the bottom of it more myself before selling it on. Unless you just do a $1 reserve auction and explain the story as above. (I assume that isn't what is happening already).
Otherwise I think you are just setting yourself up for a fall, especially with overheating issues as you might end up with it being returned after being cooked up.
BTW, does it come up to temperature quickly and hold in the middle of the gauge! That would obviously be a good clue as to whether the thermostat is actually still there without removing it.
splinter67,
Aug 15, 9:10am
What is the car!
mark.52,
Aug 15, 9:12am
You need to find out if the car is actually overheating, and under what circumstances, before taking this much further, I'd think.
One thing, though, unless the engine is already hot, (and therefore the thermostat is open), water should not be circulating through the radiator on startup. It should bypass the radiator until operating temperature is approached.
You could visually inspect the radiator from the front to make sure it hasn't had impact damage repaired, which might involve one of the tubes being soldered. This can sometimes restrict or stop water flow through that part of the radiator. On a cross flow radiator, this matters.
thejazzpianoma,
Aug 15, 9:19am
Also. is the radiator fan coming on when it should! I know they said it tends to happen on longer drives but if there is no thermostat in there and the radiator fan isn't working properly that may happen. Especially if "longer drives" means longer duration but still in town.
Sorry if this is telling you how to suck eggs but we are only going on what you have told us so far.
bellky,
Aug 15, 9:23am
Probly should have read it first.
phillip.weston,
Aug 15, 9:26am
if there are no combustion chamber gasses in the cooling system I would start looking at the water pump (missing fins) or thermostat (stuck closed).
Also yes it might pay to tell us what car it is - some of them have a BHG right from factory!
kazbanz,
Aug 15, 10:29am
Apologies for being vague -deliberate to avoid the TM troops and narcs. "Im told"The caris the smallest in the 90's range that PW is expert in. Mark52 --I feel the stat has likely been removed. Jazz--"I would guess" that its possibly somewhere selling on $1 reserve with the explaination above added. that the rad and cap apear to be newish suggests something to me
floscey,
Aug 15, 10:36am
if its a bypass system , removing thermostat can make your engine overheat.
splinter67,
Aug 15, 10:36am
The narks are all busy over in TMD is it a new radiator or a second hand one that has been painted I brought one for a sub that was more blocked than the one I was replacing
kazbanz,
Aug 15, 11:03am
I wouldn't know re rad--it just looks newish.
bjmh,
Aug 15, 11:42am
very common for modern engines to be left sitting over night ,at the first start they will stutter.sometimes caused by water getting into combustion chamber.overnight and initially quenching a spark plug.to check ,leave engine for 12 hrs ,disconnect ability to ignite,wind it over,remove plugs and check for H2o.first signs of headgasket failure.
elect70,
Aug 15, 11:47am
Get a compression test orleakdown test done .
thejazzpianoma,
Aug 15, 12:14pm
O.K well with that in mind I think what you are doing is fair enough. It sounds like you have made it clear that the previous owner mentioned it has overheated on longer trips, you have explained what you know about it. Beyond that its up to the buyer to decide what they want to do.
Sometimes when you are busy its not worth tracking down problems on a cheap car, I understand where you are coming from.
Best of luck with it!
(BTW, if anyone is thinking about complaining about self promotion, I think its only fair to get advice concerning how to make an auction as fair and reasonable as possible. We don't even know if its even on TM or exactly what car it even is. If we can't talk about making auctions fair and reasonable I don't know what we can talk about that's worthwhile. .Fiats and VW's perhaps)
tigra,
Aug 15, 12:20pm
Airlocks can bea frequent cause of overheating however they usually show up on short trips.
budgel,
Aug 15, 4:16pm
I agree, especially if there are bubbles on startup but no hydrocarbons in the radiator.
tgray,
Aug 15, 4:24pm
When the temp starts to rise, turn the heater full on. If the temp starts to fall, it's not the head gasket. Simple as that.
franc123,
Aug 15, 4:44pm
Its probably had a new radiator because the old one cracked a tank because of excess pressure in the system, or it was diagnosed as being blocked because of years of neglect. Its been sent back because of continued overheating or water loss, been rediagnosed and the thermostat removed as a cheap fix until it could be traded in. The reason for all this! THE HEADS CRACKED.And no doubt not admitting gas into the cooling system until well warmed up. Its an old Mitzispitzi kaz, you should have known that.
kazbanz,
Aug 16, 5:57am
Well anyhow--as its now done and dusted. The car WAS a lil 1300 mirage. I posted up what I saw and what I did to test it all.Once the buyer had hit the button for the last time I got a call from him. After I carefully went through what the seller told me and the tests I'd carried out--Him playing dumb the whole timehe pipes up and says--"its ok bud I run a workshop in abcdish so I'll know if its blown a gasket when it gets here"
mrfxit,
Aug 16, 10:07am
LOL . arm pit garden = eeeewww
Spark plug tip stains/colors at cold & hot can tell all sorts of wonderful storys if you know how to read them.
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