Question(97 Mits Eclipse Spyder, GS, automatic)
Hi Anthony,
I'm hoping you can help me out. I have had constant headaches with my coolant system over the past year.
In a nutshell, if I drive at highway speeds (typically 70-75 mph) for about an hour, the car will overheat. The coolant will all spill over into the reservoir tank. The fluid in the reservoir tank will boil if I loosen the radiator cap. Mechanics have checked for leaks and not found anything, so this appears to be a flow problem. Have had the thermostat changed twice, the thermal switch has been replaced, replaced the radiator cap, and have had two radiator flushes. Mechanics do not think there is a problem with the water pump and do not think it is a broken head gasket, otherwise they said I'd be seeing lots of smoke coming out the back. So they think the only possibility left is changing the radiator out -- that it might be corroded on the inside.
However, a new development has just happened today. My check engine light came on, and a very noticeable kick-back occurs when I accelerate or hit the breaks. The car is jolting a bit when I do this.
I'm not very technically advanced when it comes to cars, so I'm wondering if you could break down what seems to be the problem, and if the two problems are related.
The overheats first started about a year ago, after I took the car in for a simple oil change. Again, the overheats only happen when I'm driving for a continuous period of time at higher speeds. The kickback/jolt thing started occurring at the same time, but was barely detectable. Just felt slightly noticeable when the automatic transmission was shifting gears ... but very subtle. Tried a transmission flush several months ago thinking that would fix the problem, but it didn't. And at the time, didn't think the 2 problems were related.
Until just today, I've never had the "Check Engine" light come on, and the kick-backs have never occurred like this before. Very very noticeable now and happen every time I accelerate/brake.
Have taken the car in to 3 different mechanics, and have had it serviced 8 or 9 times within the past year for this problem, and it's never been solved.
Thoughts/recommendations?
Would appreciate any help. Thanks!
Beauen
AnswerBeauen,
Be sure to test your radiator fan. You can start up your car car and let it idle until the engine reaches normal operating temperature, and that should cause your fan to come on. If your fan does not come on even as it starts to overheat, then you should replace your cooling fan. It is possible your radiator is clogged and the water is not being cooled properly. If you do replace your radiator, be sure you replace your upper and lower radiator hoses as well to be safe. If not even that helps, the only other thing I can think of would be your water pump. If you've never replaced that before, it would be a good idea to replace it. There really isn't that much to your cooling system, and it sounds like you've already replaced some of the most common causes for this problem. You can even try to use a coolant mix with more water rather than anti-freeze; like 70% water and 30% anti-freeze.
Since your check engine light is on now, you can have your car's computer scanned for codes. If you have an AutoZone in your area, they can check your car's computer for free. Just go in and say your check engine light is on, and they will check it for you. It's quick and free, and you'll probably get some information as to why your car is bucking. You can also take your car to the dealership to have them scan your car's computer for the trouble codes, but they will charge around $80 just to read the codes.
It may be possible the bucking problem and the overheating is related, but I doubt it. Your first course of action now should be to find out what codes your car's computer is throwing to cause the check engine light to be on. At least you'll be one step closer to fixing that issue.
Good luck!
