Overheated, now won't run.

[sketchman]

I have a '93 Festiva L that ran fine up until I got it.

The radiator had a hairline crack in it. The previous owner, I guess, tried to fix it with some kind of red goop, and by cutting the overflow hose and plugging it with a big bolt.

He lived in the city, so it wasn't a problem for him. I live in the country, so my Festy is run hard every day. Up and down hills and such.

Well, it started to overheat one day and then, when the needle maxed out on the temp gauge, I was stuck. So, i've been puting water in the radiator every day to drive it.

Then it started to leak badly. I could make it about 5 or 6 miles before the engine got so hot that it quit. A new radiator is on the way, but now the car won't run. Every few dozen attempts it will idle but then as soon as I give it any gas it quits.

Any suggestions?

[Pu241]

sketchman,

Without a closer examination this would just be a guess; but I would seriously consider the fact that you may have warped the head and/or cause a headgasket failure.
Not a really expensive item but a real PITA.
you then have to weight fixing the existing B3 or go for a newer lower mileage B3 or B6 swap.

Pu241

[miami man]

my 93 has sat in the driveway for 2 months now because of a tank leak in the radiator because it may oveheat and cause the same problem you have now. my 91 has a small hose leak and i will fix that also but probely replace all the hoses while i am at it.

[sketchman]

The weirdest thing just happened.

I went out and the car started right up. Idled fine and even reved OK. So I drove it around and now it's just fine. It doesn't smoke or sputter or stall.

It still overheats, but that can be fixed when the radiator comes, so right now I'm in shock.

I don't understand this at all. How it can be totally dead one day and run perfectly fine the next is beyond me.

I think I'll still go for a bigger B swap, though, later.

One thing's for sure. Those little B3's are tough. I maxed out the thermometer 5 times that I know of and it still runs. Simply amazing.

[dahodges]

Keep an eye on the antifeeze. Betcha it turns black.

[Tim]

When you see the temp gauge climbing, PULL OVER!

Your cars will thank you.

[darkdan]

and use the heater.

[freshtiva]

Re: Overheated, now won't run.

I have a '93 Festiva L that ran fine up until I got it.

The previous owner, I guess, tried to fix it with some kind of red goop, and by cutting the overflow hose and plugging it with a big bolt.

Sounds like the head gasket was bad or the head was warped or cracked when you got it.

[Champ 98]

Is your fan coming on at the right temp?

One of my cars had a bad thermo coupler switch so I wired the fan direct using another rear defog switch in a stock location on the left side of the dash. Make sure the fan runs in the right direction if at all. try using jumper wires to a 12V source to see if the fan even turns.

[sketchman]

Blew it up.

Well, it started again and smoked blackish blue and made a knocking sound. I think it's dead. It won't start at all now.

Turns over, though. Got a spare B3, so I'll be busy for a while, I guess.

Oh, and yes the fan does turn, but it overheats when I'm cruising at 60mph in 5th, so I don't think that's the problem.

[FalconFJL]

I have a similar problem. My car overheated once and didn't run at all. When I turned it on, it would sputter and if I gave it any gas it would just die. Then about 3 days later everything was fine! Weird, but anyway, it runs fine now. I have a bad radiator leak somewhere in the vicinity of the timming chain, so I have to put water in it every 2 days. Mind you, though, that this car, with the heater on full, will keep it's temp below the first temperature mark on the temperature instrument! It runs cool, that's for sure. Even in the highway for long periods.

My alternator seems to be failing me now, so that's what I'm up to with it for now.

[freshtiva]

^ you need a water pump or O ring

[festifrank]

A thing you can do if you want to run your car as long as possible until he die is taking of the thermostat in the water neck. And bypass the fan as he said. But if the broken head or broken gasket push too much pressure in your water system there is nothing you can do too stop the overflow. Another good thing you can do is taking off that bolt that is blocking the overflow because it cause excess pressure in the system and it can make the coolant pipe unplug or explode.

[sketchman]

I took the bolt out as soon as I found it to be that way, but it didn't help things at all.

I'm convinced I've killed it now. It won't start at all anymore, and it's been a pretty long while since I started it up and it sputtered.

On the brighter side of things, I've found a Capri XR2 lying dead in a neighborhood near me. So I may B6T my Festiva.

And on an even brighter side, I just scored an '89 L and a spare '90 motor for $500. The exhaust fell off, so it sounds mean even though it's not...., yet. Festiva's without mufflers are kinda like the little Mexican dogs of the car world.

Oh, I'm sure this is an easy question. Which would be a better B6T swap candidate? The '89 or the '93?