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Overheating

Tiny
KAYLAD94
  • MEMBER
  • 2002 SATURN SL1
  • 4.0L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 200,000 MILES
Car keeps overheating, does not have any visual leaks. Temperature has rises within thirty minutes or less. I am running water in it for now but it keeps boiling out as soon as it heats up. It did have steam from exhaust once. But it is also cold. We took the thermostat off nothing changed. We did get a code for the ECT sensor being bad. I am wondering how likely could that be the issue to it overheating continuously?
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Monday, January 29th, 2018 AT 2:52 PM

5 Replies

Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
The smoke out the exhaust is the key. It sounds like you have a damaged head gasket from the overheating. It is burning the coolant and the coolant becomes superheated from the failed head gasket.
You need someone to do a leak down test on each cylinder to determine the cylinder where it is leaking.

Roy
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Tuesday, January 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM
Tiny
KAYLAD94
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Oddly enough I changed the radiator cap and it has not overheated so far. I was not sold on it being the head gasket only because the steam from the exhaust was not thick at all and with the weather being cold it is already going to be having condensation built up correct?
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Tuesday, January 30th, 2018 AT 10:12 AM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
No, the fact it has continually overheated leads me that direction. You need to have it verified that the head gasket is not damaged.

Roy
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Tuesday, January 30th, 2018 AT 10:25 AM
Tiny
KAYLAD94
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
So even though its no longer running hot I still should not assume that the head gasket is not bad? What are for sure signs of it being the head gasket so I can look for them? Because it is running perfect now.
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Tuesday, January 30th, 2018 AT 3:44 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Bubbling in the cooling system, heat working and not working at times, temperature gauge moving up and down and smoke, white smoke, out the tail pipe are indicators.

Also, do not run with just water and no thermostat. Install a new thermostat and a 50/50 mix of coolant.

Roy
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Tuesday, January 30th, 2018 AT 3:46 PM

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