overheating is back

[Y33TREKker]

Maybe you covered this in the other threads you mentioned, but I didn't see anything about it here so just thought I'd ask to make sure the simple stuff has been covered. Have you checked your anti-freeze mixture lately? An approximate 50/50 mix is generally recommended, since straight anti-freeze or straight water doesn't have the cooling efficiency of a mix, and it's easily checked using one of those $1 testers you can get at any automotive store.

Just bringing it up so as not to overlook the possible obvious. And not that it should be needed under normal operating conditions, but something like the coolant system additive Water Wetter (I think Royal Purple also makes a similar additive) may be worth consideration until the problem is determined.

[zadam123]

antifreeze mixture is good

[zadam123]

antifreeze mixture is good

ITS FINALLY OVER

[Y33TREKker]

Meaning you solved the problem...or something else? That had sort of an ominous tone to it depending on how it was read.

[zadam123]

ITS FINALLY OVER!

On a hope and a prayer i brought my radiator to a radiator shop. It cost me 100 to have it professionaly cleaned and checked out(they took it out an put it back in) He told me it was pretty cloged up maby 50% so they blew it out top an bottem (this is what the last guy told me he did for 2 days but for some reason i didnt believe him) this guy also checked my a/c for me since it hasent worked after the last guy installed the heater core (they told me one had nothing to do with the other, liars) also since they did the heater core my compressor keeps comming on and off every 5 minutes , they said it was a coinsidence that it happend after the heater core.

so this guy blew out the radiator and said there was to much freon in there probably when they did the heater core they needed to replenish it and added to much and the final result ....A DRIVE HOME WITH MY A/C KICK'IN STRONG WITHOUT OVERHEATING, EVEN WHEN DRIVING IT HARD !!!!!!!

WOOHOO I GOT MY BABY BACK.

[Gussie2000]

ITS FINALLY OVER!

On a hope and a prayer i brought my radiator to a radiator shop. It cost me 100 to have it professionaly cleaned and checked out(they took it out an put it back in) He told me it was pretty cloged up maby 50% so they blew it out top an bottem (this is what the last guy told me he did for 2 days but for some reason i didnt believe him) this guy also checked my a/c for me since it hasent worked after the last guy installed the heater core (they told me one had nothing to do with the other, liars) also since they did the heater core my compressor keeps comming on and off every 5 minutes , they said it was a coinsidence that it happend after the heater core.

so this guy blew out the radiator and said there was to much freon in there probably when they did the heater core they needed to replenish it and added to much and the final result ....A DRIVE HOME WITH MY A/C KICK'IN STRONG WITHOUT OVERHEATING, EVEN WHEN DRIVING IT HARD !!!!!!!

WOOHOO I GOT MY BABY BACK.

Congrats zadam I hope this is the final chapter of you quest in finding the overheating issue and i think you finally did......The shop you was dealing with was the real issue.

I hate shops that does want your business,but fails doing the job right
and also lying to you.

Congrats and have fun,you still can enjoy the rest of the summer with blow cooling A/C.

[PK]

ITS FINALLY OVER!

On a hope and a prayer i brought my radiator to a radiator shop. It cost me 100 to have it professionaly cleaned and checked out(they took it out an put it back in) He told me it was pretty cloged up maby 50% so they blew it out top an bottem (this is what the last guy told me he did for 2 days but for some reason i didnt believe him) this guy also checked my a/c for me since it hasent worked after the last guy installed the heater core (they told me one had nothing to do with the other, liars) also since they did the heater core my compressor keeps comming on and off every 5 minutes , they said it was a coinsidence that it happend after the heater core.

so this guy blew out the radiator and said there was to much freon in there probably when they did the heater core they needed to replenish it and added to much and the final result ....A DRIVE HOME WITH MY A/C KICK'IN STRONG WITHOUT OVERHEATING, EVEN WHEN DRIVING IT HARD !!!!!!!

WOOHOO I GOT MY BABY BACK.

Please please please, get a written report for the guy that fixed your problems, and take that and the account back to the first shop.
Even if you don't get anything out of them, it should teach them what the should be looking for the next time they come across an overheating issue.

I would just give them the information and see what their response is.
If they don't offer any refund, ask for 50%.
If they are total a**holes, walk out and just post a review of their service on every site you can.

PK

[zadam123]

Please please please, get a written report for the guy that fixed your problems, and take that and the account back to the first shop.
Even if you don't get anything out of them, it should teach them what the should be looking for the next time they come across an overheating issue.

I would just give them the information and see what their response is.
If they don't offer any refund, ask for 50%.
If they are total a**holes, walk out and just post a review of their service on every site you can.

PK

thank you for all the responses on this issue

funny thing is they told me they guarentee there work but when i said the car still overheated they said all they will do is try to find the problem, then said they wanted to have the radiator sent out and would cost more money to do it, how is that guarenting you work by telling me its definataly the thermostat and then telling me it will cost me more money to find the real problem? so i doubt i will get anything back. but will absolutaly post neg reviews on sites and maby even the BBB



as far as the temp guage , when this thing rose it rose quick with no symptoms of anything except the loss of my a/c. Is there anyting i can buy to add like a warning buzzer to let me know if it starts to overheat? I dont want to go through this again.

[Y33TREKker]

ITS FINALLY OVER!

On a hope and a prayer i brought my radiator to a radiator shop. It cost me 100 to have it professionaly cleaned and checked out(they took it out an put it back in) He told me it was pretty cloged up maby 50% so they blew it out top an bottem (this is what the last guy told me he did for 2 days but for some reason i didnt believe him) this guy also checked my a/c for me since it hasent worked after the last guy installed the heater core (they told me one had nothing to do with the other, liars) also since they did the heater core my compressor keeps comming on and off every 5 minutes , they said it was a coinsidence that it happend after the heater core.

so this guy blew out the radiator and said there was to much freon in there probably when they did the heater core they needed to replenish it and added to much and the final result ....A DRIVE HOME WITH MY A/C KICK'IN STRONG WITHOUT OVERHEATING, EVEN WHEN DRIVING IT HARD !!!!!!!

WOOHOO I GOT MY BABY BACK.

Good to hear zadam.

And for what my opinion is worth, the shop that told you the heater core has nothing to do with the A/C system was correct. The only way the heater core can be used to aid in cooling is when the engine is running hot and the heater is turned on. (The additional cooling effect is accomplished by incorporating the extra fluid capacity in the heater core and the heater hoses themselves).

They also proved themselves correct when they determined that the A/C system had too much freon in the system. That can have just as adverse an effect on the systems' cooling capabilities as not having enough freon.

While it sux that it cost you unnecessary $$ in the process because of the first shop, it's good to hear that you found a shop who knew what they were doing and got the VX fixed. Happy summer cruising!

[zadam123]

Good to hear zadam.

And for what my opinion is worth, the shop that told you the heater core has nothing to do with the A/C system was correct. The only way the heater core can be used to aid in cooling is when the engine is running hot and the heater is turned on.

ok im curious now. i bought the car new and know what has ever been done to it, if my car overheated and heater core was replaced, do they have to add freon to it, maby they had to take off a freon line to do the heater core?

if not how can i get to much freon in the system?

it worked untill last summer and only things done to the car were heater core,theromostat and clutch fan

[RickOKC]

if not how can i get to much freon in the system?

Sometimes people will just blindly dump "X-amount" of refrigerant into the system instead of using using gauges to add what is actually needed.

[Y33TREKker]

ok im curious now. i bought the car new and know what has ever been done to it, if my car overheated and heater core was replaced, do they have to add freon to it, maby they had to take off a freon line to do the heater core?

if not how can i get to much freon in the system?

it worked untill last summer and only things done to the car were heater core,theromostat and clutch fan

Only the shop that replaced your heater core would know whether they broke open the A/C system in the process, but normally, they shouldn't have had to. The A/C system is a closed/pressurized gaseous system entirely separate from the heater core/radiator water-filled system.

If they did add freon to your A/C system when they were replacing your heater core thinking for some reason that it would help with the overheating problems you were experiencing, it's like RickOKC said, maybe they didn't properly use/read the gauges made for working on A/C systems and simply overfilled/over-pressurized the A/C system.

We can only speculate on what may have happened and who may have done what, but the important thing is that it sounds like your VX overheating problem has been solved.

[VX KAT]

following this closely as had 2 overheating episodes in a month.

Both around 95 degrees, A/C on , going slow on a trail. Was OK for about a mile, but when I stopped...temp needle maxed. Turned off A/C, heat on max, drove faster on trail...temp came back to normal within a min or two. No doubt due to A/C, air temp, slow speed.

I figure my Kilby skids must prevent some heat from escaping, plus my VX is carrying a fair amount of extra weight full time (tires, skids, sliders, roof rack, cargo basket, f/s spare, hitch, superbumper, JAMAS boxes....and the 2 plastic skids.) That's about 450 lbs.
So that's like 2 real good size passengers..... should be OK I'd think..... Dub probably carries about 1000 lbs freight on board! ....

I have Purple Ice in the coolant which claims to reduce temp a few degrees. With the extra demands I'm putting on it, and the full skids, figure a radiator functioning at peak efficiency would be a really good idea. Since I don't know service history, I'm thinking of doing what zadam did...having radiator prof cleaned.

Could a cleaning/backflush create leaks, similar to when you switch from dino to synthetic?..i.e. cleans out crude that's actually plugging a hole?

Thoughts, suggestions, recommendations?

p.s. pbkid prev suggested cutting a few extra holes in the skids to vent heat, with a backward facing cupped cover (to prevent getting hung up)....but that will cost bigger $$$.....