car dumps coolant

lieast · Post by **lieast** » 14 Mar 2012, 16:20

I get a new cap tomorrow but t stat as ect sensor is in and it seems the same/worse...

I'm thinking possible air lock. Is there a bleeder valve or do I have to do this slowly by letting the car run.?

Post by **regent** » 14 Mar 2012, 16:31

For turbos, VIDA says: "Open the nipple in the lower engine coolant hose. Close the nipple when only coolant comes out, etc..."

lieast · Post by **lieast** » 14 Mar 2012, 16:55

So there should be a bleeder on the bottom under neath the car? I'm confused on that on.. I under stand how to bleed it just can't find it (the picture doesn't make sense that to bleed it from where you drain it and doesn't make sense to have the bleed on the bottom of the motor. Shouldn't it be up high?

Post by **318mike** » 14 Mar 2012, 17:51

I think you have a combination of problems.I have almost the exact same problem.My gage says no problem but I lose coolant from the cap on occasion not all the time.Changing the stat and the ect seems to have helped a little. I think your cap is gone and allowing coolant out and somehow becoming air locked.I think when you lose coolant because the cap isn't maintaining the proper pressure and the proper pressure is needed to maintain the engines cooling needs,Also without the proper pressure and cooling you are slightly overheating, not enough to raise the gage,but enough to force it out of the defective cap(hopefully!!),because if this is not the case I am afraid that you and I are experiencing a build up of combustion gases from a leaking head gasket and it coincides with the crazy outdoor temps going up and down....sorry about being long winded,but I've been having this problem for a while and obviously thinking a lot about it.good luck tomorrow please let me know

lieast · Post by **lieast** » 15 Mar 2012, 05:00

I'm gonna pick up the cap today and try to run the car get the air lock out of it...witch is a pain... If that doesn't work there's some stuff you drip into your antifreeze if it turns purple from gases so that will tell me about my head gasket.

It sounds like we have the same prob cuz the gadge doesn't pick it up as over heating but it deff was (beig that I finally cought the antifreeze bubbling and exploding... With that it prob dumped a bunch of air in the system and also when I changed the t stat
it wa open...

If its not that then something is failing every once an a while like the water pump.

Also is the fan Surpose to stay kicked on after you shut your car off cuz mine shuts off as soon as you shut the motor off...

Thanks guys I'll keep ya posted

Post by **318mike** » 15 Mar 2012, 07:41

On my 850 the fan shuts off when the car shuts off,its supposed to.It may be just bubbling because your opening the cap and the sudden release of pressure will cause bubbles.If you want to see if the head gasket is the source of bubbling you need to wait until its completely cold and start it up with the cap off and the water level at least on min and watch while it warms up and see if you see any bubbles in the tank.The bubbles will be cumbustion gas leaking into the coolant from defective head gasket or worse a cracked block.I saw were you wrote that something like the water pump may be failing every now and then,its possible but unlikely its more likely that the problem seems worse every now and then because of the rapid change in weather(70 one day 45 the next).I live in the boston area we are neighbors(dam yankees... lol).Anyway mine acts up more on the warmer days.See if you experience the same thing.......A defective cap can really cause problems so after you try that let me know.GOOD LUCK

lieast · Post by **lieast** » 15 Mar 2012, 17:50

Ok so I did a little work today and let the car idle for a 1/2 hour and it finally boiled over....

What I realize was that my fan ONLY turned on when my AC was turned on... If the AC isn't on the fan DOES NOT turn on and after a while it boils...

It's not the ect sensor cuz that's brand new from Volvo dealer

I heard theres a sensor on the radiator that turns the fan on from temp or a relay
What is it called and whereis the sensor or relays that I can test...

I know the fan is good cuz I turns on with the AC so has to be some sensor that's bad

Any thoughts?

Post by **318mike** » 15 Mar 2012, 18:30

If you go to the top of this page and type 04 s40 fan relay in the search box you will see exactly where it is and the function of it

car dumps coolant

Re: car dumps coolant