trurace

Can someone help me figure this out? I think my HG is blow but I am not sure. The car drives alright, but when I drive to long it will overheat. Sometimes when the car stopped it will start to overheat, and when I start driving again it will cool down. When the car idling it will start heating up. When I drive with the a/c off the car will start to heat up, and the car will cool down when I turn the a/c on. Also, im losing a lot of coolant

There isn't any oil in my coolant, but I am losing a lot of coolant. Also, there is a lot of pressure in my radiator. I took my radiator cap off, started the car, and reved the engine a little and coolant shot up every where. I already changed my radiator and radiator cap, and both of my fans are working fine

HELP!!!!

Boilermaker1

iTrader: (16)

if you take the cap off and there is air space in the top of the radiator, more than likely all that coolant is in the overflow bottle, which is probably full. If thats the case, you need a headgasket.

trurace

^^^^ thanks. I just wanted to make sure before I go and rip the head off

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

most likely if coolant is being lost, its burning in the engine. you can do a coolant system pressure test to be sure, but sounds pretty obvious blown gasket. just not big enough leak for coolant to mix in the oil. does car have trouble starting sometimes? can you see white deposits in your exhaust pipe?

trurace

Yea the car does have trouble starting sometimes. I've seen white deposits come from the exhaust a couple times

speedfoos

iTrader: (17)

That right there is a dead giveaway.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

yeah pretty sure its headgasket. when engine gets warm it will seal a bit better, but when you shut off coolant will start filling in the cylinders and cause short misfire next time you start it cold.

chinaman

Did you check your thermostat? To make sure its a blown HG you can use a block tester.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

yeah i would do coolant system pressure check and also regular compression test on motor, but that will prolly come back normal.

Boilermaker1

iTrader: (16)

Diagnostics didnt really pick it up. I wish I took a pic of my HG.... compression came back pretty normal, less than 10% leakdown, cooling system held pressure.... blew the gasket in all 4 cylinders. Blew it on both sides in 1 and 4. If you're pushing coolant, you blew the HG. Just change it.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

just curious to the original poster, what did you do to blow the gasket? bad a/f tuning with the turbo?

trurace

Im not sure but I think it happened when Paul @ Dezod was street tuning my car. We were tuning the car at high rpm's, like 5-6K. After a couple pulls looked down at the temp gauge and it was all the was at H. I don't know how long it was like that, I pulled over and there was no coolant in the motor. So I guess thats how it blew. Ever since that night i've been having problems, I kept driving the car because I didn't think it was my HG, but everything just kept getting worse

BTW thanks for the help guys.

drunkenmagnum

iTrader: (5)

do you smell coolant after you pop the hood or right after you turn the car off. that was a big sign when i blew mine.

dezod

iTrader: (74)

Yeah I remember that night. Man that sucked and your dad looked pissed Rich. The only good thing was that we almost saw those two guys fight at the gas station.

Anyway, car was running damn strong too. Sucked!!!

trurace

Hahaha yea he was and still is. That was a crazy night lol.

I probably going use this down time to rebuild my bottom end, but i'll have to put a hold on my daily driver project . When do those Carrillo rods come out??

dezod

iTrader: (74)

Workin on those now with them. I anticipate 3-4 weeks.

FoSho

Well having a similiar probelm.....I am pushing coolant into my reservoir (normal) but when cool down time comes it does not suck the coolant back into the cooling system. Here are the following diagnostic steps I've taken...

1) New radiator cap
2) Check for hydrocarbons in coolant (none)
3) Boroscoped cylinders (Dry as a bone)
4) Pressure tested system to 20 psi and held for 20 minutes
5) Compression test came back good wet & dry

I had a water bottle as a resevoir until I switched back to stock reservoir. Problem stick present. So, once in the morning I take the reservoir & pick it up above the cap and fill the radiator back to normal.

Only time she overheats is if I neglect to top the radiator back off or run with the a/c on for 3 hours in 105 degree weather (drops as soon as I turn off a/c) I never have to use more than I put it before. My car doesn't burn coolant at all. I put the same amount back in as the day before from the reservoir. Never overheats under boost aswell! I can beat her put all day and no overheat!
Spark plugs also looked great aswell.

Also our headgaskets are metal and not comestic so if it's gonna leak, it's gonna leak!

Only conclusion I can come up with is that my headgasket is slightly leaking pressure into my cooling system. Thus, coolant pressure is maxed, expunging coolant into the reservoir. The coolant cannot recover because when cooling pressure needed to pull coolant back in are expelled into combustion chamber?

P.S. I do have random misfire codes however freeze frame data shows the emanage fighting with stock computer over fuel in open loop. You can see the map sensor pegged and the short trim fuel cut like crazy!
You can feel a slight misfire for about 5-10 seconds on cold startup, then it goes away. My tuner did also not enable map sensor clamp so I do also have a p01162 baro sensor code sometimes.I can;t get my laptop to connect for the life of me, the tuner used my cables and software too!

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

almost sounds like you just have air in the system. have you tried opening the rad cap when car is cold, then starting car and warming up, and watch if any air bubbles come up from the rad. should turn the heater on full blast for this and also after a while turn the ac on too. if you have air in the heater core, it could cause overheating even if you have enough coolant (you may need to add some after releasing the air).

speedfoos

iTrader: (17)

Dude I thought we had determined it was because your lower rad hose is pinched up against your IC pipe. Did you fix that and are still having the problem?

TRIZ

iTrader: (14)

Any white deposits on inside of oil cap?

FoSho

Yes, I do let it run with the cap off...for 30 mins. I also used my snap on get the air bubbles out deal

Oh thank you foo's i had almost forgotten..the lower piping for the turbo does put a small bend in the lower hose. I ordered a universal black ss hose kit, should be here anytime. Jegs has same day shipping!!!! So I'll let ya know how that turns out

Also, I can find no deposits of coolant anywhere!!! Exhaust, plugs, and valve cover......no oil in coolant and vice versus

bg0218as

thats to funny fosho i am having the same problem with my car i have the dezod v3 kit and i can drive the car all day no probs but as soon as i get into constant boost she starts to push coolant back into the res. just like you i have no signs of coolant in oil or white deposits any where i do however get the short random misfire codes to but like you on 5-10 secs under cold start warmup its driving me f*@%ing crazy ive changed the rad to a koyo and the cap as well still no change ive talked with chris and weve gone over everything tryin to figure it out. i just dont want to pull the head to replace the gasket and that not be the prob so if you figure something out please let me know hopely we can get this solved cause im goin crazy cant run anyone nor drive the car the way i would like and thats another thing put it on the dyno and holds boost perfect a 5psi and runs perfect put down 195 & 184 so i just cant figure it out

Niterider2gen

Alright so I took my car to a shop that put in my trans and motor in, due to the set up they are afarid to touch it. They did say the car is burning oil and coolant and the temperature gauge rises to the H, even thought there coolant in there. I'm hearing different things can anybody here knowing our cars specifically know what his can be??? Now there is a motor with 15k miles for $700. I think I should start from scratch.

thefivespeeder

iTrader: (6)

I have the same problem, running a 80shot, I flushed the system, but am just running water now, I think my head is lifting under spray, maybe your's in high boost? I have ARP studs going in soon...

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

since you are screwed anyway. try opening the valve cover and tightening the head bolts a bit over torque specs to see if your symptoms improve. if they do, its def a small leak in the gasket.

bg0218as

you know its funny that you mention head lift because i was just thinking about that a friend of mine has a 7thgen boosted as well his name is patrick user name ruffryde009 was having the same prob and pulled his head gasket was good but he def. knew he was getting head lift so changed to arp head studs and a cometic head gasket prob solved but under full boost he was getting head lift and building to much pressure forcing the coolant over to the res so thats a good idea to pull the valve cover and tighten them down but how much over spec should i torque them down whats your recomendation thanks

Niterider2gen

so u guys are pretty sure about this?? These guys were talking aboutme havming burnt pistons and I might need to have the head sent out. Thats to much of a damn headache and I'm sure it would be cheaper to by that motor. Is the head easy to take off?? I have to change the water pump and timing belt while I'm in their is that really that hard??

thefivespeeder

iTrader: (6)

I know some people say to over torque your headstuds 5lbs when using over a 50shot of spray...

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

you dont have to do the waterpump if its not old yet. can do the belt if you want but idk, pulling the head is a huge job. just have friends and an extra car because something will always go wrong. its an all day job if you havent done it. i would get the shop manual and look through everything first.

Niterider2gen

aww $h!t thats why I think getting that motor will be cheaper. I'll do what these guys said with ove torquing the bolts. Nobody has told me why they think its burning oil and coolant. Thats why the shop thinks its the valves. It's burnt about 2.5 quarts and the coolant was running dry but now it doesn't circulate. Its gets about 20 drive before the temp gauge rises to H. The motor does have 100k on it. That BS tsi kit has been a mnightmare and has caused all this trouble. Nobody wa sable to tune it and I was getting over a 100 miles less per tank meaning it was somehow dumping fuel. SO untuned led to this problem I assume and no import shop wants to touch. Not Drivers image or Speedquest.