I know I'm late here but for future reference whenever you have a coolant issue not transferring between radiator and overflow tank it's caused by a bad radiator cap or wrong radiator cap , firstly every cap for every radiator must be pressed down with a little spring tension before turning to close it , secondly the rubber seals must be in good to provide tight sealing to create the right pressure thirdly there is another valve in the radiator cap that opens specifically for the coolant to return to the radiator , when that valve is blocked that's when it keeps transferring to the coolant bottle but not receiving from the bottle because the second valve is stuck , it's that metal that rest on the lower rubber seal , your fingers can pull it , it has a spring tension when you release it it will set back in place , hope this bit helps blessings to you all.
what if the reservoir tank always looks empty but its not leaking. and i filled it up once just to see it empty a again a few week later. (the car has never over heated) have owned it for almsot 10yrs n i hardly ever add coolant since it never overheats. but is that normal for reservoir tank to be empty all the time?
@@zgdev5198 leaking somewhere. All leaks are not external , some can be internal resulting in the coolant getting into the oil from a blown head gasket which is likely the problem here. He mentions seeing a leak & smoke from the tailpipe. Signs of a head gasket & the reason coolant isn't returning to the reserve container
@@BigAlWillis so I don’t see smoke in my tailpipe but however the coolant is backing up just like this guys video I replaced the thermostat and radiator cap and now it’s able to pass by to the other holes but still backing up in the radiator cap so I’m not sure if it’s a head gasket or bad radiator or if the radiator clogged
@@zgdev5198 when running its normal for the reserve jug level to increase a little then once the vehicle cools the vacuum returns the coolant to the radiator. Are you losing coolant or overheating?
Have you disconnect the hose from radiator neck to overflow bottle? Test hose to see if it is blocked. Smoke: Blue is Oil, black is gas, white is water.
I was losing water on a Tucson 2005 2.7 V6. Found a leak on the radiator where the transmission cooling pipes enter the radiator. Due to the age of the car I used a bottle of bars stop leak which solved the leak. After that I had the problem where the car would transfer water to the overflow bottle, but would not syphon it back. I then took the hose to the syphon tank off and replaced it with a clear hose, obtainable from any hardware store. I could then see the coolant pushing out but not syphoning back. In fact every time the vehicle heated up and cooled down there was a air space in the clear tube which should have only shown coolant and no air. I replaced the radiator cap. Same problem. I then took the over flow hose from the over flow tank and sucked on it to create a vacuum. I could clearly hear the air leaking in at the new cap. I then noticed that the gasket on the old cap and the new cap did not reach the edge of the cap, There was about a 3mm space right around the edge. I purchased some rubber, cut a gasket to reach the edge of the cap and fitted it on top of the original gasket. Problem solved. Blue smoke is oil and will not affect your radiator.
If your radiator wont draw the coolant back into the engine from the reservoir tank then you coolant system has a leak somewhere. It's probably is in the tube that connects the reservoir tank to the radiator. In the video it shows that you are using nylon wire ties as hose clamps. Replace them with actual hose clamps. If they leak they will not allow the coolant to be drawn back into the engine. Or if the hose is cracked anywhere it will not work. Think of it this way, if you are drinking a coke from a straw and it has a hole in the straw it will not go up the straw. You need a vacuum to make it work and if there is a poor seal in the pipe or the radiator cap is not functioning properly the system will not work. Or if you have a slight leak somewhere in you other hoses it will not hold the vacuum and will not work.
You're 100% correct that might be the issue. My Chevy express 2500 did the same thing. No hose cracks just a bad engine thermostat. I had replace 12 months prior
@@lakshanprabuddha8039 yes Also check the radiator cap. Believe it or not. That can cause issues. Also make sure there is no air in the cooling system. I made a mistake about a month ago and filled the radiator while the engine was off. So it caught some air. And started having heating issues 20 minutes later. Man I thought I had a blown head gasket. And sure shit it was air in the system causing that. Just let the engine run for a while with the heat running in high setting for about 20 minutes it should burp it out. You can also squeeze the upper radiator hose while engine running to help to push air out of the radiator. But yes my radiator leak stop after replacing the radiator cap and new thermostat
I had the same problem with Dex cool it turned out the Dex Cool turned into goo and it plugged up the over flow tank hole where it transfers back and forth to the radiator . I cleaned it out and it’s fine now.
@@biglebowski923 unreal. I can tell you one thing. And noticed the over flow spilling again. My guess I know I should be using the red stuff according to the manual. And I am using the green stuff. Things that we don't know but makes a big difference. Thanks for the info
It seems that technology has developed towards the direction of draining car owners' pockets. I have owned several cars since 1981 and never encountered a heating problem even in those cars that I retained for over 10 years. I am now suffering a problem similar to that covered in this video, namely coolant loss in the radiator section (requiring refills before every trip). I detected the cause when I saw coolant oozing out of the reservoir outlet opening. No smoke, no leaks in the hoses or engine and no milky deposits on the oil cap and oil dip stick. The rad cap and thermostat were replaced about 6 months ago. Mileage is only 130,000 kilo meters (about 81,000 miles). The quoted cost of replacing the head gasket (I am uncertain about whether that gasket is blown) is so high as to make it uneconomical to repair. It is disappointing to read in the comments about the large number of people who are encountering heating problems. This was not the case in earlier days.
Well, as you know, cars are built differently these days. Back in the day, everything was simple and to the point. There's a long stretch in the 90s and beyond where cars were c*** We used to call Them throw away cars. Thank God how old you have to worry about is how you're gonna pay for your $10000 battery and whether or not you'll make it to the next charging station.😮
I had the same issue with a Chevy express 2500 with 220,000 miles. Replaced the radiator cap. Seem to fix the issue for a couple of weeks. O'Hara replaced the thermostat 12 months ago. And flush the cooling system 3 months prior Then I was getting an over heating issue I was loosing my mind. People keep telling me it was the head gasket from the engine. End up been the thermostat I didn't think it was the issue but I gave it a try and that fixed all those issues
if the head gasket is leaking between two adjacent cyls, the compression will be low in those two cyls and it would misfire as well. If it leaking between a cyl and the coolant jacket, then there will be coolant in the oil. Let out a little bit of oil from the sump, and if you see coolant come out first then you know the head gasket is a problem water is heavier than oil so it sinks to the bottom of the oil. I read this info in my ALLDATA subscription. also look for water globules on the oil dipstick.
In early March, I posted my comment/idea (see below). I later learnt the hard way. This is due to the fact that combustion gas was finding its way to the cooling system, when I install the SEALED overflow tank, the pressure went up without a relief valve. Within a week, first I blew a lower hose then 2 days later the radiator was wrecked(leaking at the joint at the upper tank) If you have "coolant going to reservoir but not back to radiator" problem like me. The first thing you should confirm is to leave the engine completely cooled down(say first thing in the morning) then open the radiator cap. If you can hear a hissing sound of air escaping then your problem is like mine(combustion gas got into cooling system). The only way to solve this problem is to fix the engine head. Otherwise you will have to keep using the turkey baster transfer. Now I installed an overflow bottle at the highest position in the engine bay (just touching the underside of the bonnet and by the fire wall) This bottle is not sealed(you can drill a 1mm hole to let air out, but coolant might get through this hole too)To avoid this I did not have this tiny hole instead I drilled a 4.5mm hole at a high position of the bottle so I can insert a 5mm (outside diameter) plastic hose . I insert one end of this hose(half inch is plenty)into this 4.5mm hole, the other end just insert into the existing overflow tank. This bottle can either be plastic or glass(I am going to Ikea to buy a 1 litre cylindrical glass bottle with a wooden lid, replace the seal with an appropriate O ring, so I can drill holes for the connections, make some clamps to secure the lid) This way you can see the coolant level. The important point is you connect the overflow hose at the lowest point of the bottle if possible(say at the bottom). Ideally,the bottom of the bottle is higher than the radiator cap(any coolant inside will drain out completely) but it can be a bit lower(a certain amount of coolant will stay) If the bottom of the bottle is higher than the radiator cap, you can top up the radiator when it is cold and leave the bottle empty. Drive the car as normal, Coolant will be pushed into this bottle, next day in the morning, open the cap and look through to see if the coolant still covers the core, if it does just drive the car for another day then check the coolant level next morning again, do this until you see the coolant level is just barely cover the core, replace the cap immediately. Use a marker pen mark the coolant level on the side of the bottle then re-open the cap, coolant will flow back into the radiator by gravity force, once the radiator is full replace the cap. From now on you just need to check the coolant level on the bottle when it reached the mark and do away with the turkey baster transfer. If the bottom of the bottle is lower than the radiator cap, you just need to fill the bottle up until the coolant level is same with the cap's level. Then do the above exercise. Unfortunately, we'll have to do this until we fix the engine head. I hope this information can help you guys a bit before you can afford a proper fix.
This is just Reinventing the wheel. See a motorcycle reservoir tank, pressure lid of radiator and you'd understand that whatever you are writing here plus many upgrades are already done and dusted. The radiator lid shown in video is simple one, but a motorcycle with high compression ratio engine has a lid with dual purpose. One is to hold pressure till some bars, and other is to pull coolant from overhead reservoir tank when engine is cooling down. They have a Central pull mechanism with which opens when coolant is cooling down, letting the gravity do the work.
if anyone needs to find a leak the way I found mine was get a little red siphon pump from harbor freight, lowes, walmart, many places have them. ((when engine is cold)) hook the line to where the rubber hose is next to the radiator cap & pump it up putting air into the system. make sure you have fluid in the system to see when it leaks out. those little siphon kits are only like $6 bucks, so you find your leak easy & quick. poor mans pressure test but it works.
Smoke out of the dip stick tube always means piston ring(s) are not sealing. It means pressure is pushing past the rings from the block and into the crankcase, then out the dip stick tube and/or oil fill cap.
What if you are not getting any air bubbles after replacing radiator? Top radiator hose get extremely hot but bottom radiator hose warm to touch. New radiator, hoses, thermostat replace on 2002 Toyota Tacoma 3.4 . Thanks.
I can see a problem with your small radiator hose. I would replace the white plastic fastener with a metal hose fastener, which can be screwed tight. Acura (and many others) should have placed a hose fastener on this connection. When this hose is old, this connection is not sealed tight and air instead of coolant is sucked back into the radiator. If the driver does not check the coolant level regularly, it can easily cause an overheated engine. Air out of your radiator when you pushed the gas is exhaust gas, which is a sign of damaged engine (possible head gasket). If you still have this issue even after you replace the fastener, then the leak sits somewhere else, either the radiator itself or the damaged engine is to be blamed. Exhaust gas leaks into your radiator so can air.
I tho8ght I solved the issue by doing just that ..there was no clip on the hose to rad neck . Was fine for almost a week today iverflow was higher again so annoying . Git a new water pump here to put on ..no evident leaks had thus issue before and after hg was replaced..Head was skimmed and pressure tested maybe a clip on the hose (s) to overflow cap may help even though theure very snug
Head gaskets can be really tricky and insidious. My honda civic with a h22 swap had a issue with the overflow bubbling over in the Summer. Got progressively worse over 2 years and finally started overheating and burping all of its coolant out of the overflow. It never gave me much trouble but I know it was already bad 2 years ago. Even if the car drives fine, there could be some problems with it just realize.
@@kidwilson3357 eh, true. My car overheated again after the headgasket change, I had the head milled and i had a new head gasket put on. New water pump and timing belt. I think i might have put too high concentraction of coolant added or maybe thermostat is stuck shit. What do you think? I also have blue smoke out the tailpipe and gusts of wind out of the oil cap with the motor running. I already decided to swap the motor out with another H22 (well its a H23a blue top not a H22). Either way I'm going to figure out what the hell is wrong with this motor when I take it apart to put the new one in (JDM low miles which I payed 1190 dollars for). But the head gasket on the motor now is confirmed trashed, it had 2 different breaks in between cylinders. I think my block might be ruined somehow. I did a visual inspection but I did not check it for flatness
@@Mishakol1290 I learned from experience that the block should also be resurfaced when doing a head gasket; use a straight edge and place across the block and look for low spots, especially the little piece between the cyls. if you can see light or a feeler gauge can pass, then you know where the leak is. I did a block on my brother's car some years ago with water sand paper and a flat block of wood; because taking the engine out to send it to the shop would have been a big problem.
As soon as the engine warm up the water will start boiling Bubbles it mean there s air in the system leave it like that running also set the heat on high inside your car
Something similar happened to my integra, but my overflow tank would actually fill up. I found my water pump leaking. I'm guessing it was sucking air into the system, and pushing coolant out the overflow tank. I fixed the water pump leak and it stopped. I'm not saying this is your problem, just sharing my story :)
Im having the same issue...coolant will fill up in the resevoir and not drain back into the radiator...i dont have coolant in my oil and no oil in my coolant...no smoke out of the exhaust...no issues driving no idle problems...coolant is only leaking when the resevoir gets full...i have no idea what the problem is...shouldnt be a head gasket with only 74,000 miles on the car...i was thinking water pump also...my resevoir fills up till it leaks...also did you try bleeding the coolant...did you have constant lil air bubbles?
Hello !!.....could you see any leaking at bottom of water pump?....I watch very closely the color of my prestone and any white soap off my oil cap. Been watching for two weeks, and don't see any contaminations. Please let me know more of your experience. ....Mario , NOva SCotia, Canada
The Thermostat gauge has barely moved up after 12 minutes into the video. The thermostat is stuck open, another observation the bubbles surging from the radiator suggest an issue with the head gasket.
I've seen a car with a defective head gasket have same symptoms it ran for a year (driven few times a week) needing coolant added, though when it finally failed the fluid was coming out the exhaust pipe into a giant puddle bf it was noticed.
02 March, 2018 I solved this problem in my 2006 Subaru Liberty MY06 30R (3litre engine) by installing a SEALED OVERFLOW TANK. I installed the tank EMPTY. You can buy it off ebay, search: 800ML Car Overflow Radiator Coolant Aluminum Catch Tank Cylinder Alloy Kit Black. I reckon the radiator keeps pushing the coolant into the OPEN overflow tank without sucking it back, as a result the radiator is low in fluid level hence the OVERHEATING. (I have to suck out and refill the radiator after every trip to prevent the engine from overheating) Replacing the OPEN overflow tank with a SEALED one we solve both problems: 1)We stop the excessive overflow amount of coolant into the overflow tank. The size of the SEALED tank is 0.8 litre so it takes no more than this volume, thus the coolant cannot flow out any more than it can with an OPEN tank this results in the coolant level in the radiator tank is maintained. Therefore no more OVERHEATING 2)We enable the coolant flowing back to the radiator. The pressure in an OPEN tank is ALWAYS at normal atmosphere, if the vacuum in the radiator/engine block, for whatever reason unknown to us, is insufficient to SUCK back the coolant, now it will be PUSHED back into the radiator since the tank holds the pressure equals to the original pressure that pushed it out. I actually installed mine horizontally at the highest point in the engine bay with the intake/discharge pipe at the bottom to use gravity to help the coolant flow too. One thing you should take into consideration is you must allow sufficient VOLUME for the expansion of the coolant. This means you must keep a certain amount of AIR in the SYSTEM, Otherwise, your hoses could burst or worst your radiator bursts. My coolant volume is 7.8 litres, it is safe to use this SEALED tank. If your coolant volume is significantly higher, you must be cautious. You can go about by installing one tank and run the engine and at the same time OBSERVE the radiator hoses to see any swelling till the engine reaches operating temperature. Any swelling indicates not enough air space. Stop the engine immediately to stop any damage. If so you can install 2 tanks and use a T to connect the two so as to give you the air space needed. In my opinion, if you do install two tanks and the engine MAY run OVERHEATING. The cause I can think of is the 2 tanks hold 2X0.8=1.6 litres of coolant, this may drop the coolant level in the radiator too much. By trial and error you can slowly add a certain amount of coolant into one tank until the problem goes away. I hope my info helps you gays. Happy motoring.
Hi there I'm currently having this problem with my H6 3L subaru engine in my Outback, I live in Australia and this idea sounds quite good I was thinking would be good for my MY99 GC8 WRX for performance as in always keeping it better cooled? Also do you know if there is a video title or UA-camr that has a video showing this? Cheers
If anything is coming out of the rafiator cap replace it. Still not working? It's all pressure based. Run your car for 20 minutes if it starts boiling in the resrvoir tank it's because you have a leaky/blown head hasket and the coolant is not flowing through the system properly.
My car does this too had the radiator bust ran it overheating for a minute and then had it towed fixed the radiator and upper radiator hose cuz it was leaking and now the coolant won't go back into radiator when it cools. I have been taking the overflow out and pouring it back in radiator.
Did you find the problem? I also have this problem, I replaced the radiator cap and thermostat, but still the water does not come back when the engine is cold.
Is your thermostat working , was it replaced, or water pump, I think the coolant is suppose to be rushing around in there, you better take it to get checked out , might be thermostat, you might need a new one
hey look your Reservoir problem if you look at the bottom of the grill at the very bottom of the evaporator coil for the air conditioner you'll find these fins clothes and clogged not allowed the right amount of air to cool the radiator unclog these fins by poking holes do not ruin the evaporator coil poking holes will allow the right amount of air to cool the radiator you will see problem solved no water will leave the radiator and enter the reservoir take care good luck
Can someone explain why zipties aren’t a good idea please? A lot of comments suggesting to switch to hose clamps. But what’s the zipties doing or not doing? They’re on a hose that doesn’t see much pressure. It’s not like they gave to be so strong
Hello. I reach you from Turkey. I've been using honda civic 2005 for 8 years but I don't understand how the Coolant Reservoir works. How the radiator draws back fluid from the Coolant Reservoir. The expansion tank inlet is too low and there is no engine in it. Here's how water returns to the system. I couldn't understand the working principle. Thansk for everything.
You all need to check your reserviors for leaks and cracks in it to. And the hoses gpong to it. Sex the top hose to check it. But look for cracks in it.
I figure you've probably solved the issue or sold the car by now, however to answer all your questions: 1) Your coolant issue is likely caused by the headgasket or a small leak in the cooling system. Cooling systems need to be AIR tight as well as water tight or you will experience this issue. To find the problem, you should rent a cooling system pressure tester from your local autoparts store. You pump up the cooling system to its max pressure, you should be able to find the leak this way. IF you cant find a leak and the pressure is dropping, its likely a small leak in the head gasket. The reason this is happening is because coolant expands when hot, thats why there is so much space in your overflow bottle. However if the system is not air tight, instead of sucking coolant from the bottle, air will be sucked in from the leak. Its really not such a big deal, because once the car is warmed up again the coolant will expand and the air will be forced out. Its only a big problem if you have an actual liquid leak. 2) your blue smoke on accel is definitely piston rings or valves. I'd recommend making this your top priority to fix as it will cause lots of excess carbon buildup, ruin your catalytic converter in your exhaust, and cause a load of other issues if not taken care of.
i have a 94 grand cherokee with the 318.. chqnged out my thermostat and waterpump but my top hose is not getting nun of the antifreeze wtf could that be please help me lolim pissed
Check the hose clamps on all the hoses. On my accord, the most my clamps were more than 20 years old and did not really hold the hoses tight enough so air was going into the coolant.
Ive had a slight outter head gasket leak it just steamed out and my resevior would be sucked back out like it should but not its fixed and now it doesn't go back in the radiator anymore no signs of leaks no smoke im stumped
I had the coolant just sit in the reservoir on a 2002 jeep grand cherokee. It never went in or out. I also heard water noises in the heater core. I changed the radiator cap, presto problems solved.
9/10 is more likely air trapped in the system due to improper bleeding or a leak that introduces air. Go start every car you can with the cap off and you will see bubbles during warm up. Completely normal due to vehicle engines fluctuate hot and cold on a daily basis which easily sucks in air through the radiator cap or vent hose.
Did you check the hose from your reservoir? Does it have a strong clamp. Could be sucking air back in instead of liquid. It could push liquid in from the radiator but suck in air instead of suck back in liquid. I have the same issue in my Civic so idk lol😅
Yeah I used stop leak and my overflow is full. Just changed the radiator yesterday. All hoses tight. Might need to replace the radiator cap due to the gunk from the stop leak
I have a question i just recently replaced my fan and fan clutch i also replaced the thermostat but my 92 gt still overheats and the light of low coolant is on any help or suggestions please would be highly appreciated
Did you find the answer? I'm guessing you are using zip ties for the overflow hose and they don't do a good job sealing the hose to the cap and overflow tank preventing the radiator cap to do its job (vacuum sucks air versus fluid). In your case, I would think the fluid cannot overcome gravity as your radiator cap is located higher in the chain. Use a Worm Gear Hose Clamp instead of zip ties and make them snug. Let us know how it goes. Good luck.
My car does the exact same thing! I have a 2007 impreza(non-turbo), and I did the same things you do. I been doing the turkey baster transfer for three years now...
Head gasket issue with Subaru. I've own them before and same with Acura Integra...similar issue with head gasket so I move on to Honda and Toyota for reliability. Not so say Acura is not a Honda products but the Integra and older model Legend is having head gasket problems. ..been there done that long ago.
Well if you’re talking about ah 20 to 30 year old car common sense would tell you that those cars may need ah new head gasket and ah punch of new things so if you’re not into fixing up you’re own ride then buying used cars is not for you
4+ years of basting and My Teg is still chugging along. Red engine oil light popped up about 5 months ago and I freaked out. The car was still running great so. I eventually just kept driving it and I unplugged the bulb behind the dash. Im over 300,000 and this has been one hell of a reliable car. Anything I get at this point is Bonus miles. My car was looking a lot better n 2015 ;)
I have an 02 civic with 1.7 vtec at over 230,000 mi doing this. identical to a tee. I tried a few other rad caps from some of the other Hondas and didnt change. A mechanic friend said its the head gasket leak. Some of the pressure from the combustion chamber blows thru reaching the coolant and a rad cap is not meant for this high pressure of coarse. Sometimes when i check on it the res is full right to the brim and the rad is low. I dont really seem to lose much coolant or have smoke tho. Its as if its a one way street that way. I considered getting a higher pressure cap, but that may be asking for trouble. I should check my fan again but if the temp doesnt rise it shouldnt matter. It only rises doing donuts etc. So i keep an eye on temp then because i dont keep refilling my rad every week or month. I tried part bottle irontite head gasket sealer the other day didnt seem to work. Have u tried anything like this? To seal high pressure is asking too much from these bottles i think. Might try something else tho. Anyway car was $200, still pulls hard, takes a beating on the daily for years now. not planning to spend to fix it right, as it runs now as if its got decades of life left. Manual too. Literally only cost was oil and filters and cheap brakes.🏁🏁😎👍
You have combustion leaking into the cooling system due to a bad head gasket. It's a very minor leak in your case, and as long as you keep your eye on the coolant level you should be ok, until it gets worse and you have to start filling up the radiator every day. Try some blue devil, it works well for small head gasket leaks like yours.
I tried to look through comments to see if you ever updated with the diagnoses but only found what it could be. Did you ever get add actual answer to what the issue was/is?
Engine is still running and I just keep checking the fluids every few days. I havent had an official diagnostic. Pretty sure its Head gasket and gases seeping into system. Engine is still hanging on so I keep driving. Owned for 19 years! srry I could help more. cheers
@@kidwilson3357 Maybe drain a bit of the coolent out completely of the radiator, and you can attatch a vacuum fitting to the radiator drain port and try and pull vacuum from there, see if it holds and radiator cap vacuum valves opens at what ever inches of mercury it needs like 5. Also maybe even start it real quick and try and pull vacuum then. Can pinch off stuff like radiator hoses to block to see if the radiator can hold vacuum, test the cap and overflow tank, then you know it has to be somewhere from the block. I've tried to think where to pull vacuum from radiator and can not think of anything except the radiator drain plug. But that would confirm at least like, there the block is somewhere's leaking vacuum, or maybe only when running. Also there is leak down test, you basically hook shop air up to the sparkplug hole and see where air comes out. Makes it so like engine is running, should be bubble into radiator and then you know. Head gasket is easy enough, but issue is with honda are they are aluminum blocks. (well steel sleeve, aluminum block). So that stuff deforms different when heats up because different mentals.
Hey guys...the solution to this problem is the radiator cover/cap...any cap cannot work on any radiator...I had a plastic radiator at 1st, I change to a metal now, but I used my old cap and I had the same problem u guys are having...whatever radiator you have now you need to get a cap that can take the pressure of that radiator, or simply get the original cap for whatever radiator you are using...if you try it, can you give me an update if it worked please, thanks
Sound like a bad head gasket. Coolant would cause blue smoke when burnt and the gases cant escape so they are over pressurizing the rad and pushing coolant to res tank. Just my opinion though
So I just took my 03 Camry to a shop , I been having a coolant leak and was told I had a slight blown head gasket. And every time I drive for a little bit the coolant drips on the pipes and creates steam where it looks like my car is smoking . Is this really a symptom of a blown head gasket?
I have just been doing the same thing for years. Just keep adding from reservoir. This video was taken a while ago, and my car could def use some TLC. Id say the problem is Head gasket, valve stem seals and piston rings in my case.
I have a 2003 Honda Civic LX with no bleeder valve and used the funnel with coolant method to burp the system and it still didn't work. What I found out later is that you leave that funnel with coolant attached after shutting off the engine. Do not plug it. Let the coolant and engine cool overnight. As the coolant in the radiator and engine gets cold it contracts creating a vacuum sucking more coolant from the funnel. If you remove the fumnel too early, you risk sucking in air instead.
@Kid Wilson33 i have the exact same issue... did you try changing the hose? there could be a small crack allowing air in the system. I also suspect a small hole in the head gasket that would allow air to enter the system so i removed the thermostat and use blue devil head gasket sealer just in case... i will run it for a day or two then empty the system and flush it with distilled water once then refill.
Probably have some oil leaking from the spark plug tube seals or valve stem seals. Usually leaking Oil will have a blue color smoke, Coolant will be White in color.
I have a 91 Acura integra car won’t circulate coolant as in the intake hose to the engine from the bottom of the radiator will not pressurize as well as the coolant boil to my reservoir after I take a test run after the coolant gauge reads operating temp I’ve already removed the thermostat to see if it’s rusted it new looking not sure why the hoses won’t pressurize at the in and out of the radiator
Im not sure bro. When you get it figured out, come back and leave a comment so others might get some help with the same issue. Good luck with the problem.
A good chance that your thermostat is no working properly it make the radiator suck the water back in as the water circulate through the water pump .. blue smoke is from the piston rings ..
On my 2000Mazda b4000 I noticed it’s not sucking the coolant back in to the radiator an when I take the radiator cap off it always need to be topped off a little bit but if I drive it for along time on the highway I noticed the coolant in over flow go’s back into the radiator u think it’s a thermostat?
My Car is still running,. I am 99% its the head gasket and piston rings. Im sure at this point I need valve gasket too. Over 300,000 miles. i just check the radiator every few days. My car is def gonna need some work but all of you out there, at least know if you are havinig this problem, just make sure you are checking the fluid every few days. You car might be able to last a while to before changing the head gasket!
@@kidwilson3357 Did you check the hose that takes fluid from your reservoir to radiator? I checked mine and it has some sort of fibrous/cotton material choking it. I cleaned it yesterday and will also keep looking at the fluid levels. This happened to me as I used a market additive to stop leakages and it formed sludge and chocked it (probably)
@@Attaurrehmanable I was also thinking that zip tie may not be providing enough pressure on the hose to maintain a vacuum which is required to suck the coolant back in when it cools down.
@@kidwilson3357 If you perform a chemical block test with the blue liquid that turns yellow when you squeeze the bulb, you'd be 100% certain about the head gasket. Do a compression test (dry or wet) and you'd be 100% certain about the piston rings. O'Reilly or AutoZone has free compression test kit loaners.
There sould be a fill line on the overflow tank for coolent level .If not enough coolent in the catch tank it wont syphon in and out , and back again .
if this continues after radiator cap is replaced with new, means his cooling system is getting over-pressurized, and never pulls back coolant after engine cools down. Excess pressure is coming from a blown head gasket, exhaust gasses entering the cooling system. No other condition would cause this behavior.
Am having the same issue. No blue smoke tho. Had my motot repaired new block head gasket... Got a new radiator cap today and see what happends because i did used a cheap cap hopefully it fixes the problem.
I had this exact problem, turned out to be the radiator cap. When the engine warmed and pressurised the coolant the cap would relieve the pressure far too soon by dumping half the coolant into the expansion bottle. Initially I thought it was exhaust gas in the coolant because it would bubble through into the expansion tank however when the cooling system can't pressurise it means the fluid will boil and produce bubbles at a much lower temperature.
That’s not how it works. The excess coolant reservoir is in a sealed system with the rest of it, but it has an outflow valve, if needed. When the engine (and coolant) heats up, coolant expands and goes into the reservoir. When it cools off, it is syphoned back out to keep the system full. That’s how it is supposed to work. If your radiator cap was faulty, it would fill the reservoir on expansion, but not suck the coolant back into the radiator when the engine cools. It would just suck up air from the outside instead.
@joejohnsoon. thanks to your comment i was able to fix my coolant overflow problem on my wife's 2011 Hyundai Accent. I was afraid it could be the headgasket causing the overflow problem, but from your comment I realized it makes sense when radiator cap cannot hold pressure then the coolant will flow into the expansion tank. I also considered the other symptoms like in my case the engine does not overheat, and the coolant don't squirt out from the radiator when I press on the accelerator. but I should also mention that the radiator was pressurized, I know this because when I remove the cap, gas come gushing out even when engine is cooled overnight and the radiator tubes where empty but some moisture still there. I also see the remaining coolant in the radiator to be milky white, some corrosion or the extreme heat due to insufficient coolant in the radiator could have caused this but I am not sure. I had to flush the coolant and replace it. One thing to note is that the old radiator cap turned out to be brittle when dry and had cracks around the vacuum relief valve which is in the center. I did not see this cracks until I took out the cap and let it dry. after replacing the rad cap I tested driving it for 2 days now and the problem did not comeback. I also removed the thermostat thinking I should replace it also, but when I tested it in hot water turns out to be OK, it opens at ~80 to 82 centigrade and then closes when cooled slightly after taking it out of the hot water. I repeated this test several times and it never failed so i just put it back in.
Okay that hose that comes off your radiator that goes into your overflow is because of the fact of when your vehicle gets hot or has too much and a freezer water in the radiator it goes to your overflow it does not come back into your radiator it will not do that
If you car is 15 years old, could be the hose clamps. The clamps are not tight enough and although no coolant is coming out from the hoses, the failing clamps are allowing air to enter from the hoses into the coolant.
Cooling system is pressurized, to 15PSI. That means, if your hose clamps were not tight, the coolant would have a leak, air would enter to replace the lost coolant, but this wouldn't cause the overflow bottle coolant level to raise. The overflow bottle level is likely to drop in the case of a plain coolant leak.
Exactly. I suspect that is what is happening with my car, the upper hose clamp isn't sealing completely. I can see it "sweating" . Sometimes some drops come out.
Possible cheap fixes: Get a new radiator cap (may be damaged), change coolant temperature sensor, thermostat and , if the fan is working and fuses are not broken, fan relays. Update: the cheap fixes did not work. After changing the radiator and a complete flush, it was fixed.
@@babycakes8434 Most likely it's blow back because of a blown (damaged) head gasket. Especially if you never changed your radiator fluid, the car has more than 180K and/or over 12 years old.
@@paulelliott7373 The thermostat gasket was leaking. I sold the car, and I didn't miss that piece of junk for one second. I disclosed every and any issue and I sold it for cheap. I should sell it years ago, right after I bought it. Or I shouldn't buy it at all. But, you live and you learn. I have learned that if something is too junky, so you need to fix it all the time, just get rid of it sooner than later.
Im still driving it the way it is. I'm pretty sure its Head gasket. Valve stem seals and piston rings and you name it at this point need to be changed.
@@kidwilson3357 Ironic, but the reason I saw your video was because I was having a problem with my 98 Honda Civic overheating. I knew the thermostat was stuck closed, so I was watching videos related to replacing the thermostat. After I replaced it, it was no longer overheating at idle like before. But I'm guessing that it overheated enough to slightly warp the cylinder head. Now my 98 Civic is doing the same thing as yours because the head gasket is leaking compression into a cylinder at higher RPMs. It does it much less if I drive it conservatively. If I drive it hard, it blows enough coolant into the overflow for the heat to stop working and the engine to start to overheat because there's not enough coolant in the radiator. So I'm having to do the turkey baster thing every day now. I plan to replace the head gasket soon. Not very hard on that engine.
@@kidwilson3357 try this, we've used it on several cars, it works. It won't hurt your engine like other products will. ua-cam.com/video/QoH-GDKR5r0/v-deo.html
@@russellbrooks3622 agreed, had the same issue, and also seen difference with conservative driving vs. rough driving. Well worded, and also you bring up an important point - head gasket rarely blows on its own. There is some other issue that preceds, like thermostat in your case. So it is never just the head gasket. Root cause must be isolated first, then address the head gasket.
I have a similar issue with my acura. And wondering would it be a good idea to just close connection between radiator and reservoir? And keep All the coolant just in the radiator.
I'm no mechanic, but there if there is proper pressure in the system the coolant will expand, and you need the reservoir so the coolant has a place to go.. it should come back from the reservoir once the engine cools down. If the coolant is staying in the reservoir then you might have a headgasket leak? Good luck with your problem
My coolant is clean, no overheating, no leaks anywhere, replaced thermostat, radiator cap still loosing coolant in radiator to bottle and not coming back. I'm about to get new radiator cap just in case. Any other suggestions.
@@nb9536 Your best bet is to get aLeak down test and compression test. Also possibly find someone with legit computer and plug it up and see what codes. make sure all your connectors are tight. Do you have blue smoke? I wish I could tell you more.
Bro, you have bubble coming up your radiator, it from your head gasket or warp cylinder head! I have the same thing for the 2005 Camry 2.4 l engine. The back pressure put the coolant into the reservoir bottle, but the back pressure prevent the coolant suck back to the radiator.
Normally when you shut your car off, the pressure does not stay built up in your hoses etc, Usually the overfill of coolant will go back into your reservoir. However in my case, I could leave the car off over night and when I take off the Rad cap there is still pressure in the system. And,.,. you dont want that. This video is about 5 years old by the way. Car is still running and never fixed the issue. I just continue to manually fill the radiator. Cheers
You’re car burns Oil , I can tell from the smoke coming out of the Exhaust pipe , so it could be a bad head cylinder with bad gasket or piston rings loos , so far now in 2020 what did find the problem was ?
Hye, my radiator is keep on discharging coolant into spare tank. Even many parts has changed (new radiator, new original thermostat, new original radiator hose, new original radiator cap) but the radiator still discharging coolant into spare tank. One of my mechanic suggest me to change the water pump. May i get your advice?
Is your car overheating? Are you saying the coolant does not go back into the radiator after going into the reservoir after driving? If you drive your car then park it do you still have pressure in the system( when opening radiator cap) hours later when the car engine is cold? If you open the Rad Cap do you hear a WHooossh of pressure being released ( engine cold) ? The best thing to do is have a compression test and see if you might have a blown head gasket.
@KidWilson33 no. My car didnt get overheated. Yes the water didn't return back to the radiator after going into the reservoir. Opening the radiator cap didn't seem to hear any sound of it.
my compression numbers were way low in cylinder #1 and #3. I did an engine swap. I will say it the b18b1 was still running when I did the swap. I believe it was the headgasket.
I am having the same issue with my daughters jeep Patriot, except no bubbles or smog, but the coolant overflow and does not go back to the radiator, have a brand new radiator and 2 thermostat, still trying to figure it out, I already bled the system twice
i have a similar problem only without the blue smoke, when I check the radiator after the vehicle stands for about two hours then the water is up and when I check the radiator after a whole night then the water goes down a bit, about 5 cm (engine heat is normal and also water in condensate tank) Anyone have any advice??
CHECK TOP AND BOTTOM RADIATOR HOSES BOTH MUST BE HOT BUT IF THE LOWER HOSE IS COLD THE PROBLEM COULD BE THE THERMOSTAT : it’s not opening stayed close and the water does not flowing by all the cooling system .question did you flushed your cooling system before ?
Jose Blass it could also be the head gasket because what you just said was the exact same thing that happened to my g35 the lower radiator hose wasn’t getting any pressure one of the causes for that is because hot gases are coming from the exhaust and it pressurizes the system including the thermostat and it keeps the thermostat closed because there is too much pressure
I believe it's a blown head gasket. valve stem seals and piston rings. But.. I have yet to get a mechanic to look at it. lol./ Its still running. I have to make sure to check and refill the radiator after driving. 312,000 miles and counting. Ciao
@@kidwilson3357 lol. Bro i am actually doing the same. Constantly transferring the coolant from reservoir to rad. But scared to travel very far now. I have an appointment to the mechanic on Monday.
My guess is you ONLY changed the headgasket and did NOT resurface at a shop what touches the headgasket. If you try to save money on a rebuild like that, you end up with problem again and shortly after.
2004 civic sohc. Chemical tested my antifreeze for head gasket leak, replaced water pump oem, holds pressure in cap overnight and passed leak down test. No bubbles when running and at op temp. Absolutely never any crap water ran in system and rad thermostat I took out etc looks brand new. Not even a film or white residue anywhere period. 100,000miles. Also always has water wetter electrolysis preventer in it. New rad cap no coolant leaks anywhere. Same issue as you!! Transfers into tank and leaves rad low then tries to overheat. Blows out of reservoir because overfills it also so can’t just transfer. Bled air out of system many times at the car in extreme angles. Fuel gauge says full until almost out, Runs rough as crap now with this overheating issue,never got near red zone yet. Ac blew up and needs timing belt etc by now. F- Honda’s u guys. These cars are pieces of crap. My jeep Cherokee has been the worst vehicle over owned and literally needs restored at 170,000miles. Trans blew. T case blew. Engine lifters loud as shit. Sensor galore stock exhaust overheats bad ass shock in rear and floor under pass seat gets cooking hot. Just a ton of money time and effort for 20k. Lol
Omg thank you for doing this video as you can see you have not only helped me but countless others and the brainstorming is amazing
This video get lots of love and hate. I am glad it helped in some way for you. Thanks for the positive comments!
Doesn't make a difference with the problem he's having.
I know I'm late here but for future reference whenever you have a coolant issue not transferring between radiator and overflow tank it's caused by a bad radiator cap or wrong radiator cap , firstly every cap for every radiator must be pressed down with a little spring tension before turning to close it , secondly the rubber seals must be in good to provide tight sealing to create the right pressure thirdly there is another valve in the radiator cap that opens specifically for the coolant to return to the radiator , when that valve is blocked that's when it keeps transferring to the coolant bottle but not receiving from the bottle because the second valve is stuck , it's that metal that rest on the lower rubber seal , your fingers can pull it , it has a spring tension when you release it it will set back in place , hope this bit helps blessings to you all.
Yes, I think I have a bad radiator cap....and it's going into my overflow because it's not keeping the pressure built up and held back
what if the reservoir tank always looks empty but its not leaking. and i filled it up once just to see it empty a again a few week later. (the car has never over heated) have owned it for almsot 10yrs n i hardly ever add coolant since it never overheats. but is that normal for reservoir tank to be empty all the time?
I replaced my radiator cap, still having my resavoir overflow and over heating
@@MrBrysta did u find your issue after ?
@@MrBrysta ?
the system needs to have vacuum / no leaks in order to return the coolant from the jug. if you have a leak it usually wont return.
So does it means it’s clogged
@@zgdev5198 leaking somewhere. All leaks are not external , some can be internal resulting in the coolant getting into the oil from a blown head gasket which is likely the problem here. He mentions seeing a leak & smoke from the tailpipe. Signs of a head gasket & the reason coolant isn't returning to the reserve container
@@BigAlWillis so I don’t see smoke in my tailpipe but however the coolant is backing up just like this guys video I replaced the thermostat and radiator cap and now it’s able to pass by to the other holes but still backing up in the radiator cap so I’m not sure if it’s a head gasket or bad radiator or if the radiator clogged
@@zgdev5198 when running its normal for the reserve jug level to increase a little then once the vehicle cools the vacuum returns the coolant to the radiator. Are you losing coolant or overheating?
@@BigAlWillis it’s overheating and no I’m not losing coolant
Have you disconnect the hose from radiator neck to overflow bottle? Test hose to see if it is blocked.
Smoke: Blue is Oil, black is gas, white is water.
I was losing water on a Tucson 2005 2.7 V6. Found a leak on the radiator where the transmission cooling pipes enter the radiator. Due to the age of the car I used a bottle of bars stop leak which solved the leak. After that I had the problem where the car would transfer water to the overflow bottle, but would not syphon it back. I then took the hose to the syphon tank off and replaced it with a clear hose, obtainable from any hardware store. I could then see the coolant pushing out but not syphoning back. In fact every time the vehicle heated up and cooled down there was a air space in the clear tube which should have only shown coolant and no air. I replaced the radiator cap. Same problem. I then took the over flow hose from the over flow tank and sucked on it to create a vacuum. I could clearly hear the air leaking in at the new cap. I then noticed that the gasket on the old cap and the new cap did not reach the edge of the cap, There was about a 3mm space right around the edge. I purchased some rubber, cut a gasket to reach the edge of the cap and fitted it on top of the original gasket. Problem solved. Blue smoke is oil and will not affect your radiator.
Thanks for the comments. Perhaps others will find it helpful. Cheers
If your radiator wont draw the coolant back into the engine from the reservoir tank then you coolant system has a leak somewhere. It's probably is in the tube that connects the reservoir tank to the radiator. In the video it shows that you are using nylon wire ties as hose clamps. Replace them with actual hose clamps. If they leak they will not allow the coolant to be drawn back into the engine. Or if the hose is cracked anywhere it will not work. Think of it this way, if you are drinking a coke from a straw and it has a hole in the straw it will not go up the straw. You need a vacuum to make it work and if there is a poor seal in the pipe or the radiator cap is not functioning properly the system will not work. Or if you have a slight leak somewhere in you other hoses it will not hold the vacuum and will not work.
You're 100% correct that might be the issue. My Chevy express 2500 did the same thing. No hose cracks just a bad engine thermostat. I had replace 12 months prior
@@GGarcia7111 is your problem solved with replacing the thermostat
@@lakshanprabuddha8039 yes Also check the radiator cap. Believe it or not. That can cause issues.
Also make sure there is no air in the cooling system. I made a mistake about a month ago and filled the radiator while the engine was off. So it caught some air. And started having heating issues 20 minutes later. Man I thought I had a blown head gasket. And sure shit it was air in the system causing that. Just let the engine run for a while with the heat running in high setting for about 20 minutes it should burp it out. You can also squeeze the upper radiator hose while engine running to help to push air out of the radiator. But yes my radiator leak stop after replacing the radiator cap and new thermostat
I had the same problem with Dex cool it turned out the Dex Cool turned into goo and it plugged up the over flow tank hole where it transfers back and forth to the radiator . I cleaned it out and it’s fine now.
@@biglebowski923 unreal. I can tell you one thing. And noticed the over flow spilling again. My guess I know I should be using the red stuff according to the manual. And I am using the green stuff. Things that we don't know but makes a big difference. Thanks for the info
It seems that technology has developed towards the direction of draining car owners' pockets. I have owned several cars since 1981 and never encountered a heating problem even in those cars that I retained for over 10 years. I am now suffering a problem similar to that covered in this video, namely coolant loss in the radiator section (requiring refills before every trip). I detected the cause when I saw coolant oozing out of the reservoir outlet opening. No smoke, no leaks in the hoses or engine and no milky deposits on the oil cap and oil dip stick. The rad cap and thermostat were replaced about 6 months ago. Mileage is only 130,000 kilo meters (about 81,000 miles). The quoted cost of replacing the head gasket (I am uncertain about whether that gasket is blown) is so high as to make it uneconomical to repair. It is disappointing to read in the comments about the large number of people who are encountering heating problems. This was not the case in earlier days.
I integra
Find you a nice Old classic Chevrolet and you never go wrong.
yea they're cutting corners too aggresively nowadays
Well, as you know, cars are built differently these days. Back in the day, everything was simple and to the point. There's a long stretch in the 90s and beyond where cars were c*** We used to call Them throw away cars. Thank God how old you have to worry about is how you're gonna pay for your $10000 battery and whether or not you'll make it to the next charging station.😮
I had the same issue with a Chevy express 2500 with 220,000 miles.
Replaced the radiator cap. Seem to fix the issue for a couple of weeks.
O'Hara replaced the thermostat 12 months ago. And flush the cooling system 3 months prior Then I was getting an over heating issue I was loosing my mind. People keep telling me it was the head gasket from the engine. End up been the thermostat I didn't think it was the issue but I gave it a try and that fixed all those issues
if the head gasket is leaking between two adjacent cyls, the compression will be low in those two cyls and it would misfire as well. If it leaking between a cyl and the coolant jacket, then there will be coolant in the oil. Let out a little bit of oil from the sump, and if you see coolant come out first then you know the head gasket is a problem water is heavier than oil so it sinks to the bottom of the oil. I read this info in my ALLDATA subscription. also look for water globules on the oil dipstick.
In early March, I posted my comment/idea (see below). I later learnt the hard way. This is due to the fact that combustion gas was finding its way to the cooling system, when I install the SEALED overflow tank, the pressure went up without a relief valve. Within a week, first I blew a lower hose then 2 days later the radiator was wrecked(leaking at the joint at the upper tank)
If you have "coolant going to reservoir but not back to radiator" problem like me. The first thing you should confirm is to leave the engine completely cooled down(say first thing in the morning) then open the radiator cap. If you can hear a hissing sound of air escaping then your problem is like mine(combustion gas got into cooling system). The only way to solve this problem is to fix the engine head. Otherwise you will have to keep using the turkey baster transfer.
Now I installed an overflow bottle at the highest position in the engine bay (just touching the underside of the bonnet and by the fire wall) This bottle is not sealed(you can drill a 1mm hole to let air out, but coolant might get through this hole too)To avoid this I did not have this tiny hole instead I drilled a 4.5mm hole at a high position of the bottle so I can insert a 5mm (outside diameter) plastic hose . I insert one end of this hose(half inch is plenty)into this 4.5mm hole, the other end just insert into the existing overflow tank. This bottle can either be plastic or glass(I am going to Ikea to buy a 1 litre cylindrical glass bottle with a wooden lid, replace the seal with an appropriate O ring, so I can drill holes for the connections, make some clamps to secure the lid) This way you can see the coolant level. The important point is you connect the overflow hose at the lowest point of the bottle if possible(say at the bottom). Ideally,the bottom of the bottle is higher than the radiator cap(any coolant inside will drain out completely) but it can be a bit lower(a certain amount of coolant will stay)
If the bottom of the bottle is higher than the radiator cap, you can top up the radiator when it is cold and leave the bottle empty. Drive the car as normal, Coolant will be pushed into this bottle, next day in the morning, open the cap and look through to see if the coolant still covers the core, if it does just drive the car for another day then check the coolant level next morning again, do this until you see the coolant level is just barely cover the core, replace the cap immediately. Use a marker pen mark the coolant level on the side of the bottle then re-open the cap, coolant will flow back into the radiator by gravity force, once the radiator is full replace the cap. From now on you just need to check the coolant level on the bottle when it reached the mark and do away with the turkey baster transfer.
If the bottom of the bottle is lower than the radiator cap, you just need to fill the bottle up until the coolant level is same with the cap's level. Then do the above exercise.
Unfortunately, we'll have to do this until we fix the engine head.
I hope this information can help you guys a bit before you can afford a proper fix.
Make a video body, your explanation is too lengthy to follow to the T. Thank you
Make a video dude you are guaranteed at least 100,000 views in a year if it works.
This is just Reinventing the wheel. See a motorcycle reservoir tank, pressure lid of radiator and you'd understand that whatever you are writing here plus many upgrades are already done and dusted. The radiator lid shown in video is simple one, but a motorcycle with high compression ratio engine has a lid with dual purpose. One is to hold pressure till some bars, and other is to pull coolant from overhead reservoir tank when engine is cooling down. They have a Central pull mechanism with which opens when coolant is cooling down, letting the gravity do the work.
if anyone needs to find a leak the way I found mine was get a little red siphon pump from harbor freight, lowes, walmart, many places have them. ((when engine is cold)) hook the line to where the rubber hose is next to the radiator cap & pump it up putting air into the system. make sure you have fluid in the system to see when it leaks out. those little siphon kits are only like $6 bucks, so you find your leak easy & quick. poor mans pressure test but it works.
Smoke out of the dip stick tube always means piston ring(s) are not sealing. It means pressure is pushing past the rings from the block and into the crankcase, then out the dip stick tube and/or oil fill cap.
I have the same problem how is that fixable
Well, yeah, especially with the miles. He's put on that car holy Molly.
I had similar problem with Mitsubishi Gallant .... and RESOLVED the problem by installing a new Thermostat Valve, which was previously missing.
Replace with a radiator cap from Duralast. Many times: the Denso caps don't seal effectively.
But here it's working..That's y coolant fill reservoir...Also no leak is there...d same problem I'm facing with my 2004 accent....
for coolant maybe air in system turn heater on full while running car with rad cap off see if bubbles come out when bubbles stop put rad cap on
What if you are not getting any air bubbles after replacing radiator? Top radiator hose get extremely hot but bottom radiator hose warm to touch. New radiator, hoses, thermostat replace on 2002 Toyota Tacoma 3.4 . Thanks.
savnbest4last thermostat stuck from air keep topping it with water
I can see a problem with your small radiator hose. I would replace the white plastic fastener with a metal hose fastener, which can be screwed tight. Acura (and many others) should have placed a hose fastener on this connection. When this hose is old, this connection is not sealed tight and air instead of coolant is sucked back into the radiator. If the driver does not check the coolant level regularly, it can easily cause an overheated engine. Air out of your radiator when you pushed the gas is exhaust gas, which is a sign of damaged engine (possible head gasket).
If you still have this issue even after you replace the fastener, then the leak sits somewhere else, either the radiator itself or the damaged engine is to be blamed. Exhaust gas leaks into your radiator so can air.
I tho8ght I solved the issue by doing just that ..there was no clip on the hose to rad neck . Was fine for almost a week today iverflow was higher again so annoying . Git a new water pump here to put on ..no evident leaks had thus issue before and after hg was replaced..Head was skimmed and pressure tested maybe a clip on the hose (s) to overflow cap may help even though theure very snug
Which white hose mate?
Head gaskets can be really tricky and insidious. My honda civic with a h22 swap had a issue with the overflow bubbling over in the Summer. Got progressively worse over 2 years and finally started overheating and burping all of its coolant out of the overflow. It never gave me much trouble but I know it was already bad 2 years ago. Even if the car drives fine, there could be some problems with it just realize.
Honda Civics and Tegs kick butt.
@@kidwilson3357 eh, true. My car overheated again after the headgasket change, I had the head milled and i had a new head gasket put on. New water pump and timing belt. I think i might have put too high concentraction of coolant added or maybe thermostat is stuck shit. What do you think? I also have blue smoke out the tailpipe and gusts of wind out of the oil cap with the motor running. I already decided to swap the motor out with another H22 (well its a H23a blue top not a H22). Either way I'm going to figure out what the hell is wrong with this motor when I take it apart to put the new one in (JDM low miles which I payed 1190 dollars for). But the head gasket on the motor now is confirmed trashed, it had 2 different breaks in between cylinders. I think my block might be ruined somehow. I did a visual inspection but I did not check it for flatness
@@Mishakol1290update
@@Mishakol1290 I learned from experience that the block should also be resurfaced when doing a head gasket; use a straight edge and place across the block and look for low spots, especially the little piece between the cyls. if you can see light or a feeler gauge can pass, then you know where the leak is. I did a block on my brother's car some years ago with water sand paper and a flat block of wood; because taking the engine out to send it to the shop would have been a big problem.
As soon as the engine warm up the water will start boiling Bubbles it mean there s air in the system leave it like that running also set the heat on high inside your car
Something similar happened to my integra, but my overflow tank would actually fill up. I found my water pump leaking. I'm guessing it was sucking air into the system, and pushing coolant out the overflow tank. I fixed the water pump leak and it stopped. I'm not saying this is your problem, just sharing my story :)
Stephen Abner did u seen leakin actually of water pimp or just diagnosed
Im having the same issue...coolant will fill up in the resevoir and not drain back into the radiator...i dont have coolant in my oil and no oil in my coolant...no smoke out of the exhaust...no issues driving no idle problems...coolant is only leaking when the resevoir gets full...i have no idea what the problem is...shouldnt be a head gasket with only 74,000 miles on the car...i was thinking water pump also...my resevoir fills up till it leaks...also did you try bleeding the coolant...did you have constant lil air bubbles?
Hello !!.....could you see any leaking at bottom of water pump?....I watch very closely the color of my prestone and any white soap off my oil cap. Been watching for two weeks, and don't see any contaminations. Please let me know more of your experience. ....Mario , NOva SCotia, Canada
@@BIGTAGGART did u find out your prob my subaru doing the exact thing
@@goodjah head gasket
IIRC blue smoke out of the exhaust is a tell tale sign your piston rings are going bad.
The Thermostat gauge has barely moved up after 12 minutes into the video. The thermostat is stuck open, another observation the bubbles surging from the radiator suggest an issue with the head gasket.
I've seen a car with a defective head gasket have same symptoms it ran for a year (driven few times a week) needing coolant added, though when it finally failed the fluid was coming out the exhaust pipe into a giant puddle bf it was noticed.
02 March, 2018
I solved this problem in my 2006 Subaru Liberty MY06 30R (3litre engine) by installing a SEALED OVERFLOW TANK.
I installed the tank EMPTY. You can buy it off ebay, search: 800ML Car Overflow Radiator Coolant Aluminum Catch Tank Cylinder Alloy Kit Black.
I reckon the radiator keeps pushing the coolant into the OPEN overflow tank without sucking it back, as a result the radiator is low in fluid level hence the OVERHEATING. (I have to suck out and refill the radiator after every trip to prevent the engine from overheating) Replacing the OPEN overflow tank with a SEALED one we solve both problems:
1)We stop the excessive overflow amount of coolant into the overflow tank.
The size of the SEALED tank is 0.8 litre so it takes no more than this volume, thus the coolant cannot flow out any more than it can with an OPEN tank this results in the coolant level in the radiator tank is maintained. Therefore no more OVERHEATING
2)We enable the coolant flowing back to the radiator. The pressure in an OPEN tank is ALWAYS at normal atmosphere, if the vacuum in the radiator/engine block, for whatever reason unknown to us, is insufficient to SUCK back the coolant, now it will be PUSHED back into the radiator since the tank holds the pressure equals to the original pressure that pushed it out.
I actually installed mine horizontally at the highest point in the engine bay with the intake/discharge pipe at the bottom to use gravity to help the coolant flow too.
One thing you should take into consideration is you must allow sufficient VOLUME for the expansion of the coolant. This means you must keep a certain amount of AIR in the SYSTEM, Otherwise, your hoses could burst or worst your radiator bursts.
My coolant volume is 7.8 litres, it is safe to use this SEALED tank. If your coolant volume is significantly higher, you must be cautious. You can go about by installing one tank and run the engine and at the same time OBSERVE the radiator hoses to see any swelling till the engine reaches operating temperature. Any swelling indicates not enough air space. Stop the engine immediately to stop any damage. If so you can install 2 tanks and use a T to connect the two so as to give you the air space needed.
In my opinion, if you do install two tanks and the engine MAY run OVERHEATING. The cause I can think of is the 2 tanks hold 2X0.8=1.6 litres of coolant, this may drop the coolant level in the radiator too much. By trial and error you can slowly add a certain amount of coolant into one tank until the problem goes away. I hope my info helps you gays. Happy motoring.
Hi there I'm currently having this problem with my H6 3L subaru engine in my Outback, I live in Australia and this idea sounds quite good I was thinking would be good for my MY99 GC8 WRX for performance as in always keeping it better cooled? Also do you know if there is a video title or UA-camr that has a video showing this? Cheers
Use Tracer or LeakFinder UV coolant dye, just pour it in and use a UV light. You'll find a leak in no time.
If anything is coming out of the rafiator cap replace it. Still not working?
It's all pressure based. Run your car for 20 minutes if it starts boiling in the resrvoir tank it's because you have a leaky/blown head hasket and the coolant is not flowing through the system properly.
Sound like a thermostat that's why it's taking so long to reach temperature operating temperature the thermostat is not it's not opening
My car does this too had the radiator bust ran it overheating for a minute and then had it towed fixed the radiator and upper radiator hose cuz it was leaking and now the coolant won't go back into radiator when it cools. I have been taking the overflow out and pouring it back in radiator.
Have you check your thermostat ?
@@joseblass3228 it ended up being the head gasket
@@JayFix68my car does the same,after I drive it the over flow is full and when I gotta drive again I pour it to the radiator
Blue smoke is oil burning ( piston rings , valve stem seals or both )
I have the same issue, i tried Barsleak Head Gasket didn't seem to work i pour the reservoir back in to the radiator every time i do long drive
I have same problem I think its radiator cap and or thermostat. The smoke is vavle stem seals
Did you find the problem?
I also have this problem, I replaced the radiator cap and thermostat, but still the water does not come back when the engine is cold.
Probably a blown head gasket.
Did you fix it? Or do you continued to drive like this for 7 years?
I still drive it the way it is. 312,000 miles and counting.
Is your thermostat working , was it replaced, or water pump, I think the coolant is suppose to be rushing around in there, you better take it to get checked out , might be thermostat, you might need a new one
Thermostat was replaced OEM. This was a head gasket issue. I replaced with B20B motor
hey look your Reservoir problem if you look at the bottom of the grill at the very bottom of the evaporator coil for the air conditioner you'll find these fins clothes and clogged not allowed the right amount of air to cool the radiator unclog these fins by poking holes do not ruin the evaporator coil poking holes will allow the right amount of air to cool the radiator you will see problem solved no water will leave the radiator and enter the reservoir take care good luck
you can just pick up your overflow reservoir no need to use baster it slides into the spot it's mounted to lol
I know come on man LOL!
Lol
Mine has a bolt you have to unbolt to take out the reservoir.. Dont be hatin on bastin bro..
Why pick up when one has a $1 tool.
What do you mean by he can just pick up his overflow reservoir?
Can someone explain why zipties aren’t a good idea please? A lot of comments suggesting to switch to hose clamps. But what’s the zipties doing or not doing?
They’re on a hose that doesn’t see much pressure. It’s not like they gave to be so strong
Hello. I reach you from Turkey. I've been using honda civic 2005 for 8 years but I don't understand how the Coolant Reservoir works. How the radiator draws back fluid from the Coolant Reservoir. The expansion tank inlet is too low and there is no engine in it. Here's how water returns to the system. I couldn't understand the working principle. Thansk for everything.
You all need to check your reserviors for leaks and cracks in it to. And the hoses gpong to it. Sex the top hose to check it. But look for cracks in it.
Do a leak down test to see if gasses are going into ur cooling system
terimakasih informasinya, saya dari indonesia sangat terbantu dengan video ini
Change your thermostat to original OEM It worked for me Make sure it’s not clogged first
Thermostat is OEM.
I figure you've probably solved the issue or sold the car by now, however to answer all your questions:
1) Your coolant issue is likely caused by the headgasket or a small leak in the cooling system. Cooling systems need to be AIR tight as well as water tight or you will experience this issue. To find the problem, you should rent a cooling system pressure tester from your local autoparts store. You pump up the cooling system to its max pressure, you should be able to find the leak this way. IF you cant find a leak and the pressure is dropping, its likely a small leak in the head gasket. The reason this is happening is because coolant expands when hot, thats why there is so much space in your overflow bottle. However if the system is not air tight, instead of sucking coolant from the bottle, air will be sucked in from the leak. Its really not such a big deal, because once the car is warmed up again the coolant will expand and the air will be forced out. Its only a big problem if you have an actual liquid leak.
2) your blue smoke on accel is definitely piston rings or valves. I'd recommend making this your top priority to fix as it will cause lots of excess carbon buildup, ruin your catalytic converter in your exhaust, and cause a load of other issues if not taken care of.
RogueRAZR I take it you're mechanic so while you're helping him maybe you can help me too...
i have a 94 grand cherokee with the 318.. chqnged out my thermostat and waterpump but my top hose is not getting nun of the antifreeze wtf could that be please help me lolim pissed
What would happen if i take off my coolant overflow low level??
How to root samsung j2
replaced radiator:)
Check the hose clamps on all the hoses. On my accord, the most my clamps were more than 20 years old and did not really hold the hoses tight enough so air was going into the coolant.
An easy way to tell if the radiator is clogged is also if the upper and or lower radiator hoses are flat at all.
Water pump
Ive had a slight outter head gasket leak it just steamed out and my resevior would be sucked back out like it should but not its fixed and now it doesn't go back in the radiator anymore no signs of leaks no smoke im stumped
I had the coolant just sit in the reservoir on a 2002 jeep grand cherokee. It never went in or out. I also heard water noises in the heater core. I changed the radiator cap, presto problems solved.
Nathan Nelson My jeep patriot does the same thing!
It’s actually air bubbles you heard, not water noises. Air leaking into your system.
9× out of 10 bubbles introduced into the radiator is a indication of blown head gasket. The bubbles are exhaust gases.
9/10 is more likely air trapped in the system due to improper bleeding or a leak that introduces air. Go start every car you can with the cap off and you will see bubbles during warm up. Completely normal due to vehicle engines fluctuate hot and cold on a daily basis which easily sucks in air through the radiator cap or vent hose.
How about a bad water pump
New radiator cap fixed me
I wish that were the case for me. Mine is still running all these years later. I need to get it looked at lol.
Did you check the hose from your reservoir? Does it have a strong clamp. Could be sucking air back in instead of liquid. It could push liquid in from the radiator but suck in air instead of suck back in liquid. I have the same issue in my Civic so idk lol😅
Yeah I used stop leak and my overflow is full. Just changed the radiator yesterday. All hoses tight. Might need to replace the radiator cap due to the gunk from the stop leak
What did you end up figuring out? Cap solve anything?
Have you replaced the thermostat?
I have a question i just recently replaced my fan and fan clutch i also replaced the thermostat but my 92 gt still overheats and the light of low coolant is on any help or suggestions please would be highly appreciated
Try checking the hose pipe between radiator neck and coolant reservoir
Did you find the answer? I'm guessing you are using zip ties for the overflow hose and they don't do a good job sealing the hose to the cap and overflow tank preventing the radiator cap to do its job (vacuum sucks air versus fluid). In your case, I would think the fluid cannot overcome gravity as your radiator cap is located higher in the chain. Use a Worm Gear Hose Clamp instead of zip ties and make them snug. Let us know how it goes. Good luck.
My car does the exact same thing! I have a 2007 impreza(non-turbo), and I did the same things you do. I been doing the turkey baster transfer for three years now...
Head gasket issue with Subaru. I've own them before and same with Acura Integra...similar issue with head gasket so I move on to Honda and Toyota for reliability. Not so say Acura is not a Honda products but the Integra and older model Legend is having head gasket problems. ..been there done that long ago.
Well if you’re talking about ah 20 to 30 year old car common sense would tell you that those cars may need ah new head gasket and ah punch of new things so if you’re not into fixing up you’re own ride then buying used cars is not for you
4 years and counting!! whats your status? still basting? :)
4+ years of basting and My Teg is still chugging along. Red engine oil light popped up about 5 months ago and I freaked out. The car was still running great so. I eventually just kept driving it and I unplugged the bulb behind the dash. Im over 300,000 and this has been one hell of a reliable car. Anything I get at this point is Bonus miles. My car was looking a lot better n 2015 ;)
I have an 02 civic with 1.7 vtec at over 230,000 mi doing this. identical to a tee. I tried a few other rad caps from some of the other Hondas and didnt change. A mechanic friend said its the head gasket leak. Some of the pressure from the combustion chamber blows thru reaching the coolant and a rad cap is not meant for this high pressure of coarse. Sometimes when i check on it the res is full right to the brim and the rad is low. I dont really seem to lose much coolant or have smoke tho. Its as if its a one way street that way. I considered getting a higher pressure cap, but that may be asking for trouble. I should check my fan again but if the temp doesnt rise it shouldnt matter. It only rises doing donuts etc. So i keep an eye on temp then because i dont keep refilling my rad every week or month. I tried part bottle irontite head gasket sealer the other day didnt seem to work. Have u tried anything like this? To seal high pressure is asking too much from these bottles i think. Might try something else tho. Anyway car was $200, still pulls hard, takes a beating on the daily for years now. not planning to spend to fix it right, as it runs now as if its got decades of life left. Manual too. Literally only cost was oil and filters and cheap brakes.🏁🏁😎👍
You have combustion leaking into the cooling system due to a bad head gasket. It's a very minor leak in your case, and as long as you keep your eye on the coolant level you should be ok, until it gets worse and you have to start filling up the radiator every day. Try some blue devil, it works well for small head gasket leaks like yours.
I tried to look through comments to see if you ever updated with the diagnoses but only found what it could be. Did you ever get add actual answer to what the issue was/is?
Engine is still running and I just keep checking the fluids every few days. I havent had an official diagnostic. Pretty sure its Head gasket and gases seeping into system. Engine is still hanging on so I keep driving. Owned for 19 years! srry I could help more. cheers
@@kidwilson3357 Maybe drain a bit of the coolent out completely of the radiator, and you can attatch a vacuum fitting to the radiator drain port and try and pull vacuum from there, see if it holds and radiator cap vacuum valves opens at what ever inches of mercury it needs like 5. Also maybe even start it real quick and try and pull vacuum then. Can pinch off stuff like radiator hoses to block to see if the radiator can hold vacuum, test the cap and overflow tank, then you know it has to be somewhere from the block. I've tried to think where to pull vacuum from radiator and can not think of anything except the radiator drain plug. But that would confirm at least like, there the block is somewhere's leaking vacuum, or maybe only when running. Also there is leak down test, you basically hook shop air up to the sparkplug hole and see where air comes out. Makes it so like engine is running, should be bubble into radiator and then you know. Head gasket is easy enough, but issue is with honda are they are aluminum blocks. (well steel sleeve, aluminum block). So that stuff deforms different when heats up because different mentals.
Hey guys...the solution to this problem is the radiator cover/cap...any cap cannot work on any radiator...I had a plastic radiator at 1st, I change to a metal now, but I used my old cap and I had the same problem u guys are having...whatever radiator you have now you need to get a cap that can take the pressure of that radiator, or simply get the original cap for whatever radiator you are using...if you try it, can you give me an update if it worked please, thanks
Sound like a bad head gasket. Coolant would cause blue smoke when burnt and the gases cant escape so they are over pressurizing the rad and pushing coolant to res tank. Just my opinion though
So I just took my 03 Camry to a shop , I been having a coolant leak and was told I had a slight blown head gasket. And every time I drive for a little bit the coolant drips on the pipes and creates steam where it looks like my car is smoking . Is this really a symptom of a blown head gasket?
Same exact issue on my FX35... what did you do to resolve?
I have just been doing the same thing for years. Just keep adding from reservoir. This video was taken a while ago, and my car could def use some TLC. Id say the problem is Head gasket, valve stem seals and piston rings in my case.
Check your water pump for leaks or head gasket.
I had the same problem in my hyundai genesis sedan 3.8 - 2016
I'm having the same problem with my Toyota sienna did a pressure test and it turned out to be a bad gooseneck and a tiny leak at the Welch plug
I have changed the radiator cap but still the water from the overflow tank keeps going up
I have a 2003 Honda Civic LX with no bleeder valve and used the funnel with coolant method to burp the system and it still didn't work. What I found out later is that you leave that funnel with coolant attached after shutting off the engine. Do not plug it. Let the coolant and engine cool overnight. As the coolant in the radiator and engine gets cold it contracts creating a vacuum sucking more coolant from the funnel. If you remove the fumnel too early, you risk sucking in air instead.
I just replaced my engine and no more problems. I had two cylinders that were pretty much shot. It was still running.
@Kid Wilson33 i have the exact same issue... did you try changing the hose? there could be a small crack allowing air in the system. I also suspect a small hole in the head gasket that would allow air to enter the system so i removed the thermostat and use blue devil head gasket sealer just in case... i will run it for a day or two then empty the system and flush it with distilled water once then refill.
did it resolve the problem?
is your thermostat open? feel the second radiator hose, if its warm after driving for 15 minutes, your thermostat is open and working correctly
This engine is currently being swapped out to a B20.
Probably have some oil leaking from the spark plug tube seals or valve stem seals. Usually leaking Oil will have a blue color smoke, Coolant will be White in color.
Yes to all the above probably. This video was a while ago. Green Teg is still hangin on .. Barely. Thanks for the comment!
I have a 91 Acura integra car won’t circulate coolant as in the intake hose to the engine from the bottom of the radiator will not pressurize as well as the coolant boil to my reservoir after I take a test run after the coolant gauge reads operating temp I’ve already removed the thermostat to see if it’s rusted it new looking not sure why the hoses won’t pressurize at the in and out of the radiator
Im not sure bro. When you get it figured out, come back and leave a comment so others might get some help with the same issue. Good luck with the problem.
A good chance that your thermostat is no working properly it make the radiator suck the water back in as the water circulate through the water pump .. blue smoke is from the piston rings ..
On my 2000Mazda b4000 I noticed it’s not sucking the coolant back in to the radiator an when I take the radiator cap off it always need to be topped off a little bit but if I drive it for along time on the highway I noticed the coolant in over flow go’s back into the radiator u think it’s a thermostat?
I have this problem it’s the cylinder head gasket is leaking you need to change the gasket
almost 2 years later..
What was the cause for this? I've having something similar with my suzuki.
Assaf Peer radiator cap
My Car is still running,. I am 99% its the head gasket and piston rings. Im sure at this point I need valve gasket too. Over 300,000 miles. i just check the radiator every few days. My car is def gonna need some work but all of you out there, at least know if you are havinig this problem, just make sure you are checking the fluid every few days. You car might be able to last a while to before changing the head gasket!
@@kidwilson3357 Did you check the hose that takes fluid from your reservoir to radiator? I checked mine and it has some sort of fibrous/cotton material choking it. I cleaned it yesterday and will also keep looking at the fluid levels. This happened to me as I used a market additive to stop leakages and it formed sludge and chocked it (probably)
@@Attaurrehmanable I was also thinking that zip tie may not be providing enough pressure on the hose to maintain a vacuum which is required to suck the coolant back in when it cools down.
@@kidwilson3357 If you perform a chemical block test with the blue liquid that turns yellow when you squeeze the bulb, you'd be 100% certain about the head gasket. Do a compression test (dry or wet) and you'd be 100% certain about the piston rings. O'Reilly or AutoZone has free compression test kit loaners.
There sould be a fill line on the overflow tank for coolent level .If not enough coolent in the catch tank it wont syphon in and out , and back again .
Don't fill to top of radiator. Valve seals leaking oil to pistons.
Top cylinder gasket
the cap to the overflow tank is probably clogged and preventing water from going back in.
But water is pushing into the tank through the same hose?
if this continues after radiator cap is replaced with new, means his cooling system is getting over-pressurized, and never pulls back coolant after engine cools down. Excess pressure is coming from a blown head gasket, exhaust gasses entering the cooling system. No other condition would cause this behavior.
Am having the same issue. No blue smoke tho. Had my motot repaired new block head gasket... Got a new radiator cap today and see what happends because i did used a cheap cap hopefully it fixes the problem.
And what happen was rhe head gasket?
@@israelrojas5807 yeap. Bad gasket. Changed it and Good as New.
I had this exact problem, turned out to be the radiator cap. When the engine warmed and pressurised the coolant the cap would relieve the pressure far too soon by dumping half the coolant into the expansion bottle. Initially I thought it was exhaust gas in the coolant because it would bubble through into the expansion tank however when the cooling system can't pressurise it means the fluid will boil and produce bubbles at a much lower temperature.
That’s not how it works. The excess coolant reservoir is in a sealed system with the rest of it, but it has an outflow valve, if needed. When the engine (and coolant) heats up, coolant expands and goes into the reservoir. When it cools off, it is syphoned back out to keep the system full. That’s how it is supposed to work. If your radiator cap was faulty, it would fill the reservoir on expansion, but not suck the coolant back into the radiator when the engine cools. It would just suck up air from the outside instead.
@joejohnsoon. thanks to your comment i was able to fix my coolant overflow problem on my wife's 2011 Hyundai Accent. I was afraid it could be the headgasket causing the overflow problem, but from your comment I realized it makes sense when radiator cap cannot hold pressure then the coolant will flow into the expansion tank. I also considered the other symptoms like in my case the engine does not overheat, and the coolant don't squirt out from the radiator when I press on the accelerator. but I should also mention that the radiator was pressurized, I know this because when I remove the cap, gas come gushing out even when engine is cooled overnight and the radiator tubes where empty but some moisture still there. I also see the remaining coolant in the radiator to be milky white, some corrosion or the extreme heat due to insufficient coolant in the radiator could have caused this but I am not sure. I had to flush the coolant and replace it. One thing to note is that the old radiator cap turned out to be brittle when dry and had cracks around the vacuum relief valve which is in the center. I did not see this cracks until I took out the cap and let it dry. after replacing the rad cap I tested driving it for 2 days now and the problem did not comeback.
I also removed the thermostat thinking I should replace it also, but when I tested it in hot water turns out to be OK, it opens at ~80 to 82 centigrade and then closes when cooled slightly after taking it out of the hot water. I repeated this test several times and it never failed so i just put it back in.
@@edzenpanguito5206 yep I had the same issue in a different car model. And that fixed one of mi issues.
Did you have pressure in cooling when car cold??
Its worth a try to use steel seal gasket sealer. Its about 80 bucks but better than 1k ive never heard it fail to seal.
Okay that hose that comes off your radiator that goes into your overflow is because of the fact of when your vehicle gets hot or has too much and a freezer water in the radiator it goes to your overflow it does not come back into your radiator it will not do that
For me it was headgasket. I just did a rebuild and no more problems. Old engine was still running when swapped but had to turkey baste.
If you car is 15 years old, could be the hose clamps. The clamps are not tight enough and although no coolant is coming out from the hoses, the failing clamps are allowing air to enter from the hoses into the coolant.
Cooling system is pressurized, to 15PSI. That means, if your hose clamps were not tight, the coolant would have a leak, air would enter to replace the lost coolant, but this wouldn't cause the overflow bottle coolant level to raise. The overflow bottle level is likely to drop in the case of a plain coolant leak.
Exactly. I suspect that is what is happening with my car, the upper hose clamp isn't sealing completely. I can see it "sweating" . Sometimes some drops come out.
Possible cheap fixes: Get a new radiator cap (may be damaged), change coolant temperature sensor, thermostat and , if the fan is working and fuses are not broken, fan relays.
Update: the cheap fixes did not work. After changing the radiator and a complete flush, it was fixed.
What issues were you having? My acura MDX has fluid in the reservoir but not in the radiator. I just discovered it today.
@@babycakes8434 Most likely it's blow back because of a blown (damaged) head gasket. Especially if you never changed your radiator fluid, the car has more than 180K and/or over 12 years old.
@@paulelliott7373 The thermostat gasket was leaking. I sold the car, and I didn't miss that piece of junk for one second. I disclosed every and any issue and I sold it for cheap. I should sell it years ago, right after I bought it. Or I shouldn't buy it at all. But, you live and you learn. I have learned that if something is too junky, so you need to fix it all the time, just get rid of it sooner than later.
Check the coolant reservor cap.It has a crack.Not very vizibile , mine does 😉
The bubbles when you rev it are combustion gases leaking into your cooling system. Your head gasket is leaking. No more coolant overflow.
Sounds and looks to me like you have a very slow head gasket leak. (I know this was 5 years ago, but that's what it looks like to me.)
Im still driving it the way it is. I'm pretty sure its Head gasket. Valve stem seals and piston rings and you name it at this point need to be changed.
@@kidwilson3357 Ironic, but the reason I saw your video was because I was having a problem with my 98 Honda Civic overheating. I knew the thermostat was stuck closed, so I was watching videos related to replacing the thermostat. After I replaced it, it was no longer overheating at idle like before. But I'm guessing that it overheated enough to slightly warp the cylinder head. Now my 98 Civic is doing the same thing as yours because the head gasket is leaking compression into a cylinder at higher RPMs. It does it much less if I drive it conservatively. If I drive it hard, it blows enough coolant into the overflow for the heat to stop working and the engine to start to overheat because there's not enough coolant in the radiator. So I'm having to do the turkey baster thing every day now. I plan to replace the head gasket soon. Not very hard on that engine.
@@kidwilson3357 try this, we've used it on several cars, it works. It won't hurt your engine like other products will. ua-cam.com/video/QoH-GDKR5r0/v-deo.html
@@russellbrooks3622 try a head gasket sealer!
@@russellbrooks3622 agreed, had the same issue, and also seen difference with conservative driving vs. rough driving. Well worded, and also you bring up an important point - head gasket rarely blows on its own. There is some other issue that preceds, like thermostat in your case. So it is never just the head gasket. Root cause must be isolated first, then address the head gasket.
I have a similar issue with my acura. And wondering would it be a good idea to just close connection between radiator and reservoir? And keep All the coolant just in the radiator.
I'm no mechanic, but there if there is proper pressure in the system the coolant will expand, and you need the reservoir so the coolant has a place to go.. it should come back from the reservoir once the engine cools down. If the coolant is staying in the reservoir then you might have a headgasket leak? Good luck with your problem
My coolant is clean, no overheating, no leaks anywhere, replaced thermostat, radiator cap still loosing coolant in radiator to bottle and not coming back. I'm about to get new radiator cap just in case. Any other suggestions.
@@nb9536 Your best bet is to get aLeak down test and compression test. Also possibly find someone with legit computer and plug it up and see what codes. make sure all your connectors are tight. Do you have blue smoke? I wish I could tell you more.
Update, Checked with a mechanic he said head gasket. Bad news.
@@nb9536 You going to fix?
Bro, you have bubble coming up your radiator, it from your head gasket or warp cylinder head! I have the same thing for the 2005 Camry 2.4 l engine. The back pressure put the coolant into the reservoir bottle, but the back pressure prevent the coolant suck back to the radiator.
I don't understand. The radiator looks full. If there was any more coolant it would go through the opening to your reservoir tank.
Normally when you shut your car off, the pressure does not stay built up in your hoses etc, Usually the overfill of coolant will go back into your reservoir. However in my case, I could leave the car off over night and when I take off the Rad cap there is still pressure in the system. And,.,. you dont want that. This video is about 5 years old by the way. Car is still running and never fixed the issue. I just continue to manually fill the radiator. Cheers
My reservoir keeps opening and spraying every where from the radiator I changed thermostat and it's still acting crazy
Try changing your radiator cap
Blown head gasket. Top overhaul needed
winner!
actualy check radiator cap, maybe stuk up, thats why it cannot hold prassure..,.,
The water is not running?
You’re car burns Oil , I can tell from the smoke coming out of the Exhaust pipe , so it could be
a bad head cylinder with bad gasket or piston rings loos , so far now in 2020 what did find the problem
was ?
HG issue
Hye, my radiator is keep on discharging coolant into spare tank. Even many parts has changed (new radiator, new original thermostat, new original radiator hose, new original radiator cap) but the radiator still discharging coolant into spare tank. One of my mechanic suggest me to change the water pump. May i get your advice?
Is your car overheating? Are you saying the coolant does not go back into the radiator after going into the reservoir after driving? If you drive your car then park it do you still have pressure in the system( when opening radiator cap) hours later when the car engine is cold? If you open the Rad Cap do you hear a WHooossh of pressure being released ( engine cold) ? The best thing to do is have a compression test and see if you might have a blown head gasket.
@KidWilson33 no. My car didnt get overheated. Yes the water didn't return back to the radiator after going into the reservoir. Opening the radiator cap didn't seem to hear any sound of it.
Every time you take the radiator cap off, you have to bleed the air out of that line going into the resavoir
ua-cam.com/users/shortsLzeWVHCcSac
my compression numbers were way low in cylinder #1 and #3. I did an engine swap. I will say it the b18b1 was still running when I did the swap. I believe it was the headgasket.
A common problem would be your return valve of your Radiator Cap❤
I had the Same issue, i was solved after replacing the cap
Tried about 3 caps. Although never diagnoses, I'm pretty sure the head gasket has has a slow leak for a long while.
I am having the same issue with my daughters jeep Patriot, except no bubbles or smog, but the coolant overflow and does not go back to the radiator, have a brand new radiator and 2 thermostat, still trying to figure it out, I already bled the system twice
Did you ever figure out the problem?
@@kidwilson3357 I did a leak down test, cyl 3, head gasket leaking.
Headgasket gone buddy
i have a similar problem only without the blue smoke, when I check the radiator after the vehicle stands for about two hours then the water is up and when I check the radiator after a whole night then the water goes down a bit, about 5 cm (engine heat is normal and also water in condensate tank) Anyone have any advice??
CHECK TOP AND BOTTOM RADIATOR HOSES BOTH MUST BE HOT BUT IF THE LOWER HOSE IS COLD THE PROBLEM COULD BE THE THERMOSTAT : it’s not opening stayed close and the water does not flowing by all the cooling system .question did you flushed your cooling system before ?
Jose Blass it could also be the head gasket because what you just said was the exact same thing that happened to my g35 the lower radiator hose wasn’t getting any pressure one of the causes for that is because hot gases are coming from the exhaust and it pressurizes the system including the thermostat and it keeps the thermostat closed because there is too much pressure
What is the update on your car buddy? Mine is exactly the same…
I believe it's a blown head gasket. valve stem seals and piston rings. But.. I have yet to get a mechanic to look at it. lol./ Its still running. I have to make sure to check and refill the radiator after driving. 312,000 miles and counting. Ciao
@@kidwilson3357 lol. Bro i am actually doing the same. Constantly transferring the coolant from reservoir to rad. But scared to travel very far now. I have an appointment to the mechanic on Monday.
was it headgasket problem?@@bongpahak
@@hamidhamdane6431 headgasket leak.
@@bongpahak you can tighten engine head bolts, it can work
blue smoke is rings or valve steam seals
Did you ever get an answer?
I actually never have had to fix it yet. I'd say its headgasket, valve stem seals and piston rings.
I have almost the same problem my car doesn't overheat no water leak but I already replaced the head gasket and still loosing coolant idk what to do
My guess is you ONLY changed the headgasket and did NOT resurface at a shop what touches the headgasket. If you try to save money on a rebuild like that, you end up with problem again and shortly after.
Did you manage to find the issue? I'm having the same issue
I have not had it in the shop to find out but I am almost certain its a blown head gasket and valve stem seals etc. I hope you get your's figured out.
2004 civic sohc. Chemical tested my antifreeze for head gasket leak, replaced water pump oem, holds pressure in cap overnight and passed leak down test. No bubbles when running and at op temp. Absolutely never any crap water ran in system and rad thermostat I took out etc looks brand new. Not even a film or white residue anywhere period. 100,000miles. Also always has water wetter electrolysis preventer in it. New rad cap no coolant leaks anywhere. Same issue as you!! Transfers into tank and leaves rad low then tries to overheat. Blows out of reservoir because overfills it also so can’t just transfer. Bled air out of system many times at the car in extreme angles.
Fuel gauge says full until almost out,
Runs rough as crap now with this overheating issue,never got near red zone yet. Ac blew up and needs timing belt etc by now. F- Honda’s u guys. These cars are pieces of crap. My jeep Cherokee has been the worst vehicle over owned and literally needs restored at 170,000miles. Trans blew. T case blew. Engine lifters loud as shit. Sensor galore stock exhaust overheats bad ass shock in rear and floor under pass seat gets cooking hot. Just a ton of money time and effort for 20k. Lol