Engine over heating

[Louis_orr1387]

Hi there can anyone help me out i havent got much money atm and my car keeps over heating.

I was driving from birmingham to essex and got 50 miles from home when i realised that the car was slowly over heating i tried going faster to cool it down but it over heated quicker, i did have a slight leak in my rad so pulled over at services, found out all water had gone so let it cool, filled it with water run it dfor a bit and then filled water up wiv rad weld no more leak but over heating has got worse.

now wen i let it cool and try and drive it it over heats extremely quick, losing water from coooling system still bit think its due to water boiling and it just being realeased as steam... had aa out wen i broke down they said that it could be the head gasket on its way out but the oil looks the same and hasnt turned into maynayse lol ermm i dont wanna take it to a garrage as i can do the work myself but dont wanna get a new head gasket and it not be the same problem...

has anyone had a similar problem or can anyone tell me what needs replaceing??

thanks to any replys

[green_machine]

id try getting a new radiator from a scrappy and fitting it yourself. cheap deals

[haydn1987]

Your head gasket is probably OK but if it keeps over heating it will go.

Find the leak and fix it I wouldn't use rad weld just go to scrapy and replace what ever is leaking.
Check that the top and the bottom of your radiator gets hot, it might be full of crap so the water isn't getting around the whole radiator.
Try flushing the radiator and see if crap comes out.

[Louis_orr1387]

kwl thanks for the help guys how much am i looking for rad from scrappy ? and do u know of any near west mids (walsall) also been told that it could be the thermostat ( sorry but the AA are crap) didnt even check that

but thanks again guys ill look into new rad think i could do wiv one any way

[Louis_orr1387]

also what would be the best coolant for my car been told water is no good for it but im still learning...

[haydn1987]

On the dash what temperature was it showing? the fan is spose to come on when the temperature gets to 100deg.

Never bought a radiator from scrap but should be about £10-£20. Try find out where the leak is comming from first tho you don't want to buy a radiator and then find its a hose thats leaking.

You do put water in the coolant but you need antifreeze as well 20% antifreeze 80% water, there are two types of antifreeze you want the one that says suitable for mixed metals (aluminium and steal). Be carefull wear gloves anitfreeze is very dangerous,it was in the news a few years ago when a woman tried to kill her husband and put anitfreeze in his glass of wine it made him blind and paralyzed.

[green_machine]

thats a mean lady

[Louis_orr1387]

yer i remember that story he was on daytime tv about it... cheers mate ill keep an eye out for leak, think its the thermostat or water pump bypassed the fan to keep in on constantly but dont do anything to help it... taking thermostat out wen i get a chance to see if that helps...

[haydn1987]

You need to run the engine and feel the pipes too and from the radiator as it warms up.
If you don't feel the radiator get hot after a few minutes the its the thermostat.
If the radiator only gets warms then its either the thermostat not opening all the way or the water pump is nackered.
If only the hot of the radiator gets hot or the water coming out of the radiator is just as hot as when it went in then the radiator is blocked.