Alright, I got two issues with my '93 Loyale Wagon EA82.

 

1) This car never seems to warm up. It sits and idles and warms up a little but as soon as you start driving and/or turn the heat on, the temperature gauge goes back to Cold and it blows cold out the heater vents. The coolant return hose is cold to the touch as well. I have replaced the thermostat, removed the seized mechanical fan and blocked off the radiator with cardboard and still nothing. Anyone got any ideas?

 

2) After installing the thermostat, the upper radiator hose started leaking. The hose clamp was pretty rusty and I thought maybe when I removed the hose, the clamp cut into into it. So I replaced the hose and put an aviaton-style clamp on. But if you drive it, it still steams after you shut it down and you can see coolant leaking. Appears to be from the same area but I have the hose clamps good and tight on the hose.

I have seen the same thing..Take the hose off again and clean the inside of the hose and the shank you put the hose on.Sometimes a stick or something get under the hose making a place to leak....I think thats why a mechanics can charge so much.Something as easy as puttin on a hose can go wierd ,causing a leak and needs a re do....Now even when you get the leak stopped you still need to figure out you heating problem.Cold over there right??? Could it be a junk thermastat??Sometimes they are bad right out of the box..You can test it in a pan of water on the stove,making sure it opens...hang on...Todd

Sounds like there is an air pocket in the engine. Try filling the block thru the thermostat housing.

 

inspect the o-ring whrer the upper hose pipe meet the water pump. perhaps give it a wiggle to seat it better. Perhaps replace the o- ring or put a little RTV on the o-ring.

You said that the "coolant return hose" was cold to the touch. Which hose is this? A radiator hose or heater hose?

By coolant return hose I mean the lower radiator hose. If I had heat but the gauge always read cold, I'd suspect the coolant temp gauge and if the engine warmed up but I had no heat, I'd say it was a blocked heater core, but the fact that I hav eboth problems baffles me.

If the upper hose gets hot and the the lower hose stays cold, you are probably looking at a plugged radiator core. It is also possible that your heater core might also be plugged.

Sounds like corrosion throughout the system clogged up your interior heater. The fittings that heater and coolant hoses connect to, also corrode in the contact points with the hoses. They need to be circular sanded with 200 grit sandpaper before reinstalling the hose. Just wrap a small piece of sandpaper around the fitting, and spin it back and forth a couple of times to take the corrosion chunks off and leave a smooth surface to connect to. If the engine overheats alot in the summer time, then you will need a new radiator. If you have either A/C or a turbo, then you need an aftermarket double core radiator. The system corrosion will eat away at your water pump bearings as well. You should run some radiator flush through your radiator and engine, in order to improve things. Then remove your radiator and clean out the gunk that collects in the bottom, with a hose. If this does not fix your interior heating problem, then you will probably need an entire interior heating coil replacement. It is not real difficult to replace.

I'm not sure how the car is in the summertime (picked it up around Thanksgiving) so I don't know if it overheats when warm.

Be careful some of those replacement thermostats are junk right out of the box from the local corner parts store. I had to try several ones in my loyale before I found one that worked.

Have the coolant tested for exhaust gases. From what you describe about the trouble you might have a headgasket leak.

Be careful some of those replacement thermostats are junk right out of the box from the local corner parts store. I had to try several ones in my loyale before I found one that worked.

 

Commie parts are junk.