[marz1129]

I have a 2000 Eldorado ESC that overheats very quickly after it is started up. I had the engine checked for exhaust gases in the coolant and they found none. It has a new radiator, new thermostat and new water pump. If it's not a head gasket, what in the world could it be?

 

[Ranger]

Faulty sensor?

 

[marz1129]

I think the sensor is fine as it actually overheats and spews out the overflow.

 

[Mark C]

No fans running? Water pump belt slipping, or missing?

 

[catfishcaddy03]

You said you had it checked so this won't be the answer because it fairly easy to spot at a shop. See if your belt tensioner pulley for your water pump is spinning freely. Mine was hanging up and eventually seized. Any ways I didn't suspect the water pump because it was replace within last 5k miles so didn't suspect anything with water pump. If the pulley hangs up your pump won't move the coolant fast enough and the car will overheat very quickly.

 

[marz1129]

Fans come on and water pump belt is new and shows no signs of slipping.

 

[marz1129]

I took the cover off the pump belt and sprayed a little white paint on the belt so I could see if it was slipping. I revved it a little and I couldn't see any sign the the belt was slipping.

 

[Ranger]

I think the sensor is fine as it actually overheats and spews out the overflow.

Sorry, I understood you to mean that it was NOT overheating. Check the purge line for coolant flow. If none, locate and clear the blockage. If that is OK, then I'd look at the thermostat.

 

[marz1129]

I put the new thermostat into hot water and it is fully open at 205 or 6 degrees. While I had the thermostat housing off I blew air into the surge line as it intersects inside the housing. It blew air freely out the surge tank.

 

[Ranger]

Define "very quickly after it is started up".

 

[marz1129]

In about 5 minutes,

 

[Ranger]

OK, I guess 5 minutes is long enough to actually overheat. So the stat is OK. The purge line is clear. The pump is working. The radiator is new and the coolant has no hydrocarbons in it. There is nothing left that I can think of unless you are filling the surge tank to the top. Have you tried an exorcism?

 

[marz1129]

No exorcism but I have prayed to Budda, said a rosary, rubbed a rabbits foot and ate a bowl of lucky charms!

One thing that bugs me is the amount of bubbling into the tube during the exhaust gas test, into was bubbling a ton.

 

[Ranger]

Wait a minute. Explain this bubbling in more detail.

 

[marz1129]

The glass tube with the blue liquid in it after a few minutes was bubbling rapidly. They said if it had exhaust gas it the liquid would turn yellow. It stayed blue.

 

[Ranger]

I don't understand what was bubbling? Where where these bubbles coming from?

 

[marz1129]

The blue liquid was bubbling.

 

[Ranger]

I guess I am not that familiar with this test. Is the blue liquid in a separate container? What was making it bubble? No bubbles in the surge tank?

 

[marz1129]

The blue liquid is in the glass tube with a rubber snout that you insert into the surge tank. When this liquid comes in contact with exhaust there is a chemical reaction that turns the liquid from blue to yellow. The glass tube also has a suction ball on top to pull whatever gases are in the surge tank up thru the liquid.

 

[Ranger]

OK, so no bubbling in the surge tank, only in the glass tube. No bubbles in the surge tank is good, but I can't explain the bubbling in the tube. Back to searching for an exorcist.