Festiva wont stop overheating

[Miclo Verta]

What does that mean burp the system?

[lanemeyer14]

This is what my car was doing when I bought it, and it was a blown head gasket. My thermostat was bad also, so I took it out completely. Changed the head gasket and it's been running fine in normal traffic, but starts to overheat in stop and go city traffic (found out my fan isn't working either). Also, just in case you don't know, like myself and some others on here didn't know, when you turn on your heat it won't come out of the vents, only from the floorboard and defrost areas.

[Levitan]

If it is overheating, your heater won't work. Not sure why, but just like low water in the cooling system, the fan will blow cold air.

Burping the system is putting it up on jackstands so the air that is trapped in various pockets of the cooling system, can float the air bubblles to the highest point. Highest point being your radiator fill hole, because it is up on stands. Allows you to get more 50/50 coolant in the system.



At this point I would do things in this order. I'm saying what I would do, not telling you to do this!

Items needed.
Flush
50/50 coolant
New proper thermostat

!!!! I WOULD MAKE SURE THAT CAR COOLS DOWN BEFORE OPENING RADIATOR CAP OR RADIATOR PETCOCK BETWEeN EACH STEP !!!!!!!

Flush, following the instructions on the bottle. After draining the flush, I'd run water with a hose through the top of the radiator and out the petcock for added rinsing of radiator.

I'd then close the petcock and refill entire system. I would re-warm car and get that fresh water flowing through the system to further rinse.

I would allow to cool down and then drain entire system. I would change to a proper thermostat. I'm changing the thermostat now, as to before, to eliminate all the old contaminates from getting into my new thermostat, because they are spendy.

I would refill with 50/50 and burp the car....just as a way of eliminating one more possible problem.

I would drive the car in circles around my house if I had to, trying to replicate the original driving conditions. May sound stupid and, maybe, even embarrassing, but I'd rather break down near home than 20 minutes away. Maybe that's just me.

If it does start to overheat, I'm not far from home and I can re-use some of the coolant when I drain the system.....saves a couple bucks.

Then I would get a waterpump and get acquainted with the search button for waterpump installation, because that would be next on my list. I think it would say to me that waterpump is moving the water, but, maybe not enough or even sporatically.

[festivaWES]

my final guess is that your system is clogged....your heater core doesn't blow hot and you constatly see rust in the system no matter howmany times you flush. Get a new radiator and heater core.

[elcamino1]

Blown head gasket!

[jglutz]

Are the radiator fins gunked with dirt?

I would not rule out that maybe the sending unit to the display or the display itself if at fault.

[ejp2fast]

not to be off topic, but which way does the water flow? INTO the thermostat housing from the top of the radiator hose or OUT of the thermostat housing?

also, i have rusty water as well... will it continue to be rusty even if i use distilled water?

[festivaWES]

the rust is most probably from the engine block or the radiator itslef. Lower hose routes cool coolant into the motor. Upper hose (thermostat side) transfers hot coolant to be cooled by radiator.

[jglutz]

not to be off topic, but which way does the water flow? INTO the thermostat housing from the top of the radiator hose or OUT of the thermostat housing?

also, i have rusty water as well... will it continue to be rusty even if i use distilled water?

All cars...or at least I have never seen differently....the Water returns to the engine into the top of the radiator and the pump sucks water from the bottom of the radiator. The T'stat is located between the water pump ant the top of the radiator.

Rusty water: Every 18-24k or 2 years. I flush the coolant system....change the t'stat and gasket...change the hoses...and add new 50/50 mix of Prestone. I've used both tap water and untreated well water with out any problems.

[mattswabb]

Are you loosing coolant? How does the car run before it gets overheated?

[FB71]

All cars...or at least I have never seen differently....the Water returns to the engine into the top of the radiator and the pump sucks water from the bottom of the radiator. The T'stat is located between the water pump ant the top of the radiator.

Forward or Conventional cooling system flow:
coolant flows into the pump from the bottom of the radiator, thru the block and head, and out the t-stat to the top of the rad.

Reverse cooling flow (most all aluminum/magnesium engines):
coolant flows into pump thru t-stat, then thru block and head, then out to rad. This is typically from the bottom of the rad, into the t-stat housing (often on the side or front of the block). Chrysler 2.7L are setup like this.

[Miclo Verta]

Are you loosing coolant? How does the car run before it gets overheated?

it runs normal. however im flushing the coolant system again today and im gonna check the water pump and take out the new thermostat untill next weekend when i can afford the right one

[GenevaDirt]

take out the new thermostat untill next weekend when i can afford the right one

the thermostat is not causing the problem IMO....the 2 stage is just what the car came with and helps it heat up faster or something like that...but the one you have will not make the car overheat...I have run the regular one for years. I also have bought the 2 stage....you can get it for a mazda with the stage but it is not neccessary. There is definately another issue with your cooling system....unless you put the thermostat in backwards....then there would be an issue.

[Miclo Verta]

You may have gotten a bad thermostat. Take it out, boil some water, drop it in, if it opens, its ok. It may not be opening if you are overheating faster than before. This kinda goes against the whole water flowing in the radiator, but it's free to check this.

I checked the thermostat today it opened bout 1/4 inch but it took it along time

[Miclo Verta]

I think ive fixed the problem i put a new water pump on it and the new thermostat it doesnt seem to overheat anymore but we will see over the next few days