94 Legacy 2.2n/a overheat

[Legwagon]

Ok so some of you already know that my car overheated last week - via my post in the how bad do you beat on your car? post. So since then I have been trying to replicate the problem (not like I really want to.) and nothing has come of it... My coolant level has stayed the same..there looks to be some oil in the coolant but its not milkshake like.. there is no coolant in the oil that I see. so I'm kind of confused.

 

[IBratmanI]

Was it low? Most of the EJ engines are picky when it comes to being full of coolant, so if they are very low at all, they get hot because of the open deck design. If it was low, than there must have been a leak somewhere. Have yo noticed any leaks at all? Check the bottom of the timing cover to see if the water pump is seeping.

 

[Nigel Prodrive]

..there looks to be some oil in the coolant but its not milkshake like.. there is no coolant in the oil that I see. so I'm kind of confused.

if oil in coolant there will be a oily sheen in expansion tank or in the filler neck (check cold, NOT hot!)

if coolant in the oil, that's when you get the choco mousse milkshake death of engine guck on dipstick or under oil filler cap. even a very little coolant in oil will make it cloudy on dipstick...not a nice normal dark black/brown dirty oil color

 

[Legwagon]

bratman- yes it was low...I haven't noticed any leaks I saw where it spluged out of the overflow tank. been looking at coolant hoses.. haven't seen any that are "moist". will check the timing cover for seepage.

nigel-there is a oily sheen in the tank. but no moussey death.

 

[Legwagon]

checked the timing cover... there doesn't seem to be any seepage.

 

[IBratmanI]

I had this happen to my 97 Impreza once. I looked at the temp gauge and it was very high. I shut it off, checked everything, found no leaks. It was just a little low. It never happened again. Just keep an eye on the coolant level and the gauge

 

[2point5RS_Dan]

Just keep an eye on it and run 'er

 

[Legwagon]

Will do!! and thanks for all the help! if I see anything I'll be sure to post it.

 

[2point5RS_Dan]

Since it's a 2.2, it should be fine. The 2.5's are the ones you have to worry about shitting headgaskets.

 

[Legwagon]

yea i've heard that .. I've also heard the 2.5 dohc are also more reliable then the 2.5 sohc.

 

[IBratmanI]

yea i've heard that .. I've also heard the 2.5 dohc are also more reliable then the 2.5 sohc.

Definitely not the case. At least with the SOHC 2.5, you can usually continue to drive the car even after the HG's start leaking. The DOHC leaks internally, and the SOHC leaks externally

 

[Legwagon]

well thanks for clearing that up

 

[Legwagon]

My car hasnt overheated again since that day but in random cases the temp gauge goes a bit crazy....< by crazy I mean it will go three quarters of the way up then come back down to the middle.....

Is that the Thermostat kicking the bucket?

 

[GClark]

Time for a 2.2t swap

 

[Iboc_C64]

My vote is to change the thermostat. My Jeep and my Grand Am had exactly what you described happen. It was the thermostat on the Grand Am and on the Jeep it was the Thermostat+Radiator+Heater Core. The previous owner of the jeep didn't know WTF he was doing. He had all the vacuum lines wrong. I gave him crap about it because I worked with him. Later I overhear him telling another Co-Worker that he could install a turbo kit for him on his civic. I laughed and told the other co-worked not to do it if he ever wants it to be put back together again.

 

[Legwagon]

Time for a 2.2t swap

I wish...

My vote is to change the thermostat. My Jeep and my Grand Am had exactly what you described happen. It was the thermostat on the Grand Am and on the Jeep it was the Thermostat+Radiator+Heater Core.

thanks for the reply! I'll have to check that out!

 

[IBratmanI]

Yeah sounds like thermostat. My Brat is actually doing something similar. It was a great ride to work this morning with no heat at all. And if the temp gauge stays where it belongs, then the heat works fine. But it climbs to 3/4 when warming up, and holds there for a bit, and then drops quickly right below 1/4.

 

[Chris]

Yeah sounds like thermostat. My Brat is actually doing something similar. It was a great ride to work this morning with no heat at all. And if the temp gauge stays where it belongs, then the heat works fine. But it climbs to 3/4 when warming up, and holds there for a bit, and then drops quickly right below 1/4.

My GL has always done that, annoys me. USMB provided no insight and just told me to replace the tstat and SEARCH! That's why I have so many spare ea thermostats haha.

I really want to put a REAL temp gauge in so I can actually see what's going on.

 

[Legwagon]

It actually did it again the other day.... I really need to flush the system replace the thermo. then see what happens.... I was reading in the Haynes manual, how to flush the complete system...it kind of sounds like a pain in the a s s...