another eg33 overheating

[SVXMAN2001]

After searching the forum it appears that our svxi are prone to overheating, i am seriously hoping it is a coolant system issue and not a head gasket one, i find it hard to believe that an engine with only 125k miles will have already blown a head gasket! Anyway here are my symptoms

1) Leaking a lot of coolant, which appears to be leaking from the hose leading from the water pump into the radiator, where the hose attaches to the radiator, at first the hose was on very loose so it was tighten and the leak stopped temporarily, Now the leak is much worse with coolant all over the radiator fan (one near the water pump) and the timing belt cover

2) I checked the radiator and it was bone dry...I replaced it with fluid and after running for about 5 - 10 min it fluided started spewing from the resevoir

3) both fans are on

4) I highly doubt (yet still possible) that the cause would be either the water pump and/or the radiator, i had them both replaced about 40 - 45k miles ago

5) Lastly the symptoms i am getting from the temp gauge is that it will rise with increase rpm and then/usually the guage will come back down to normal, it does this sporadically....I read a post by tomsvx saying that this could be caused by air being caught in the system and when this hot air crosses the path of the thermostat the temp gauge rockets up...due to a leaky head gasket...I am crossing my fingerst that this isn't the case..

I know there is a tremendous amount of information about this on the forum, but it seems that everyone's story has their own little quirk, would just like to get some insight...

thanks in advance, Chris

[cdigerlando]

Originally Posted by SVXMAN2001

After searching the forum it appears that our svxi are prone to overheating, i am seriously hoping it is a coolant system issue and not a head gasket one, i find it hard to believe that an engine with only 125k miles will have already blown a head gasket! Anyway here are my symptoms

1) Leaking a lot of coolant, which appears to be leaking from the hose leading from the water pump into the radiator, where the hose attaches to the radiator, at first the hose was on very loose so it was tighten and the leak stopped temporarily, Now the leak is much worse with coolant all over the radiator fan (one near the water pump) and the timing belt cover

2) I checked the radiator and it was bone dry...I replaced it with fluid and after running for about 5 - 10 min it fluided started spewing from the resevoir

3) both fans are on

4) I highly doubt (yet still possible) that the cause would be either the water pump and/or the radiator, i had them both replaced about 40 - 45k miles ago

5) Lastly the symptoms i am getting from the temp gauge is that it will rise with increase rpm and then/usually the guage will come back down to normal, it does this sporadically....I read a post by tomsvx saying that this could be caused by air being caught in the system and when this hot air crosses the path of the thermostat the temp gauge rockets up...due to a leaky head gasket...I am crossing my fingerst that this isn't the case..

I know there is a tremendous amount of information about this on the forum, but it seems that everyone's story has their own little quirk, would just like to get some insight...

thanks in advance, Chris

If you are leaking coolant that is the problem. Where are you leaking from? Just from the hose? Replace the hose. Fix the leaks and that should fix the problem.

BTW, SVXs are not prone to overheat when the coolant system is working.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Dessertrunner]

eg 33's don't over heat unless there is a problem. The temp gauge will go up when the engine is hot but is will go down with no water. Most temp gauges require water to correctly show temp so in reality when it drops down it has no water. Take the car to a radiator guy and find the leak before the engine is stuffed. My wife drove her car for 5 k with no water after blowing a hose, it was a 40 c day but the engine was okay.
Tony

[SVXMAN2001]

yeah I am really not sure what's up, clamps are tight, hoses appear to have no holes, I'll just have to wipe it down and watch from underneath to see exactly where the coolant is leaking from...I'll flush it tonight and report back afterwards...

[SomethingElse]

I would definalty try to make the people who worked on it buy you new parts. take it back to them and show them pictures of what everything looked like before you pulled it out..I still have the starter I can send you pics of. Report it to the BBB regardless and threaten them with a lawyer if needed. you should not have to pay for someone elses shotty work.

[SVXMAN2001]

thanks eric, i am going to give them a call today and see what they'll do, i'll be going home next weekend to try and clear this whole mess up!

[cdigerlando]

If everything is tight, look to see if your water pump is weeping. Also check the back of the engine and make sure your heater hoses are not leaking. There are a couple of hoses on the top of the motor under the intake that are difficult to see as well. Also check your throttle body hoses. When you fill up the coolant system, check to see where it is leaking from. I had trouble with a radiator that would not work well until I did a reverse flush. If it is overheating with pleanty of fluid in it, that could be the culprit. Either that or a jammed thermostat.

[SVXMAN2001]

Chuck, thanks for the tips...Eric and I had a look at the car last night and apparently the people who installed my transmission also installed a tranny cooler and placed it right up against the radiator with no brackets, so while driving it was wobbling back and forth freely, it eventually caused two puncture holes in the radiator and thus the leakage...I am trying to determine whether the transmission shop is legally liable...they also busted my starter...

[SomethingElse]

It always amazes to see how much some people really just dont give a crap. The tranny cooler was mounted in front of the condensor. well the cooler hit the hood latch support, so when they tried to tigten the condensor back up it wouldnt reach so they just left it loose. no tie wraps,zip ties, duck tape, jb weld no nuthin....how did the temp fix work? if you used stop leak a flush should be in the near future.

[Trevor]

Originally Posted by SVXMAN2001

Chuck, thanks for the tips...Eric and I had a look at the car last night and apparently the people who installed my transmission also installed a tranny cooler and placed it right up against the radiator with no brackets, so while driving it was wobbling back and forth freely, it eventually caused two puncture holes in the radiator and thus the leakage...I am trying to determine whether the transmission shop is legally liable...they also busted my starter...

It would appear to me that you have a reliable witness in Eric, Get stuck in Not at you

[TomsSVX]

If the problem persists, I would recomend new hoses both top and bottom along with new clamps... Sorry to hear about the troubles... This is why you should only trust me Good luck getting it all straightened out and I wish that you take those guys down

Tom