QuestionHi, I really hope you can help me with this problem. My heat gauge goes to hot in about 5 miles it does not lose water at anytime. I stop and let it cool down and then I go again. Today it started to steam but did not lose water then at the back of engine to the left their was smoke coming out and it made a moaning sound it cooled down and went again. I hope you can tell me what is wrong with it I don't know foreign cars but I think the part that was smoking was the water pump but I'm not sure because I can't find a diagram of the motor. Could you please help me?I have a 1995 hyundai elantra 16 valve multi port.
AnswerI know you say you don't lose coolant, but the steam/smoke from the back of the engine suggests that you may have a leak. So, for now, I'll still consider the possibility that you may have a leak.
When the car cools, remove the radiator cap and check the level of the coolant in the radiator. If it's not full, check for leaks. The water pump is behind the timing cover, but it's snout sticks through where the water pump pulley attaches directly above the crankshaft pulley. Coolant on the drive belt end of the engine near the bottom of the timing cover is evidence of a water pump leak. There's also a weep hole in the snout behind the pulleys. You may be able to check for leakage there with a mirror. If your coolant is low and you cannot find any leaks, look inside the throttle body. In some cases, the gasket between the two halves of the throttle body fails, and the coolant leaks into the throttle body.
For most leaks small leaks, simply making sure the coolant is at the proper level will allow you to drive the car. But if the coolant is leaking into the throttle body, you need to fix this immediately. The coolant will penetrate the idle control motor, and can short the motor, which will cause the engine control module (ECM) to fail.
If you've found the coolant to be at the proper level, check to see whether you have coolant flow and fan operation. With the radiator cap off, start the car. As the engine reaches operating temperature and before the coolant begins to boil out, the thermostat should open, allowing the coolant to flow. If you cannot see whether the coolant is flowing, you can check by feeling the radiator hoses. Both should be hot when the coolant is flowing. If only one is hot, coolant is not flowing. If you do not have coolant flow, replace the thermostat.
Once the coolant begins flowing, the radiator fan should come on to keep the coolant in the appropriate temperature range. If the coolant flows and begins to boil out prior to the fan coming on, there's a problem with the radiator fan. This problem could be with the fan motor itself, the fuse for the fan, or the switch in the radiator that controls the fan.
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