Engine Overheating/No Heat

B-train said:

It sounds like the thermostat. Is there coolant in the reservoir? Low coolant level will cause the no heat issue and can cause an overheating problem too.

Are there any signs of coolant leakage anywhere? How many miles? Once these questions are answered, we can suggest better solutions.

But, off the cuff:
1) if coolant level is full and appears in good condition (not cloudy, gunky, etc) then I would assume there are no leaks and replace the thermostat and top off with new coolant and give it a try.
2) if coolant is low or nonexistent in the reservoir, then inspection of radiator, water pump, and hose connections for leakage or damage. Then fix accordingly and replace thermostat as well.

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B-train said:

It sounds like the thermostat. Is there coolant in the reservoir? Low coolant level will cause the no heat issue and can cause an overheating problem too.

Are there any signs of coolant leakage anywhere? How many miles? Once these questions are answered, we can suggest better solutions.

But, off the cuff:
1) if coolant level is full and appears in good condition (not cloudy, gunky, etc) then I would assume there are no leaks and replace the thermostat and top off with new coolant and give it a try.
2) if coolant is low or nonexistent in the reservoir, then inspection of radiator, water pump, and hose connections for leakage or damage. Then fix accordingly and replace thermostat as well.

Click to expand...

JTsYUKON said:

Here’s where I am.
Coolant was low. Nothing visible in the surge reservoir. I had some on hand and followed the instructions in owner manual to add to cold full mark. When I cranked it the level dropped and I added more. I didn’t have enough to bring to the cold full line, but I allowed the engine to heat up with the cap off till the upper radiator turned hot, affirming the thermostat and water pump are operational. The air was at least warm in the car with engine temp at 195 in a cold driveway.

I did notice about a tablespoon of coolant under the passenger side. I didn’t think I missed when adding to the surge reservoir, but no more drips as I watched it for 10-15 min.

My plan is to go get some more coolant to bring it up to the cold full line. I’m open to more advice. Thank you so far! Great stuff.

Here are a few pics.

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Geotrash said:

When filling the coolant tank, it's easy to slosh it around the threads in the opening. There's a hidden drain where the radiator cap seats to safely capture any coolant that might escape when the pressure in the system causes the cap to release pressure and vents it safely out the bottom. So it's normal to have coolant under the pax side of the car after dumping some into the reservoir unless your aim is improbably perfect and none of it touches the threads.

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JTsYUKON said:

I’m heading home in a minute with the extra coolant. I bought concentrate bc I already have some distilled water on hand and now I’ll have plenty.

One question I have is where did all that coolant go? Did it boil and overflow out the pressure release?

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Doubeleive said:

you have a leak, coolant does not just evaporate or magically disappear, just a matter of finding the leak.
my best advice is get under it with a flash light and look up. all over but concentrate more on the passenger side
look all over and both sides left/right/front/rear and under radiator
look under water pump, you may need a mirror to see properly they have the telescoping ones at any auto parts store for cheap
if you can't find anything obvious then park it on a level surface and place a piece of cardboard under it as big as you can find and then leave it overnight and look under it in the morning and look up directly from any "wet spot"
the heater hose's, firewall T's are places to check
sometimes the reservoir tank can crack

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