Cascade Crew

RSFreak · Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:24 pm Post subject: the Berli is over heating

As I was driving home from Tacoma on I-5 today my check engine light came on (first time since I've owned the car). All the gauges showed normal and no other idiot lights were on so I continued driving until I got home. Upon opening the hood I noticed that the over flow tank was bubbling like mad, but wasn't spewing out. Checked oil, it was good. Oil pressure was good (according to the gauge). The temp gauge showed below 220. It looks like the sender for the temp gauge comes off the top of the thermostat housing (water neck) so I'm thinking the thermostat is toast. That seem logical?

Al Hasse · Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:42 pm Post subject:

Take it out and toss it in a pot of water and boil it. If it opens when the temperature rises, you're only out the cost of a gasket. Cheap as they are, I'd just go ahead and change the t-stat anyhow, sounds like a logical choice given the location of the gauge sender.

blue89 · Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:47 pm Post subject:

Most logical.

Alphius · Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:41 pm Post subject:

I'd say as long as that car sat, there's a good chance the thermostat is shot. That would be my first thing to check as well.

chevymad · Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:51 pm Post subject:

A thermostat is what? $10 why check it.. throw a new one in. Also I think your gauge sending unit should be in the drivers head. The one at the thermostat housing should be the computer coolant temperature sensor, and the one in the passenger head is the fan switch.

Also I dont think overheating will actually turn the check engine light on. You better do a paperclip test and see what the code actually is.

The bubbling could be a bad radiator cap as well.

RSFreak · Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 11:52 pm Post subject:

I got a clutch fan so no fan switch. Also, how much of a feedback system is there on an LG4? Will the paperclip test even work seeing as how the carb and timing are the only things controlled by the CPU? The coolant in the overflow was boiling for sure so she got hot! I'll throw a new t-stat in tomorrow after work.

aaron_sK · Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 6:16 am Post subject:

It will still throw codes. It has most of the same sensors as an EFI car.

chevymad · Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 6:33 am Post subject:

It's pretty much identical to a TBI except for the actual tb is a carb. It has sensors for all the same functions.

BluFbdy · Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 6:20 pm Post subject:

We picked up a tstat for the ssa doe like 6 bucks, opposite issue tho, the tstat was stuck closed and it was bulging the upper hose and according to the gauge it never heated up, popped a new one in and viola! And im also wondering on the rad cap, if the system cant pressurize it cant so its job properly

aaron_sK · Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 7:25 pm Post subject:

If the upper hose was bulging then the cap should have been bypassing some of the pressure into the overflow at that point.

BluFbdy · Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 8:30 pm Post subject:

The car was 700 lol nuff said

RSFreak · Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 8:55 pm Post subject:

aaron_sK · Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 9:45 pm Post subject:

That gauge might not be a true sliding scale but simply a low/high.

IROCDave · Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 9:21 am Post subject:

[quote="chevymad"]

Also I dont think overheating will actually turn the check engine light on. You better do a paperclip test and see what the code actually is.
quote]

Over heating, if driven long enough will through a code, light up the CEL and also shut the car off on a 87 IROC with TPI. It will also melt the rubber valve cover gaskets, make your car blow blue smoke on cold starts, get your CAT hot enough to break the brick into a million peices and burn out your muffler. After that happens, pull over, pitch the stat, wait for CHP to pull over and give you some water. Then your good to go to drive the other 600 miles home in 105F ambient temperatures.
Umm, so I have heard Very Happy

chevymad · Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 5:10 pm Post subject:

LOL.. but was the code actually for overheating? or one of the other myriad problems after it started overheating?

RSFreak · Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 6:33 pm Post subject:

New t-stat and all is well. Well, except the CEL is still on. Does an LG4 have a knock sensor? I'd go out and check, but it has been a long day. Sad

aaron_sK · Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2011 6:48 pm Post subject:

The later ones do. What code is it throwing?

IROCDave · Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2011 10:44 am Post subject:

turbo_jimi · Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2011 11:48 am Post subject:

I don't think there is a knock sensor on an 85 LG4.

RSFreak · Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:51 pm Post subject: