Car almost overheated

[Fastlanev6]

Well this weekend I took a road trip with my buddy to Vegas. The temps were in the 107-110 range, and my car reached temps I had never seen it hit before. It was running around 230 in the city, and on the way home it almost hit the red zone on the gauge. We were on a slight incline, had the a/c on, and were cruising at around 85-90. It got so hot I ended up pulling over and removing the part of the ram air shroud that channels the air into 1 spot so that the outside air could hit the engine directly, and it helped. Think I have a cooling problem, or that it was just way too freaking hot outside? Perhaps my coolant/water ratio is off?

[antoniobanderas]

i do notice you have the 3.4 ,well it seems that this is the range of this engines,i don't like it at all myself but so far no trouble,in the other hand ,my 93 3.3 grand am runs at 195 all the time like she never wants to overheat! go figure,i think an auxiliary radiator cooler would make the difference,but for now,i will keep an eye on it

[Fastlanev6]

well prior to this, I have never really gone over 210. I have a 180 degree thermostat and that helps cool things down.

[Prospeeder]

260 (wich is redline for temp?) is pretty high and if you go too much higher you could blow a headgasket or 2 or warp one of the heads or both. I dunno if you have a cooling system problem, but is the little air deflector still there? my moms is missing hers, its below and to the rear a little of the lower fasca it channels air into the radiator.

[Quadraphonic]

I got a 96 3.1 V-6 which tends to run on the hotter side aswell with the A/C on when driving under load at highway speeds. It's usually at 3/4 of the gauge.

Oh, and I live in Las Vegas! :thumbup2:

Should I worry about it? I just did a LIM Gasket job, and replaced the radiator & thermostat, replaced the serpentine belt and had the cooling system flushed.

[rixGAphx]

Originally posted by Fastlanev6
...road trip ...temps were in the 107-110 range, ...was running around 230 in the city, and on the way home it almost hit the red zone on the gauge. We were on a slight incline, had the a/c on, and were cruising at around 85-90.
Those were some severe conditions, but not the MOST severe that the car should handle and stay under 230*F on the gage.
(Most severe = Phoenix June afternoon stop-n-go, 117*F air temp :eek: )

There is something wrong with your cooling system, and it needs to be checked out by a shop IMO.
The usual culprits:
* Low coolant level.
* Butterflies or other crap in the grill, preventing good airflow thru rad.
* Mineral crap built-up on the inner walls of the rad (and inside the engine) that acts as an insulating layer and prevents good heat transfer.
* Bad waterpump (the cooling of the V6 GA is so marginal, that the minor wear on the the pump vanes can affect its cooling ability).
* Stuck thermostat.
* Collapsing lower rad hose (the 'Y'-hose on the passenger side, which is under suction).
* Faulty gage/sender (your temps may actually have been fine, but the gage could have been indicating otherwise).
* Low/old tranny fluid (the tranny is cooled by a line that goes thru the rad right tank; if the tranny is slipping, then it creates more heat, which causes the rad, and thus the engine, to run hot).
* Low engine oil level (Most of the heat in the V6 is in the heads; much of this heat is taken away by the oil, which drips down into the crankcase; the oil is cooled by air flowing around the oil pan. If the engine is low on oil, say a quart or more, then the oil runs hotter and so does the coolant.)
* Leaking reservoir pressure cap.
* Plugs and wires (if the car has 75k+ miles, then the plugs are slightly burned and should be replaced along withthe wires; poor spark causes the engine to run 'harder' to produce the power necessary for 85mph, therefore it produces more heat to be dissipated).

...removing the part of the ram air shroud that channels the air into 1 spot so that the outside air could hit the engine directly, and it helped....
It might have seemed to help, but don't do it again.

Those deflectors are necessary not only to direct air INTO the radiator, but also to create a suction out the bottom of the engine bay.
You have a WATER-cooled engine which needs air thru the RADIATOR, not an AIR-cooled engine that needs air across the metal block and heads.

NEways, replace whatever shrouds you removed; the car really needs them in their original positions (think of it this way: GM didn't spend a DIME for anything on this car that wasn't absolutely necessary :roll: ).

In case of high running temperature:
1. Slow down. Duh.
2. Turn AC 'off'.
3. Turn Htr 'on' and open all windows.
4. Pull over and allow engine/rad to cool by opening the hood.
5. Do NOT open the cooling system until things have cooled-down a lot.
Do NOT splash water onto rad or engine (the 'cold shock' can CRACK the metal, or the plastic rad tanks).
6. Check level of coolant in reservoir when cool. Refill to 'cold' level, about 1" below the bottom of the filler neck.
* * *
The cause of your present condition is NOT improper antifreeze-coolant ratio.
The *ideal* ratio is about 50-50, but even 30-70 or 70-30 is fine for summer.
Antifreeze does 4 good things: Prevents corrosion of the iron engine surfaces, lubricates the moving parts of the waterpump, raises the boiling temperature, and lowers the freezing temperature.
It does 1 bad thing: It is slightly WORSE at transferring heat than water.
But when used in any reasonable proportion, the poorer heat-transfer ability (which only amounts to about 2 degrees of temperature on the gage) is offset by the raised boiling point which prevents boil-over.
* * *
A 180*F t'stat keeps the engine from getting to warm in the winter.
It doesn't work like the t'stat on your home furnace or AC.
It just maintains a MINIMUM temperature, and has no effect on the engine's high temperature.

It doesn't help the engine run any cooler in the summer, if the engine is always hot (above ~190) anyways.
A 195 t'stat opens a little later than a 180 t'stat, but they both open the same amount and allow the same amount of coolant to flow.

Repeat: T'stat rating has NO EFFECT on the engine's high temperature.
* * *

Summary:
You have an engine cooling problem, and you're very lucky it didn't cause major ($$$$) damage or inconvenience.
Have a qualified mechanic service the system.

Make sure you're up-to-date with basic maintenance: Oil change, tranny fluid/filter change, plugs, air & fuel filters, clean grille/radiator, all shrouds and dams in place for proper airflow.

Hope this helps.
-Rick

PS :Quadraphonic:
I don't know what 3/4 gage means.
Low is 100, next tick is 140, next tick (middle) is 180, next tick is 220, and 260 is MAX/Boilover.

If you stay between 180 and 220 during your maximum heat conditions, things should be fine.
Just keep an eye on the coolant level in the reservoir.

Only top-off with bottled PURIFIED (Distilled) water.
Everything else has our desert minerals in it, and they end up coating the inner surfaces of the system.

[Fastlanev6]

Thanks for the essay ;-) Yeah the maintenence on the car is up to date. The piece I removed is part of the ram air setup and has nothing to do with the cooling of the car normally...I removed the part that channels the air into the air box so that it would cool the engine better than stock. The coolant levels were fine...I loosened the cap when the car almost overheated to check the level and there was a lot of pressure buildup and as the pressure was letting off it drained a bunch of coolant out of the overflow tube. Maybe it had too much...who knows. The transmission did slip once when we were in city traffic, probably because it was so hot but hasnt done it before or since then. Everything seems fine here but it was that trip where things got crazy.

[antoniobanderas]

all I can say is ; I did learned from this info thanks

[goredsox]

the hottest my baby has ever run was 220, and that was in stop and go driving with the a/c on in 115 degree AZ heat...

[Quadraphonic]

Originally posted by rixGAphx
Quadraphonic:
I don't know what 3/4 gage means.
Low is 100, next tick is 140, next tick (middle) is 180, next tick is 220, and 260 is MAX/Boilover.

If you stay between 180 and 220 during your maximum heat conditions, things should be fine.
Just keep an eye on the coolant level in the reservoir.

Only top-off with bottled PURIFIED (Distilled) water.
Everything else has our desert minerals in it, and they end up coating the inner surfaces of the system. [/B]

3/4 of the gauge... Around 200-210 Degrees. It only does it once it warms up. It takes between 15-40 minutes to warm up depending on the temperature and how I drive. One time when it got hot, I did what Fastlanev6 did to check the coolant level. I loosened the coolant bootle cap (a little too fast) and in less than a minute, 2 gallons of coolant just poured out, like a geyser. :banghead:

So, I went to Wal-Mart around the corner and got a bottle of distilled water, and a bottle of Prestone coolant (the kind that says 'All Makes/All Models'), I poured the whole bottle of coolant, then the water, which just barely filled it. Even thought it has been over a month, it hasn't made any difference in the operating temperatures.

The funny/weird thing is, I know the cooling fan works, and the computer doesn't seem to be worried about the hot running engine. This other time it got hot, I pulled the car in the shade, let the engine run and watched the fan while keeping an eye on the temperature gauge. The fan stayed on for about a minute, and then stopped. The temperature gauge, didn't even budge. It doesn't make any difference if the A/C is on, or off. The only thing that does 'seem' to make a difference is, the load the engine is under. If I drive it at 65 MPH, and go easy on the pedal, it doesn't go so hot. Oh, and it seems there is a little pinging coming from the engine when I take off.

I'm going to try running 91 octane and see if it makes any difference in the engine and the cooling, since 91 octane does burn longer/slower and somewhat cooler.

Other than that, I don't know what it could be. The only thing I havent replaced is the water pump and the radiator hoses.

[eaglesrealm]

I have a similar problem. I will be posting a similar/same post in a fuel gauge problem, mostly because it just seems odd that all this would happen at the same time.

Problem here - I have never had a problem with the engine temp. of my 2001 GAGT. Since I bought it new, it has constantly maintained a normal operating temp around the 200-205 mark.
Now, if I sit idle somewhere for awhile, it will sometimes climb up to 230-235.

This problem did not start to show itself until I changed the EGR to fix a P1404 fault. After changing the EGR and getting the light reset, I have been "ok" in terms of no SES lights. However, strange things have gone wrong.

1) The engine temp problem listed above
2) Was worse, has been better lately since I added Techtron whole system cleaner, but am getting low speed hesitations with the engine sometimes.
3) Fuel gauge is on the fritz.

I find it hard to believe all of this just started to break at the same time, but maybe it is, as the car does have 120,000 miles on it. I wanted to make sure it could not be some sort of problem related to the EGR change causing multiple problems (vacuum leak?)

Thanks for all your help!

[rixGAphx]

Please don't double post.
Your questions are being answered here:
http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=59713

Please don't dredge up old, 'finished' threads unless the problem discussed was exactly yours.

It's GREAT that you're doing a 'search' before posting, but you are much better off starting your own thread and concisely explaining your own problem.

Good luck,
-Rick

[prototypepacifi]

Yeah, if you were going 80-90 and it got to the redline you've definately got a coolant problem.

My thermostat went out a couple months ago, and it was doing the same thing yours did. It started out of nowhere, none the less. I went home from work, and the car was reading around 200* the whole time. Left the car running in the driveway (I don't use my A/C, so the fan wasn't going) for a couple minutes and came back out and it was at around 220*. Drove down the street and watched it go to 230* and then all of the sudden she just died. I let her sit for a minute with the hood open, and pushed her down the street a little bit for a little extra air flow. Started her up a couple minutes later and *BAM* coolant goes everywhere, temp is reading past redline, and she starts smoking. It was only about 85-90* outside this day. After a bit of cursing and yelling I finally got her pushed home and put the new thermostat in her the next day.

Anyways..have you checked your thermostat? :-P Not sure when you installed the 180* thermo, but that could be the problem. Also maybe check for something that is clogging the flow of the coolant. Sometimes air bubbles can cause the coolant to not flow, but that doesn't happen often. Maybe just try flushing your coolant and refilling it.

[Fastlanev6]

It has been in the car for at least 9 months...I installed it shortly after I got the car. Heres another instance...last week I drove to a not-too-tall mountain peak on a road with a bunch of switchbacks and constantly uphill for about 20 mins, and the car was running close to 3/4. I had the a/c off, and the air was probably in the 60's. My question is....would the low speed fan make much of a difference on your temps if you're going 20-30mph? Faster?
I have bled my cooling system several times and it has been fine.

[rixGAphx]

Neever mind :D :D

[Fastlanev6]

Whats wrong with digging up an old post? He probably used the beloved search button, found my thread and added his input. My problem still hasnt been fixed, and i'm still diagnosing/troubleshooting it. As far as not being heard from since, I have been here :)

[eaglesrealm]

Originally posted by Fastlanev6
Whats wrong with digging up an old post? He probably used the beloved search button, found my thread and added his input. My problem still hasnt been fixed, and i'm still diagnosing/troubleshooting it. As far as not being heard from since, I have been here :)

I would like to think it's a good thing that I used the search function. Double posting in two threads may or may not be a good idea, but I only did that because I have more than one problem. I list everything in both posts because they may be related and may make someone think "Oh yeah...check this".
I posted in both threads because I did not want to limit my audience to someone that only knows/cares about fuel problems, when my engine temp is also important for me to figure out! :)

Not saying I'm right Rick, just giving my input on why I did what I did.

[rixGAphx]

Originally posted by Fastlanev6
What's wrong with digging up an old post?
Nothing, as long as it's productive to do so.

Didn't realize you still hadn't fixed the hot-running condition.
Your update post squeeked-in a minute before me.

My apologies,
-Rick

[rixGAphx]

Originally posted by eaglesrealm
I would like to think it's a good thing that I used the search function. Agreed, and I complimented you on doing that. :clapping:

....my input on why I did what I did. I understood why you were doing it, as I was initially reading it.

The problem becomes sorting thru the ensuing dialog when one person is responding in this thread, while others are responding in the other thread.

We've been down this road before on this website, and I've experienced it over on the Jeep websites, too.
Things just work better if we keep it in one thread.

I'm not a moderator or anything else here, so I'll drop it.

Peace,
-Rick

[Fastlanev6]

Originally posted by Fastlanev6
It has been in the car for at least 9 months...I installed it shortly after I got the car. Heres another instance...last week I drove to a not-too-tall mountain peak on a road with a bunch of switchbacks and constantly uphill for about 20 mins, and the car was running close to 3/4. I had the a/c off, and the air was probably in the 60's. My question is....would the low speed fan make much of a difference on your temps if you're going 20-30mph? Faster?
I have bled my cooling system several times and it has been fine.

So, any input on this?

[prototypepacifi]

Originally posted by Fastlanev6
It has been in the car for at least 9 months...I installed it shortly after I got the car. Heres another instance...last week I drove to a not-too-tall mountain peak on a road with a bunch of switchbacks and constantly uphill for about 20 mins, and the car was running close to 3/4. I had the a/c off, and the air was probably in the 60's. My question is....would the low speed fan make much of a difference on your temps if you're going 20-30mph? Faster?
I have bled my cooling system several times and it has been fine.

The fan might (read: MIGHT, because I'm not really sure) help going 20-30mph. I know that it helps a little in stop-n-go traffic, though I've heard it can hurt if your A/C is on too high. Usually if I'm in stop/go traffic I turn my A/C on the first setting if the temp starts going up above 200*. If you're going faster than 30mph I really doubt it helps at all. I'd be willing to bet that after about 45mph, or less even, it wouldn't help a single bit. If you're going at a steady speed the wind should be cooling off your radiator a good bit, especially if you've got a GT because of the bigger opening in the bumper.

Like someone already said, make sure there's nothing actually blocking the radiator. Might even go ahead and just clean it off, because bugs do start to build up after a while. There's a little plastic/rubber piece that goes under the front bumper and back a little ways. Not sure what it does. Its probably to help keep water/dirt/rocks from hitting the engine/radiator? I don't know. After I got in my accident mine ripped into about 5 pieces, and 3 of those flew straight up and infront of the radiator and I didn't notice it for about a week, maybe two. My car ran a little warmer than it usually did, but it wasn't redlining or anything.

Other than what I've already said I'm stumped as to why it would be doing it. Has it been alright since then, or is it still running hot? Do you have any coolant leaks? Hell, maybe it was just too hot.:???:

[Fastlanev6]

Basically it only runs hot (I wont say overheat because it hasnt done it yet) if the car is under a heavier load. Going 90mph uphill in 115+ degree temps with the a/c on and 2 people with light luggage, city driving for a long time on a hot day without a/c. Other than that its fine. I dont have any leaks. When I pulled over on the way home from Vegas (when it was running at about 3/4) I loosened the coolant reservoir cap and hot coolant started escaping through the overflow line. The low speed fan doesnt come on at all, both fans turn on when the a/c is on.

[b2089]

I always thought turning the AC on didn't help, but turning the heat on does. I know in this weather it's hard to have the heat on, but basically it's like having a second radiator. Well almost.

[prototypepacifi]

Originally posted by b2089
I always thought turning the AC on didn't help, but turning the heat on does. I know in this weather it's hard to have the heat on, but basically it's like having a second radiator. Well almost.

All the A/C does is gets the fans kicking. Like I said, I only use it if its getting above 200*, because I've got the 180* thermostat and would rather not see it go much further than 200* again! :P

You're right about the heat, though. If your car ever gets too hot kick the heater on and it opens the thermostat and gets the coolant circulating. That thought didn't even cross my mind while posting here, so thanks for saying something! :D

Fastlanev6- Since its been 100+ temperatures lately my car has been running about 210* average. That's with just me, no A/C, no luggage, no subs/amps/anything like that, flat land, and city driving. It stays around 200* on the highways. I'm not exactly sure how high yours is running, but it may just be normal.

You're a brave man loosening the coolant reservoir cap when the car is running at ~230*! Much braver than I would be. lol

*edit* Also, the fan only kicks on when the car gets up to 230*F, I believe. You can get a computer upgrade to make it kick on sooner to work with the 180* thermostat, or there is a high-speed fan switch you can buy that will allow you to turn it on manually. I believe both are about $100USD, and you can get both from PFYC.

[Fastlanev6]

Well before I moved out west from Florida, the temp hardly ever went past 205 or 210....if it did, it went just barely past that and that was if it was sitting in a traffic jam or something. Granted there is more of a load on my car now, but the fact its has caused my tranny to slip twice scares the crap outta me.

[b2089]

So would you be better off turning on the defroster at a high heat? Then you use the heater core as a second radiator and the AC comes on the radiater fan should run? Maybe.

[Refuse Winst]

My car runs on average (only got it a few months ago though... so this is summer average) about 205-210*.

Today I drove around all day with the heat reacing record temperatures, AC cranked, a (rather large) passenger with me... highway and city driving, and it got up to about 220-225*. I kept an eye on it, and it never reached 230* so I didn't really sweat it (no pun intended). Although, at one point I shut the car off so I could unlock my house, ran in, got something, came out, started it... and the gauge went up to about 240*... stuck there for about two seconds, and slowly went down to about 215*. Don't know what the hell that was all about.

[prototypepacifi]

Originally posted by Fastlanev6
Well before I moved out west from Florida, the temp hardly ever went past 205 or 210....if it did, it went just barely past that and that was if it was sitting in a traffic jam or something. Granted there is more of a load on my car now, but the fact its has caused my tranny to slip twice scares the crap outta me.

I know what you mean about the tranny slip. Mine was slipping really bad 2 days ago (when it got to 110* outside) but that was with a lot of city driving, A/C on, and my girlfriend with me. I'm not too sure how many miles are on your car, but if its got a lot of mileage on it then the tranny slip could be just old tranny fluid and high heat.

I don't know, man. Your problem has me stumped. I've never really seen a car act like that just because of the heat outside. You could take it to a shop or something and have them check it out to make sure nothing is wrong, but some (not all) shops just like to make crap up to make a dollar. I'd say just ride it out and keep an eye on it, but if there's something wrong with your car and you just ride it out it could make it worse.

[rixGAphx]

Originally posted by prototypepacifi
...You're right about the heat, though. If your car ever gets too hot, kick the heater on and it opens the thermostat and gets the coolant circulating. ...
A little clarification:
Turning on the Heater does not 'Open the Thermostat'.

The thermostat is a part of the engine-radiator circuit, and it's already open when the engine reaches 195* (or whatever the rating is).

Turning on the Heat opens a valve in the heater hose circuit, allowing the coolant to flow thru the heater core.

This does help, if you're right at the limit of overheating (230+ *F).

Turning on the AC or Defrost is the WORST thing you can do!!!
1. The radiator fans don't do diddly if the car is moving more than 15 mph.
2. The refrigerant flowing thru the AC condenser, in FRONT of the radiator, is hot and it heats the air before it gets to the radiator.
This REDUCES the ability of the radiator to cool the engine.
* * *

A caution about those plastic dams and panels under the front of the car:
* Do NOT remove them, and replace or repair damaged or missing ones.
* SOME are to prevent excessive splash of mud and gravel from getting into the engine bay.
* MOST are for aerodynamics, but not the 'wind-cutting' aerodynamics of the body.
ALL air that goes into the grille to cool the engine must exit UNDER the engine bay.
But the GA's body work wants to create a high-pressure area under the nose, and air is actually pushed back UP into the engine bay.
Those plastic panels are very specially engineered to maximize air flow thru the grille and radiator (as well as reduce aerolift on the nose), and any damage or removal can REALLY affect the cooling system.

-Rick

[prototypepacifi]

Originally posted by rixGAphx
A little clarification:
Turning on the Heater does not 'Open the Thermostat'.

The thermostat is a part of the engine-radiator circuit, and it's already open when the engine reaches 195* (or whatever the rating is).

Turning on the Heat opens a valve in the heater hose circuit, allowing the coolant to flow thru the heater core.

This does help, if you're right at the limit of overheating (230+ *F).

Turning on the AC or Defrost is the WORST thing you can do!!!
1. The radiator fans don't do diddly if the car is moving more than 15 mph.
2. The refrigerant flowing thru the AC condenser, in FRONT of the radiator, is hot and it heats the air before it gets to the radiator.
This REDUCES the ability of the radiator to cool the engine.
* * *

A caution about those plastic dams and panels under the front of the car:
* Do NOT remove them, and replace or repair damaged or missing ones.
* SOME are to prevent excessive splash of mud and gravel from getting into the engine bay.
* MOST are for aerodynamics, but not the 'wind-cutting' aerodynamics of the body.
ALL air that goes into the grille to cool the engine must exit UNDER the engine bay.
But the GA's body work wants to create a high-pressure area under the nose, and air is actually pushed back UP into the engine bay.
Those plastic panels are very specially engineered to maximize air flow thru the grille and radiator (as well as reduce aerolift on the nose), and any damage or removal can REALLY affect the cooling system.

-Rick

Can you point me to somewhere where this is stated? A book, guide, or anything. I'm not doubting what you say, because I'm still learning about cars and how they work. There's really only two people that have shown/told me anything about how cars work. They both told me the opposite of what you've posted here. The rest I've learned from books and stuff, and I haven't ever really seen anything about this in any books.

Just kinda wondering now if half the shit I've learned from people is really true or not.

[rixGAphx]

Originally posted by prototypepacifi
Can you point me to somewhere where this is stated? A book, guide, or anything. Go to your public or high school library, and get the basic automotive textbook.

I'm not doubting what you say, because I'm still learning about cars and how they work. There's really only two people that have shown/told me anything about how cars work.
They both told me the opposite of what you've posted here. Prolly more an issue of 'failure to communicate' than bad/wrong information.

On the other hand, there are MANY 'old-wives tales' about cars that float around.
They may have had a basis in fact decades ago, but they no longer apply to modern cars or they've become jumbled with time and re-telling.

Finally, there are exceptions to every rule.
When I write here, it's specifically about Grand Ams, and their systems which are 'typical' for about 80% of gasoline cars on american roads.
But oddities like air-cooled Porsches, boxer-engined Subarus, and luxury cars with 'Climate Control' (which DO have 'thermostats' controlling the heaters) are exceptions. Perhaps somebody pointed to a Caddy Escalade and said, "If the engine starts to get hot, turn on the Heat so the thermostat will allow water to circulate," the statement would be true for a digitized, climate-control system; but not true for the GA's 'old-fashioned' knob system.
It also depends on what you call a 'thermostat'.
Forget the thing on the wall in your house.
In speaking of cars, 'Thermostat' always refers to the device that senses AND controls the temperature of the coolant flowing thru the engine and radiator.
The 'valve' of which I spoke is technically a 'thermostatic valve', since it is variable. There's a little vacuum motor that opens it a little, or more, or More, or a lot to control how much hot coolant flows thru the heater core.

The rest I've learned from books and stuff, and I haven't ever really seen anything about this in any books. Click'n'Clack is an EXCELLENT source of accurate information for the not-so-advanced car owner.

They have a website that has a lot of previously-asked questions, and I'm sure yours are among them.
Sorry, no url at hand.

Just kinda wondering now if half the shit I've learned from people is really true or not.
I'd say half is about right. :D :D

Yeah, I'm being facetious as usual, but it's also true.
We think we absolutely KNOW something, but it turns out that 'fact' applied to a slightly different situation.

Accuracy of information depends on whom you learned it from, and how much background checking and sifting you've done on your own.

Hope this helps.
-Rick

BTW,
You've posted quite a bit during the past few days, and you write very well.
And accurately, which demonstrates that you HAVE learned well and correctly.
Young Grasshopper :D

My only issue was with that one statement, so :thumbsup:

[prototypepacifi]

Thanks for the info and comments. I've learned a lot of stuff on my own by taking things apart and putting them back together. I usually use books to find out what everything does and why it does it. Usually if I want to learn to do something I'll read up on it for a while, and find a bunch of pictures and videos about it. Then if I feel comfortable I'll do it on my own, and if I don't I've got a few friends and family members that would be glad to help me with it. I'd actually like to go to school sometime to learn more about cars and motorcycles, and someday maybe get a position as a mechanic. Not too sure if I'll ever get to do that, but its fun just learning on my own as well, so I'm happy with it.

Also, sorry for getting off-topic. :lol:

[rixGAphx]

Originally posted by prototypepacifi
I've learned a lot of stuff on my own by taking things apart and putting them back together.Often the best way, especially if the project is on the 'basic' side.

You can't do better at learing automotive than buying a pre-'72 Toyota or Datsun coupe or sedan.
They didn't have any 'electronics' other than cassette players, and all pre-'72 cars are emissions-exempt so you can fart with performance without worrying about the smog police.

I'd actually like to go to school sometime to learn more about cars and motorcycles...
Check with the community colleges, they often have evening beginner-type Auto Shop classes at a reasonable price.
Not like committing years and $$$$ for a formal 'career curriculum'.

[Colin]

Turning on the Heat opens a valve in the heater hose circuit, allowing the coolant to flow thru the heater core.On some vehicles this may be true , on others like the GA the coolant flows though the core all the time . The blend door inside the heater box controls the temp ....