overheating question - Part II

[Billy Blaze]

LOL @ POS.
OK,..now I am frustrated!,...I changed the thermostat a couple of days ago, just did the flush and fill (flushed with Distilled water) used 50/50 coolant to replace the old coolant and bought a new radiator cap....still can't get the car over 80mph without it climbing towards the HOT end of the temp gauge,... much less turn on the A/C (that runs it up to the HOT end fast).

Any suggestions?

I wouldnt think on a cool day like today it would be as bad as the past few Hot days we have had, but it is....it might overheat now on a Hot day.

[sammm]

Any suggestions?

Without having to read back thru this whole novelette, are the fans running? (Both fans with the AC on?)

[POS Racing]

Did you have this overheat problem before you installed the header?

[Billy Blaze]

Hi Sammm, both fans are running with the A/C on.

Hey POS, didn't have an overheating problem at all before the Header, that why I said earlier in this topic that I am thinking that this may be the problem.
I guess I will be buying a Heat shield,...but its so freaky that Majik runs a Header on his 99 and does not overheat or even come close to it.

I am thinking its something simple that I have not figured out yet or found....or the header needs a head shield and my Header (Racing Beat) just runs hotter than Majik's.
We do have different Headers, I think his is a Jackson Racing which has a Ceramic coating which is I'm sure you know a poor conductor of heat so it would make since that his would be cooler running if it is a Jackson Racing Header (correct me if I am wrong Majik)

[Titus]

Did you have this overheat problem before you installed the header?

I'm thinking that the problem has always been there. I believe that Billy bought the car last fall. The past few weeks may have been the first time it has been an issue because it also the first hot weather the car has ran in.

Does this sound true Billy?

Also, did you take the license plate off?

[Billy Blaze]

I tried it first without taking the license plate off I am about to take it off and run it again to see if it makes any diffrence.

I bought the car in January so yeah I have never ran the car in hot temp days til recently.
I did run the A/C several times though to check it out before and after I bought the car, its real cold air...even more so it seems since the flush.
But even running the air at speed before it didnt do what its doing now.

[POS Racing]

Without having to read back thru this whole novelette, are the fans running? (Both fans with the AC on?)

Moderator Moment. I split this last round out from the original post since Billy has already replaced the thermostat and flushed the radiator.

We return now to your regularly schedule nonsense!

[POS Racing]

still can't get the car over 80mph without it climbing towards the HOT end of the temp gauge,... much less turn on the A/C (that runs it up to the HOT end fast).

Any suggestions?

At 80 I'm thinking the fans are just along for a ride.

When you flushed the radiator how did the inside look?

I'm wondering if you have a plugged radiator or a dying water pump.

[Majik]

So how did it go with no plate? I am thinking POS might be on to something. Isnt there a product you can run through the radiator to kill all of the build up? My header is the old school 4-2-1 from RB. It is ceramic coated though I think??

[Flyin96M]

Ok I would say it is time to pull the radiator and have it cleaned. I had this problem on my truck when it sat with no coolant for about a year. The inside of the block rusted and then when I filled it back up the rust came loose and blocked up my radiator. Nothing I tried helped and it was worse at freeway speeds. Once I replaced the radiator the problem went away and never returned.

Didn't you say that your car was a salvage title? If so then it may have sat for some time before being rebuilt. What color was the fluid when you drained it? Did you use a flush kit or just drain and refill? If just a refill then I would use the flush kit in combination with the flush solution that you leave in for a few hunderd miles to make sure it is really clean before replacing, or having the radiator cleaned.

[tailchaser]

I'm pulling the lazy card since it's crush time at work... (and we need to hire a paralegal, hint, hint... please PM me if you have a candidate)

I seem to recall this car missing its belly pan... If it is, that explains the overheating at high speed, and is cheaper than a radiator cleaning.

[Billy Blaze]

The car does still have its belly pan.
The radiator looked pretty dang good when I flushed and filled it.
The coolant was a green/yellow color still looked pretty decent I guess, the water resevoir (sp?) had some hairy looking stuff that I cleaned out.
I did not use a special flush kit just some distilled water.
I took the plate off and took her for about a 5 mile spin the temp stayed normal and didn't even move.
The last mile or so I turned the air on full blast (driving 65-70mph) and it stayed normal.
This is proplexing, could I have a fault temp gauge? OR could it have just been the License plate?
I guess we will see on a Hot day if it stays the same as the last drive I will be happy.
Thanks for all the great advise!

[Billy Blaze]

Today was the first Hot day since everything started overheating,...it seems that the problem is fixed now, thanks for all the good advise that helped me fix the car.

[Treibenschnell]

Since the problem seems to have been resolved, here's a rabbit with a pancake on his head.

[Majik]

Whats with the smilies today bean? Also Billy, do you think that the plate made the biggest difference?

[Treibenschnell]

Whats with the smilies today bean?

I'm not really sure!

[Billy Blaze]

Since it was the last thing I did, I am not really sure...it did stop when I took off the plate...however I am sure it needed it all.
So Who knows? no me,...I'm just glad it's fixed...lol
I still have the plate in my windhield where it will remain til Aug or Sept 1st when the new law goes into effect, then its in the store room with all the other OEM parts.
Its starting to look like a graveyard in there...lol
So anyone needing some OEM parts for a 99 check with me, we can trade something or I will just donate them to the "Help a Miata Brutha out" fund...lol

Seriously if I had to guess I think it was the thermostat, just my best guess.

[Screamin'Screw]

I have no idea why, but the rabbit with a pancake on its head made me laugh out loud.

[Dave04]

Here's a better picture...

[Miata55]

Since it was the last thing I did, I am not really sure...it did stop when I took off the plate...however I am sure it needed it all.
So Who knows? no me,...I'm just glad it's fixed...lol
I still have the plate in my windhield where it will remain til Aug or Sept 1st when the new law goes into effect, then its in the store room with all the other OEM parts.
Its starting to look like a graveyard in there...lol
So anyone needing some OEM parts for a 99 check with me, we can trade something or I will just donate them to the "Help a Miata Brutha out" fund...lol

Seriously if I had to guess I think it was the thermostat, just my best guess.

I know this is kinda late but I had a very similar problem with my '92. It would get so hot sometimes (not often but enough to get my attention) I would have to pull over and let it cool off. I did almost everything mentioned in this thread - nothing worked - UNTIL - I noticed the plug and wire on top of the thermostate looked a bit odd - not quite right. I pulled on the seeminly good plug and the wires inside the plug looked like a burned out light bulb filiment - still there but not attached. Payed the $50 for a new thermostat top plug - problem resolved!