Getting too hot at idle

[John Moore]

I haven’t confirmed a leaking head gasket or intake, I suppose the only symptom I have is adding a quart of coolant every oil change which is around 5-7k miles or 6 months. I don’t think that is much at all. I’ll have my radiator/ac shop check it next week.

I’m having the entire AC system replaced including the Condenser next week. Im hoping we’ll find the condenser to be restrictive. The compressor locked up in 2016 and I installed a reman compressor, it never cooled well and was very loud. Hopefully replacing everything with high quality parts will do the trick.

The AC condenser fan is manually controlled by a switch on my dash. It gets turned on in the morning, and runs all day until I’m back home. It’s loud and moves pretty good air.

I’ll know more next week when I have him check for a blown head gasket and replace the condenser.

 

[1998_K1500_Sub]

I haven’t confirmed a leaking head gasket or intake, I suppose the only symptom I have is adding a quart of coolant every oil change which is around 5-7k miles or 6 months.

Antifreeze is not a "consumable" item. If the level's changing, you've got a leak... somewhere.

The evident loss of coolant, combined with the fact (call it a "second symptom") that you've got an inexplicable overheating problem, suggests a head gasket problem. Yeah, it's not definitive, but the coolant's going somewhere...

Let's see what the radiator guys say about the leak. Meanwhile, when the condenser's off take the opportunity to wash the radiator.

 

[454cid]

Here's an idea. Borrow a pressure tester, from the autoparts store, and pressurize the cooling system. You may have an external leak somplace that you're not seeing. Coolant leaks often dry when they're small because of the engine heat. It may even be the weep hole on the bottom of the water pump, which you'll likely have to find by feel after pressurizing.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

Borrow a pressure tester, from the autoparts store, and pressurize the cooling system. You may have an external leak somplace that you're not seeing. Coolant leaks often dry when they're small because of the engine heat.

Hopefully that's the case instead of a head gasket. I just replaced the quick connect fitting on mine when I noticed I was losing coolant. I neve found a wet spot on the shop floor where I park my truck either.

 

[AuroraGirl]

did you by chance use a "fail-safe" thermostat?

 

[Schurkey]

Gasket, seal, or cracked casting.

did you by chance use a "fail-safe" thermostat?

Ewwwww. Let's hope not.

 

[AuroraGirl]

Gasket, seal, or cracked casting.


Ewwwww. Let's hope not.

I just learned about this earlier today, as for having issues with cooling system, and In my f150 I had to use oreillies for a new housing and a thermostat and distinctly remember them asking me if I wanted that. I was in hs and 18 so I blame dumb-me for not knowing then lol. But Im fairly certain mine is locked open to some extent lol. I hear they can just as easily go the other way

 

[John Moore]

I am not certain of the fail-safe thermostat. I ordered a factory replacement, it looked traditional to me…then again I’m not a thermostat expert.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

I had one years ago, it failed to fail correctly

 

[Schurkey]

I had one years ago, it failed to fail correctly

There is no such thing as "failing correctly". That's the nature of "failure"--it's unintended.

The whole point of the "Failsafe" thermostat is that if SOMETHING ELSE in the cooling system fails so that the engine overheats, the thermostat will open far enough to engage a lock that keeps it open. It is NOT about the thermostat itself failing, and locking open.

A regular thermostat opens when the coolant gets hot. The Failsafe thermostat opens when the coolant gets hot. When the problem is fixed, the regular thermostat is ready for reuse. The Failsafe thermostat has to be replaced.

What damn good is it? It does exactly what the regular one does, except it destroys itself by locking-open in the process.