DENNISNDODIE - Posted - 04/25/2012:  18:35:58

I start it up let it warm up and antifreeze starts coming from overflow,also the heater dont blow hot air. Is this the termostat or water pump?

bikebum - Posted - 04/25/2012:  18:52:42

Could be the radiator is plugged somewhere. Over heating would cause the overflow. Don't know what type of vehicle you have. Used to be that you could just remove the thermostat and see if it still overheated. Generally you would know if the water pump was bad because it would be leaking and/or noisy. If the impellers on the water pump were broken or frozen up you would probably have heard it.

I'd drain the radiator and check how free flowing the water was. Also run some radiator cleaner through it if the drained water was the least bit cruddy.

Could put the thermostat into hot water and see if it actuates. If I took one off I'd probably just put a new one back on if the old one was crudded up.

pstroud1 - Posted - 04/25/2012:  21:22:22

Could put the thermostat into hot water and see if it actuates. If I took one off I'd probably just put a new one back on if the old one was crudded up.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your showing your age Jerry, if it ain't back in the 70 or 80s probably have to pull the engine to get to the thermostat. LOL j/l ;)

Paul

figmo59 - Posted - 04/25/2012:  23:03:51

May be ah bad raideator cap...

BANJO TONY - Posted - 04/26/2012:  01:41:58

sorry to say this but it could all so be the heater core,which is in the fire wall.

DantheBanjoMan - Posted - 04/26/2012:  03:19:12

Take it to the shop now.  Runing it in this condition could lead to bigger problems.

steve davis - Posted - 04/26/2012:  04:14:35

Don't drive it to the shop.Have them or AAA haul it there.

Could be head gasket or worse.

Edited by - steve davis on 04/26/2012 04:15:49

bikebum - Posted - 04/26/2012:  04:46:37

"Your showing your age Jerry, if it ain't back in the 70 or 80s probably have to pull the engine to get to the thermostat. LOL j/l ;)

Paul"


Boy, ain't that the truth Paul. Anymore you can't find the radiator cap. Radiators look like they were made by Mattel for the Big Wheel kids toy. I did see a pickup around here that had a radiator of some type bolted to the front bumper. The grill was out of the truck and you could see where the hoses went through holes cut through the original radiator that was still in the truck.

banjoken - Posted - 04/26/2012:  04:50:23

quote:

---

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your showing your age Jerry, if it ain't back in the 70 or 80s probably have to pull the engine to get to the thermostat. LOL j/l ;)

---

 ? Do thermostats now last a lifetime? If not why would they do such a stupid thing?

banjomaster1980 - Posted - 04/26/2012:  06:38:36

I agree with Steve Davis, that sounds like the head gasket, the pressure of the engine firing and if the head gasket is leaking can cause all the coolant to be pushed out of the system and starve the heater core of coolant to make heat. ON many newer cars if air gets into the coolant system they have bleeder valves to bleed off the air and keep the coolant full of water and that air can get trapped in places like the heater core. I hope that it's a simple fix for you .

dat - Posted - 04/26/2012:  07:22:58

sounds like a head gasket to me too

 ASE master tech

GM certified

a lot of papers that don't mean squat. 'specially when guessing over a computer or telephone

pandjlocke - Posted - 04/26/2012:  07:29:45

I'm NOT an ASE master, nor am I GM certified, but when my van exhibited those symptoms it was a blown head gasket.

DENNISNDODIE - Posted - 04/26/2012:  08:51:10

Gonna replace the thermostat.If that doesnt fix it Im taking it to the junk yard. It cost me 1200$ and Ive drove it for 3 years and 40,000 miles so Ive got my money out of it. The water pump is to big a pain to replace.Its a 97 Chrysler.

dculgan - Posted - 04/26/2012:  10:50:31

Bought a 160k mi. '97 Subaru Outback from a co-worker for $100 + 6 pack. Same symptoms, we both knew what it was. Spent about $800 in parts replacing the head gaskets (two heads), clutch kit etc and drove it another 90k miles. It was a lot of work but that Subaru was pretty easy for the home mechanic. Wished I had replaced the not-leaking-then water pump the first time I had it apart! Dave Culgan

DENNISNDODIE - Posted - 04/26/2012:  17:58:27

Easy fix it was the thermostat. Hopefully get another few years out of it.

pstroud1 - Posted - 04/26/2012:  18:18:00

I've been waiting on Mike but I guess I'll have to do it. ;)

Paul

pandjlocke - Posted - 04/26/2012:  18:18:16

Woo hoooo! Congrats.

steve davis - Posted - 04/26/2012:  18:28:18

Yay!

Dead Wood - Posted - 04/26/2012:  23:35:45

I didnt read all these posts but in my past it was caused by a bad thermostat. It was messed up in that van I wrecked last summer and that was causing the antifreeze to back up and go out the over flow pipe.

Dead Wood. Well at least I know some stuff about something. But that bad thermostat will make the radiator run hot and make the cooling over flow out the over flow pipe and then its gone and the vehicle will run hot on you. Causing you to watch the new coolant splash back out on the motor cause the therimostat is stopped up or hung up. Or just tore up to hell and back and the coolant cant get through the thermostat. I had that in the van and had to replace all that stuff. Then it worked like a brand new one. Well it was a brand new thermostat so it had to work like a new one. NOW didnt if folks that know a little more than me...

DantheBanjoMan - Posted - 04/27/2012:  06:01:48

Glad you got to it in time.  

dat - Posted - 04/27/2012:  06:09:38

quote:

---

Originally posted by DantheBanjoMan

Glad you got to it in time.  

---

 YES, IT CAN GET EXPENSIVE FAST

Kenneth Logsdon - Posted - 04/27/2012:  12:16:19

Yep.. thass what I was gonna say...

Now let me tell you about the leaking brake line in the extended van... ran all the way from the rear axle up and over the fuel tank all the way to the motor area before another connection... Looonnng sucker...fix is to order a new one from ford, drop the tank replace...estimate.....---buy a new van!

Looked at it myself had about a three inch straight (did I say it was a wire wrapped, protected line, supposedly can/t be fixed?) piece just before the axle... took an air powered disk cutter, cut line and wire.. large pair of pliars and muscle, pulled out and unwapped section bout two inches... Bought short section of brake line and squeeze connector and installed, bled brakes... Cost 5.59....Ta DA...

Had a problem with anti freeze smell and seep in the same vehicle... Dealer major problem..  Me checked out everything,.... was ok, everywhere...  Then discovered the radiator was overfilled a little...  Took some out... Problem and smell dissapeared... cost... Nothing.. (3 years ago, still going fine.)

Edited by - Kenneth Logsdon on 04/27/2012 12:28:57