Cooling System Issues

[AngelDust09]

I have a 2002 Protg I bought about 3 months ago. Last week it started overheating so I took it into the shop and they told me it had a leaky radiator cap and needed a coolant flush. The shop I took it to quoted me over $500 for the job which seemed high to me so I found another shop that quoted me over $200 less for the job so I had them do the work. As soon as I picked it up and took on the freeway it overheated again so I took it back to the shop and they said there was leak in the radiator and put a seal on it at no charge. Got in the freeway to go to work the morning I picked it up and as soon as I got it up to 65 mph the damn thing overheated yet again and this time I had to pull over because I started seeing smoke or possibly steam coming from under the hood. I pulled over and popped the hood and the smoke or steam was coming from under the coolant reservoir tank and the fluid in the tank was literally boiling. I had it towed back to the shop and they said the patch on radiator didn't hold so it needed a new radiator. I got a call from the shop this morning and they told me after they put the new radiator in they let the car run for about 45 minutes and temperature gauge elevated a bit so they want to take it for a more comprehensive test drive to see if it overheats again. If so they suspect it needs a new thermostat as well. Does it sound odd that all those elements of the cooling system were going at once? I'll admit it is an 11 year old car so I know parts don't last forever but I was really worried that this shop might be hosing me for more money by not fixing all the problems with it at once. I'm glad they want to make sure now that it isn't overheating again before giving it back to me. I was paranoid that the head gaskets might have sustained damage from all the overheating but the mechanic said there's no evidence the heads are bad. I'm really nervous about that because I cannot afford a repair job that expensive right now and I have no one I can ask to borrow that kind of money. I guess I'm just looking for piece of mind that these issues are just happening because it's an old used car and that I'm not getting screwed. Thanks Guys!

 

[concept]

A 2002 isn't old. My 89 MX6 GT? Now that's getting a bit old.
I'm wondering why the shop didn't check the thermostat in the first place. That's what I would've done, right after I checked the front of the radiator to see if a bag or piece of cardboard had been blocking airflow to the radiator. It could be that the stuck thermostat allowed the radiator to be heat-stressed enough to crack.
The only other things that could cause the coolant to boil is head gasket leak or cracked head. All should be checked if the easiest ones turn out, okay.

 

[AngelDust09]

I would have responded to your post sooner Concept but the last few weeks have been super bad. Wound up in the hospital with pneumonia for 2 days Anyways, I have a feeling the mechanic I was working with is shoddy so I won't be taking my car back to him. Time to find a better one. The car has been running fine since I got the repairs done. The mechanic said he checked everything and there were no leaks in the head gasket or cracks in the head. I think when I have some extra money I'm gonna take the car in to have both re-checked just to be on the safe side. Neither of those problems are ones I can afford to have right now! I suspected that the coolant wound up boiling because of how long I had been driving the car overheated. It took a good 20 miles on the freeway before my dumb ass looked down at the temp gauge and saw it was overheating plus another 5 or 6 miles before I pulled over because it was freezing cold and I didn't want to be stuck on the side of the road so I crawled as slow as I could to a little diner. Ugh what a pain that was especially considering I had no money and hadn't eaten breakfast yet LOL.

 

[concept]

Hopefully, you're feeling better, AD.
Winter is the worst time to have problems, but that's when most people have them! Batteries are notorious for dying during the Winter.
One year before I bought my MX6 GT, the previous owner drove the car for miles while the thermostat was pegged on HOT. The engine blew and had to be replaced. I was lucky to find that car (with its 12,000 mile engine), back in 1997. I paid $4000 for it.
Anyway, it's good to see that your car is doing okay.

 

[AngelDust09]

I'm glad too...I've been paranoid about this car since I bought it because I never had it inspected before the purchase (paid 2700 for it) but so far so good. It seems that the only things going wrong with it are normal for a car with 130,000+ miles on it. The big cold snap we had really freaked me out but my little Protg really stood up to it. Battery only needed a jump yesterday. It's been pretty damn reliable since I bought it. I just have to take it in later today for an oil change and brake fluid fill. Light came on yesterday afternoon so I got out right away and checked the fluid. I would have taken care of it myself but I just don't have the time. Being sick for as long as I was put me so behind. Well anyways I gotta run but I just wanted to say thank you. So far you're pretty much the only person on here that's paid attention to my posts. Thank you

 

[brandini]

HG leak is still possible.

If it leaks from the combustion chamber to the water jacket it'll pressurize the cooling system and cause it to bubble out of the overflow.

What you need to do is have the cooling system tested for exhaust gasses. It's a simple tester, takes 20 minutes, and works wonders on ruling that out.

BUT since you're overheating at speed I'd also check the thermostat for failure since a car should be fine at speed if coolant is flowing and there are no leaks.

Will the car overheat when just sitting? Do the fans work properly?

 

[MaxPower]

Thermostat is mostly likely stuck closed.

 

[concept]

Guys - good input, but the car has been running, fine for 3 weeks. I would say that the problem had been solved by the shop.

 

[AngelDust09]

Yep thanks for the input guys but Concept is right it's all good now. The thermostat was replaces and it's been running fine ever since