The problem:
- the car overheats mostly when A/C is turned on. It may be running hot even with A/C off but difficult to tell (see below). When running with A/C the coolant in the expansion bottle is boiling.
- the temperature gauge needle rises just a notch above the middle (normal?) position and never goes above it, even when the coolant is boiling as described above. Is this a broken sensor? I have seen similar reports elsewhere on the net but no definite solutions and the local mechanic said is it is "normal" which I'm not buying. One person said he had the exact same symptoms cause by a blown head gasket.
What has been done:
- replaced the thermostat. (did not help)
- replaced the water pump. Old one had crappy plastic fins, new one has metal ones. (did not help)
- replaced the expansion bottle. (this helped but mostly by preventing the coolant to leak out after pressure builds once the car is stopped)
At this point I am suspecting three possible solutions, ranked by how painful they are
:1. At the moment I am using the regular Prestone coolant. I am aware that I should be using HOAT coolant, but that thing is not readily available here. I can get the original stuff from the dealer but I am wondering if it is even remotely possible this will make a difference based on the problem description? It is probably worth a shot.
2. Clogged radiator. I can feel a coolant flow on the top hose, but when feeling the bottom hose it it also very hot to touch. It may point to the flow problem, most likely in the radiator. When doing the coolant change (see above) I will flush the radiator. Is it possible to diagnose a problem with the radiator at home or does it need to be done by a shop?
3. Lastly, might be a blown head gasket. Oil is fine, and I can't see a change in the coolant but of course it is hard to say without the leak test which is not available here. I will pull the plugs these days and check if there are signs of burned coolant. There is some white smoke coming out of the exhaust but only after starting cold, and the mechanic said it is a evaporation in the turbo. It goes away when it warms up so it probably isn't the coolant getting into the combustion chamber, or am I wrong?
I am at the point to give up on completely fixing this car and use it for my short commute to work, and get something else to drive my family around.
Also, keep in mind that this is going on in harsh Kuwait climate (temperatures are sometimes reaching 50+ degrees Celsius)
Comments and ideas are appreciated!
