My vehicles engine overheats. It was losing water/coolant. Ive replaced water pump, thermostat, water reservoir, radiator hoses. Still the engine overheats. Vehicle runs fine until overheats. No smoke from tailpipe, no visible oil in the water or water in the oil. I did a pressure test. It loses pressure slowly but no viable fluid loss. I can hear air escaping somewhere but cannot determine where. Is this a head gasket problem or what test can I preform to determine problem. My vehicle has 118,000 miles has been sitting for 2 years before I purchased it.
RESPONSE
Engine Overheats
Sounds like the cooling system needs to be bled. You shouldn’t be hearing air leaking, you should be seeing coolant spewing out. The engine overheats if there is an air pocket in the cooling system. Maybe check and or replace the radiator cap.
Refilling Coolant
- Close the radiator drain cock.
- Refill the cooling system. In order to ensure sufficient engine cooling, freezing and corrosion protection, maintain the coolant protection level at -37°C (-34°F) or lower.
- Add a 50/50 mixture of DEX-COOL® and clean drinkable water to the cooling system.
- Set the heater and A/C control to the highest setting.
- Allow the engine to continue idling until the lower radiator to water pump hose becomes hot.
- Allow the engine to cool to the outside temperature. Check the coolant level.
| (1) | 1. Low Coolant Level |
- The coolant level should be to the full mark (1).