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Overheating issues


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My 89 Mj keeps overheating. I can drive about a mile before the needle is in the red even with the electric fan on. I've replaced the theromstat, water pump, fan relay and fan switch sensor. I can't figure out what might be causeing this, feed back or ideas would be great.

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1. Your electric fan...is it installed with a spal controller?

It mAy not be putting the correct output to spin the Fan fast enough to cool your system....

2. You may have a blown head gasket...do a pressure to make sure it's not a blown gasket....

3. How is your coolant tank lid?

1.whats a spal controller?

2.i've not tried a pressure test yet, ill try that in the morning.

3.my coolant tank lid is in good condition.

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1. Your electric fan...is it installed with a spal controller?

It mAy not be putting the correct output to spin the Fan fast enough to cool your system....

2. You may have a blown head gasket...do a pressure to make sure it's not a blown gasket....

3. How is your coolant tank lid?

1.whats a spal controller?

2.i've not tried a pressure test yet, ill try that in the morning.

3.my coolant tank lid is in good condition.

 

Where is the coolant leaving the system when it overheats? Not the coolant bottle cap? 

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1. Your electric fan...is it installed with a spal controller?

It mAy not be putting the correct output to spin the Fan fast enough to cool your system....

2. You may have a blown head gasket...do a pressure to make sure it's not a blown gasket....

3. How is your coolant tank lid?

1.whats a spal controller?

2.i've not tried a pressure test yet, ill try that in the morning.

3.my coolant tank lid is in good condition.

 

Where is the coolant leaving the system when it overheats? Not the coolant bottle cap? 

 

The coolant forces its self from the bottom of the coolant tank

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1. Your electric fan...is it installed with a spal controller?

It mAy not be putting the correct output to spin the Fan fast enough to cool your system....

2. You may have a blown head gasket...do a pressure to make sure it's not a blown gasket....

3. How is your coolant tank lid?

1.whats a spal controller?

2.i've not tried a pressure test yet, ill try that in the morning.

3.my coolant tank lid is in good condition.

 

Where is the coolant leaving the system when it overheats? Not the coolant bottle cap? 

 

The coolant forces its self from the bottom of the coolant tank

 

Then the tank is bad......

 

Replace the tank and install a 703-1396 cap on it and go from there. 

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1. Your electric fan...is it installed with a spal controller?

It mAy not be putting the correct output to spin the Fan fast enough to cool your system....

2. You may have a blown head gasket...do a pressure to make sure it's not a blown gasket....

3. How is your coolant tank lid?

1.whats a spal controller?

2.i've not tried a pressure test yet, ill try that in the morning.

3.my coolant tank lid is in good condition.

 

Where is the coolant leaving the system when it overheats? Not the coolant bottle cap? 

 

The coolant forces its self from the bottom of the coolant tank

 

Then the tank is bad......

 

Replace the tank and install a 703-1396 cap on it and go from there. 

 

I'll try that.

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Describe it a little more.

 

When is it overheating? Driving at speed? Setting in traffic? Idling in the driveway?

 

How do you know it's overheating? Is it boiling over or is the gage telling you?

 

When did the problem start?

I first notice it about a week ago driving at highway speeds, so i had it towed home and it sat in my driveway, after replacing the thermostat in , let the air out of the system and it stated to overheat at city driving speeds. How i know its overheating because coolant was forcing its way out of where the line attachs to the coolant tankon the bottom and the gauge needle was in the red.

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You replaced the fan relay and switch, but do you know for certain your fan kicks on?  I'm asking if you've got the engine up to temp while parked to see the fan kick on.....  And just because you replaced old with new, doesn't necessarily mean they're good.  I check relays before I replace them with new ones.  I don't normally check thermostats before installing them, but you could have a new one that's faulty.  It happens.  Get a pan of boiling water and a thermometer and see if yours is functioning as it should.  And before I install thermostats, I like to drill an 1/8" hole at the thermostats flange 12 o'clock for any air bubbles that might form.  That trick goes back to my working at the gas station days.

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  And before I install thermostats, I like to drill an 1/8" hole at the thermostats flange 12 o'clock for any air bubbles that might form.  That trick goes back to my working at the gas station days.

 

 

Me too.

I just installed a new thermostat on my 88 Comanche 4.0L the other day, and that is exactly what I did.

I didn't have any problem at all burping the system.

 

On the 80's models 4.0 engines, the closed loop cooling system with the pressurized expansion tank  can be a real pain in the  a** when trying to get air out of the cooling system.

This simple modification helps a lot.

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Describe it a little more.

When is it overheating? Driving at speed? Setting in traffic? Idling in the driveway?

How do you know it's overheating? Is it boiling over or is the gage telling you?

When did the problem start?

 

I first notice it about a week ago driving at highway speeds, so i had it towed home and it sat in my driveway, after replacing the thermostat in , let the air out of the system and it stated to overheat at city driving speeds. How i know its overheating because coolant was forcing its way out of where the line attachs to the coolant tankon the bottom and the gauge needle was in the red.

Is it still forcing coolant out of the tank? If you are loosing any pressure the coolant will boil and cause overheating. With the temp all the way in the red it should never spill coolant.

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For $#!&s and giggles-

Image Not Found

 

 

Yesterday while reading this thread and posting that you reread my post, I took this pic with my phone. Ambient temp was 49 degrees, truck was at idle for better than 20 minutes with heater on as I was taking a break from work. The E-fan NEVER came on. I do NOT have a mechanical fan.

 

 

 

If you have an air pocket in your head you would get an overheat after about 3 minutes at idle, you would never make it to 'city driving'.

 

 

You have a no-flow condition. Either your rad is completely clogged, your water pump is the wrong rotation, or you T-stat is bad. It's that freakn' simple.

 

If you had a blow head gasket it would show itself in other ways, miss, white steam/smoke, loss of power.....etc.....

 

 

I have gone through several....4 or 5 stats that failed, ran hot or temp fluctuated wildly. Stant absolutely SUCK!!!!!!

 

Either your rad is clogged or your stat SUCKS, change it.

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For $#!&s and giggles-

Image Not Found

 

 

Yesterday while reading this thread and posting that you reread my post, I took this pic with my phone. Ambient temp was 49 degrees, truck was at idle for better than 20 minutes with heater on as I was taking a break from work. The E-fan NEVER came on. I do NOT have a mechanical fan.

 

 

 

If you have an air pocket in your head you would get an overheat after about 3 minutes at idle, you would never make it to 'city driving'.

 

 

You have a no-flow condition. Either your rad is completely clogged, your water pump is the wrong rotation, or you T-stat is bad. It's that freakn' simple.

 

If you had a blow head gasket it would show itself in other ways, miss, white steam/smoke, loss of power.....etc.....

 

 

I have gone through several....4 or 5 stats that failed, ran hot or temp fluctuated wildly. Stant absolutely SUCK!!!!!!

 

Either your rad is clogged or your stat SUCKS, change it.

I've now tried different t-stats and drilling a hole in one of them. After touching some of the hoses, ive notice the top radiator hose is really hot but the radiator was cold. So I'm guessing that my radiator is clogged. Now knowing that i might have to replace the radiator, would it be possible to create a hybrid system using a open cooling system radiator in a closed system or does that not really work.

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