by jonathan.viki » December 2nd, 2013, 8:41 am
Without knowing the exact symptoms, here is my list of things to check first:
* check water level on overflow and when cold check level in radiator. If either is low then you'll likely have a leak somewhere. Just checking the overflow is not always enough as it can sometimes be at the right level even when there is a leak. While you're looking, check the colour of the fluid, red or green is good, brown is bad and will need a flush.
* driving through mud all the time check radiator is not clogged, spray clean with a hose on lower pressure (don't use high pressure cleaner or brush etc). While you're there check the condition of the radiator too. Bad radiator = bad cooling but check some of the other things below first as replacing radiator is the most expensive.
* make sure your temp gauge is actually working - found mine was playing up and was a big challenge in diagnosing my overheating (the car was overheating sometimes but the temp gauge was useless in helping diagnosis)
* if you suspect a leak then go on a hunt to find it, look for signs in the engine bay like white marks on the engine block etc as leaked coolant when dry often goes a white colour. Also check rubber hoses and around where they connect to metal as these are the most likely spots.
Those are things you can do without too much effort. If you rule those things out then:
* check/replace thermostat, just google for instruction on how to
* assuming you're getting some level of cooling then it's not likely to be the pump, but you've probably exhausted every other option at this point. There are some checks you can run through to see if its a pump issue, some more reliable than others, best to google for instruction. Water pumps are also generally not too expensive/difficult to replace assuming you've got this far
Some other tips for an old car:
* be careful tightening rubber hose clamps especially the heater hoses. After many years the metal can get brittle and bend/break easily, this becomes a huge pain (trust me)
Thats about it. Probably need a bit more info about what is happening and/or when and the results of trying the few things at the top to get any more specific.
