1997 Leg 2.5 hg were done, prob is...looking from front of car, radiator side by upper hose half of rad gets kinda hot, half by cap stays cold, system has been flushed, is that normal? thnx   p.s. i only felt top of rad where i could slip my hand in, thnx

others will have experience - I've read that it is tricky to get good results from measuring different areas of our radiators.

 

was an OEM-style thermostat used? the small, typical aftermarkets can cause problems.

 

Also, pulling the top hose off and filling the block directly with coolant, then reconnecting and filling the radiator helps remove trapped air.

Edited March 18, 201412 yr by 1 Lucky Texan

oem used coolant is full, stays full no bubbles in of tank, thnx Tex

hmmmm....I once read of a waterpump that had much of its impeller blades corroded off - maybe by a previous owner running straight water? couldn't pump enough.

 

is the car actually overheating? fans working?

no overheat fans seem to be working

good heat in cabin

Is car over heating??

no

no

if it's not overheating then sounds like everything is working properly though your description of cold hoses sounds odd.

 

was the sysetm carefully bled - coolant on those engines can get air bubbles - but that usually (always as far as i know) results in overheating.

if it's not overheating then sounds like everything is working properly though your description of cold hoses sounds odd.

 

was the sysetm carefully bled - coolant on those engines can get air bubbles - but that usually (always as far as i know) results in overheating.

 

 

yeah - might also depend on whether 1 or both fans are running, plus, keep in mind where the rad's intake and output hoses are. If it's working well in not too hot conditions, we might expect only part of the radiator's surface to be warm. The portion nearest to the inlet.

ok, THANKS guys

Yes, if the radiator is working properly, the part going back to the motor should be cool. That is exactly what it's supposed to do, dump the heat and only let colder coolant back in. 

 

Testing by hand after a short warmup isn't very definitive, tho. A temp gun would show much more precise differentials. The inlet would be running 190+, the outlet well under 150. And it should do that in Death Valley in the middle of summer. The thermostat is really a variable orifice to choke down the system and force it to run warmer. Otherwise you simply don't have the capacity to cool in the worst case situation. 

After driving for a week, check the level of coolant in the radiator, and over flow container, when the engine is cold. You may need to add a bit more antifreeze just to top things off, as there may be just a little bit of air in the cooling system, it will eventually find its way to the top of the radiator. Replace the air with antifreeze, and your cooling system will be completely full.

Edited March 19, 201412 yr by Rooster2