So I opened my radiator cap to check the level of my coolent and I noticed that it was almost bone dry inside spare a few drops of coolent from the cap. But my coolent overflow is like halfway full. I have no idea what this means plz help.
THX
Water Pump Dry Inside
Water Pump Dry Inside
Drive It Like You Stole It.
Some things to help get you on the right track:
1. Check your oil. If it is milky white then you have a headgasket leaking the coolant into your oil. Kick the s--- out of your car, cry, and then fork out 400 bones to have it fixed. Or buy a KLZE.
2. Fill your car up with 50/50 coolant, wipe up any spills, and then move it to a flat loacation. Let it run a long time in one place. Look underneath on the passenger side. If you see drippings then you have a failing waterpump. There is a hole on them that leaks when the seals inside the pump are busted. b---- and moan cause its cold and this isnt fun. Replace water pump.
3. Examine block for dripping / leaks. Could have a cracked block, but more than likely not (unless you have an internal crack). Whhewww. Glad that wasn't it cause your car is toast if it was.
4. Do a compression test. If there are cylnders that are below the normal range then there are leaks in that cylinder. Bad rings can cause low compression too. Head gasket problem. The collant could be leaking out into the combustion chamber and out the tailpipe. Examine exhaust, if it is dripping water this is a sign (could be just condensation too) especially if low compression. Beat you car with a hammer for having to go through the extra steps. Then see step one.
5. Do a pressure check on the radiator (I believe autozone has tools for this). You must fill it up with coolant first. You basically pump air into the coolant system, pressurizing the system, and if there is a hole coolant will flow out. If this is the problem kiss your car and give her a bath cause this is an easy fix compared to waterpump $$ and head gaskets $$$$$$.
6. Test coolant for exhaust gases. Autozone has equipment for this too (I think). This would be another sigh of bad headgasket.
7. Replace radiator cap. Would not be able to tell if bad cap when doing pressure test, since you remove the radiator cap. Remember you have two on your car! This probably isn't your problem, but they are cheap 8. Replace thermostat. This again isn't your cause but better safe than (less than ten bucks) and do fail so better to be sure.
8. Replace your thermostat. Again, this isn't your cause but better safe than sorry. (less than five bucks).
Since you have no sign of fluid in the overflow I would say you either have a bad water pump, bad head gasket, or a leak in system. More than likely just a bad water pump. Call auto zone and see if they can do any of the above steps for you. It is all fairly easy to do and I'm sure your dad or someone else could help you if you don't know how.
Good luck. I am in the same situation too. But My coolant is in the overflow resevoir and I have no idea what that means except bad cap or bad head. Noone wants bad head!!
EDIT: I am politically incorrect. Your mom or other female figures may know how too.
1. Check your oil. If it is milky white then you have a headgasket leaking the coolant into your oil. Kick the s--- out of your car, cry, and then fork out 400 bones to have it fixed. Or buy a KLZE.
2. Fill your car up with 50/50 coolant, wipe up any spills, and then move it to a flat loacation. Let it run a long time in one place. Look underneath on the passenger side. If you see drippings then you have a failing waterpump. There is a hole on them that leaks when the seals inside the pump are busted. b---- and moan cause its cold and this isnt fun. Replace water pump.
3. Examine block for dripping / leaks. Could have a cracked block, but more than likely not (unless you have an internal crack). Whhewww. Glad that wasn't it cause your car is toast if it was.
4. Do a compression test. If there are cylnders that are below the normal range then there are leaks in that cylinder. Bad rings can cause low compression too. Head gasket problem. The collant could be leaking out into the combustion chamber and out the tailpipe. Examine exhaust, if it is dripping water this is a sign (could be just condensation too) especially if low compression. Beat you car with a hammer for having to go through the extra steps. Then see step one.
5. Do a pressure check on the radiator (I believe autozone has tools for this). You must fill it up with coolant first. You basically pump air into the coolant system, pressurizing the system, and if there is a hole coolant will flow out. If this is the problem kiss your car and give her a bath cause this is an easy fix compared to waterpump $$ and head gaskets $$$$$$.
6. Test coolant for exhaust gases. Autozone has equipment for this too (I think). This would be another sigh of bad headgasket.
7. Replace radiator cap. Would not be able to tell if bad cap when doing pressure test, since you remove the radiator cap. Remember you have two on your car! This probably isn't your problem, but they are cheap 8. Replace thermostat. This again isn't your cause but better safe than (less than ten bucks) and do fail so better to be sure.
8. Replace your thermostat. Again, this isn't your cause but better safe than sorry. (less than five bucks).
Since you have no sign of fluid in the overflow I would say you either have a bad water pump, bad head gasket, or a leak in system. More than likely just a bad water pump. Call auto zone and see if they can do any of the above steps for you. It is all fairly easy to do and I'm sure your dad or someone else could help you if you don't know how.
Good luck. I am in the same situation too. But My coolant is in the overflow resevoir and I have no idea what that means except bad cap or bad head. Noone wants bad head!!
EDIT: I am politically incorrect. Your mom or other female figures may know how too.
New cars are open systems (someone correct me if I have the names backwards) meaning that the water you put in them stays in them. When you fill up the coolant in the radiator and top it off when the water is warm it does not stay in the engine/radiator. Upon heating up (at engine operating temp) the water expands and the system gets pressurized. THe pressure has to be released (if it wasn't the hoses would bust eventually). The pressure is released by removing some of the fluid. The fluid is emptied into the overflow resevoir. The radiator cap is spring loaded and at a certain pressure (caused by water pushing on the cap) it is opened and the water flows into the resevoir.
If you open the radiator cap when it is warm it would still look full because of the expanded water. After you turn the engine off and the pressure is lowered and the water cools, the coolant levels decrease. The system fills itself back up by sucking water out of the overflow resevoir and back into the radiator. That is why there is a hot and cold line on some overflow resevoirs.
In the old drag days, cars did not do this. They did not refill them selves. Mechanics simply did not fill the radiator to full capacity when the water was cold becuase it would empty onto the street when it heated up. There was no overflow systems. The radiator would be "almost" full when cold and full when hot. They left room in the system for the expanding water and pressure of the system. These were called closed coolant systems (again correct me if I am wrong).
Hopefully that gives you a better understanding of your cooling system.
The water pump could be leaking even if it is pumping. It doesn't just stop pumping all at once. Not everytime anyway.
I've seen cars with leaky waterpumps, that still move water (not at the normal rate though). If you take the waterpump off you will see what I am talking about.
Plus thermal water movement can cause circulation too I think. That would be really slow movement though.
If you open the radiator cap when it is warm it would still look full because of the expanded water. After you turn the engine off and the pressure is lowered and the water cools, the coolant levels decrease. The system fills itself back up by sucking water out of the overflow resevoir and back into the radiator. That is why there is a hot and cold line on some overflow resevoirs.
In the old drag days, cars did not do this. They did not refill them selves. Mechanics simply did not fill the radiator to full capacity when the water was cold becuase it would empty onto the street when it heated up. There was no overflow systems. The radiator would be "almost" full when cold and full when hot. They left room in the system for the expanding water and pressure of the system. These were called closed coolant systems (again correct me if I am wrong).
Hopefully that gives you a better understanding of your cooling system.
The water pump could be leaking even if it is pumping. It doesn't just stop pumping all at once. Not everytime anyway.
I've seen cars with leaky waterpumps, that still move water (not at the normal rate though). If you take the waterpump off you will see what I am talking about.
Plus thermal water movement can cause circulation too I think. That would be really slow movement though.