Randy Widman wrote:
>Hi Listers,
>
>The other day my car started getting hotter after driving a couple of hours.
>Have had no problems before this. It actually got right up to almost touching
>the red line area but I got it home in time. A few days later I checked the
>thermostat in hot water on the stove and it seemed fine but I replaced it
>anyway. I did notice that the electric fans were not kicking on like they
>usually do when I ran it in the driveway to see if it was still heating up. So
>I jumped the wires leading to the fan switch so they would run and it still
>went right up to the red area in about 10 minutes time. I'm guessing the only
>other thing is the water pump. I completely flushed the entire system 6 months
>ago. How does one go about checking if a water pump is bad?
>
Possibilities to check:
Timing changed? Either too advanced or too retarded can cause overheating.
Losing coolant? A small loss of coolant can cause overheating. Main causes are
leaks in hoses or loose hose clamps, cracks in block or head or leak at head
gasket. Not likely to be water pump.
I suspect you have developed a clog somewhere in the system. Might try a good
rad flush from Prestone or another good antifreeze manufacturer. The backs of
BMC blocks tend to get clogged by deposits. I remove the plug or valve there
and fish around with a piece of wire to help remove these clogs, then use the
rad flush. Make sure the radiator is clean on the outside and the small open
spaces in the rad are free from dirt and leaves and bugs and such; air must
flow freely through the rad for full cooling.
-Rock http://www.rocky-frisco.com
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Rocky Frisco's LIBERTY website: http://www.liberty-in-our-time.com/
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